In the December 1999 issue of World Soccer Magazine , a readers poll listing the 100 greatest football players of the 20th century was published. Here is that list, in order, from positions 1-100:

• 1. Pelé
• 2. Diego Maradona
• 3. Johan Cruyff
• 4. Franz Beckenbauer
• 5. Michel Platini
• 6. Alfredo Di Stefano
• 7. Ferenc Puskás
• 8. George Best
• 9. Marco van Basten
• 10. Eusébio
• 11. Lev Yashin
• 12. Sir Bobby Charlton
• 13. Ronaldo
• 14. Bobby Moore
• 15. Gerd Müller
• 16. Roberto Baggio
• 17. Sir Stanley Matthews
• 18. Zico
• 19. Franco Baresi
• 20. Garrincha
• 21. Paolo Maldini
• 22. Kenny Dalglish
• 23. Gabriel Batistuta
• 24. Eric Cantona
• 25. Gheorghe Hagi
• 26. Romario
• 27. Jairzinho
• 28. Zinedine Zidane
• 29. Ruud Gullit
• 30. John Charles
• 31. Lothar Matthäus
• 32. Gordon Banks
• 33. Jürgen Klinsmann
• 34. Dennis Bergkamp
• 35. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
• 36. Gary Lineker
• 37. Giuseppe Meazza
• 38. Rivelino
• 39. Didi
• 40. Ian Rush
• 41. Peter Schmeichel
• 41. Paolo Rossi
• 43. George Weah
• 44. Michael Owen
• 45. Just Fontaine
• 46. Duncan Edwards
• 47. Dino Zoff
• 48. Hristo Stoichkov
• 49. David Beckham
• 50. Sir Tom Finney
• 51. Rivaldo
• 52. Claudio Caniggia
• 53. Tostao
• 54. Frank Rijkaard
• 55. José Luis Chilavert
• 56. Kevin Keegan
• 57. Paul Gascoigne
• 58. Roger Milla
• 59. Michael Laudrup
• 60. Andriy Shevchenko
• 61. David Ginola
• 61. Glenn Hoddle
• 61. Sócrates
• 64. Roberto Carlos
• 64. Alan Shearer
• 66. Daniel Passarella
• 67. Davor Šuker
• 68. Dixie Dean
• 68. Sándor Kocsis
• 68. Juan Alberto Schiaffino
• 68. Christian Vieri
• 72. Mario Kempes
• 72. Johan Neeskens
• 72. Luigi Riva
• 75. Jose Nasazzi
• 75. Günter Netzer
• 77. Alessandro Del Piero
• 77. Carlos Valderrama
• 79. Ricardo Zamora
• 80. Enzo Francescoli
• 81. Edgar Davids
• 81. Francisco Gento
• 83. Jim Baxter
• 83. Falcão
• 83. Ryan Giggs
• 83. Sepp Maier
• 87. Zbigniew Boniek
• 87. Pat Jennings
• 87. Gyorgy Sarosi
• 90. Giacinto Facchetti
• 91. Alan Hansen
• 91. Raymond Kopa
• 91. Bryan Robson
• 91. Matthias Sammer
• 95. Ladislav Kubala
• 95. Neville Southall
• 97. Gerson
• 98. Paulo Futre
• 98. Preben Elkjær-Larsen
• 100. Bebeto