I agree with you, its all always a matter of opinion. I think its extremely difficult as you said, to analyse and judge footballers at the highest competitive level.

I’ll go one step farther and add that it is even more difficult to compare and rate players of differrent eras and players who played in different positions, for example Pele (a striker) Maradona (an attacking midfielder), yes Pele was also a playmaker, and so to Maradona a goal scorer, but we have to be realistic and recognise that each one played in a different position.

I also believe this ranking system should always begin within the context of a list of the best players from each country. I’m more familiar with Argentine football so I will give you the following list of the TOP 30 all time greatest Argentine footballers in roughly the correct order with their professional footballing years active in brackets. You can find more information on some of them on YOUTUBE or wikipedia. NOTE: I did not include goalkeepers I have a separate list for that, ask me if you would like to see it.

1. Diego Armando Maradona [1976 – 1997]
2. Alfredo Di Stefano [1943 – 1966]
3. Jose Manuel Moreno [1935 – 1956]
4. Enrique Omar Sivori (My personal favourite) [1954 – 1971]
5. Adolfo Pedernera [1933 – 1954]
6. Nestor “Pipo” Rossi [1934 – 1951]
7. Humberto Maschio [1953 – 1969]
8. Angel Amadeo Labruna [1939 – 1961]
9. Rene Pontoni [1940 – 1955]
10. Antonio Rattin [1956 – 1970]
11. Jose Maria Minella (Monumental Stadium named after him) [1928 – 1944]
12. Oscar “Pinino” Mas [1964 - 1985]
13. Ricardo Bochini [1971 – 1991]
14. Norberto Alonso [1970 – 1987]
15. Angel “Rojitas” Rojas (The man with the elastic waistline) [1958 – 1975]
16. Bernabe Ferreyra [1926 – 1939]
17. Osvaldo Ardiles [1973 – 1990]
18. Miguel Angel Brindisi [1967 – 1984]
19. Claudio Borghi [1981 – 1999]
20. Alberto Marcico [1979 – 1998]
21. Ernesto Mastrangelo [1968 – 1982]
22. Daniel Passarella [1971 – 1989]
23. Fernando Redondo [1987 – 2003]
24. Silvio Marzolini [1959 – 1972]
25. Ermindo Onega [1957 – 1977]
26. Omar Oreste Corbatta [1955 – 1974]
27. Mario Boye [1941 – 1955]
28. Herminio Massantonio [1931 – 1944]
29. Carlos Peucelle [1925 – 1942]
30. Norberto “Tucho” Mendez [1941 – 1956]

My all time international top 20;

1. Diego Armando Maradona (ARG)
2. Garrincha (BRA)
3. Alfredo Di Stefano (ARG)
4. Pele (BRA)
5. George Best (NIR)
6. Johan Cruyff (HOL)
7. Zico (BRA)
8. Jose Manuel Moreno (ARG)
9. Ferenc Puskas (HUN)
10. Eusebio (POR)
11. Tostao (BRA)
12. Enrique Omar Sivori (ARG)
13. Michel Platini (FRA)
14. Franz Beckenbauer (GER)
15. Sir Stanley Matthews (ENG)
16. Bobby Charlton (ENG)
17. EnzoFrancescoli (URU)
18. Rivelino (BRA)
19. Duncan Edwards (ENG) [this guy would without doubt be top 5 if he hadn't died so young at 21]
20. Gerd Muller (GER)

bush got distracted. lolz