Top Footballers By Eras
It all started when I began a personal project around 5 years ago to rank players by each position and during respective 5 year periods. I worked on this for around 6 months. For a start, I took 1990 as the start of the eras or periods considered, as that marks the time I have been familiar as a football fan. Players are ranked for each 5 year duration from 1990 to 2019. Once I complete this for all positions, I plan to extend the scope to 1980s, 70s, 60s and so on. You may ask how long can I keep going. It's a valid question. I don't know the answer to that, but I know that this is one of my passion projects that I want to keep going as long as I can and/or until this is done.
I researched players from around the world for each period and then made a shortlist of the players in consideration before opting them in or out and then ranking them. The term 'World Class' is extremely subjective, so I do not intend to name tag any of the players selected in such a manner. For positions including one player in a lineup (example Goalkeeper), I may have selected around 10-12 players whom I think have had an impact on the game in a given 5 year duration. For positions including two players in a lineup (example Central Defenders), I may have picked around 15-20 players in a 5 year duration. The ranking is based on a combination of factors in no order such as
a) Peak Ability - Considers the quality of a player in the position listed.
b) Consistency over the duration of 5 years - Considers the length of the period the player could maintain quality. Someone who has had a very high peak, maybe even the best player in that position at some point of time (say Alisson), but for a shorter period in that 5 year duration will not be above another player with a slightly lesser peak but spread out for all those 5 years. However, the player with a shorter peak has the chance to extent to the next set of 5 years, where if he maintains/has maintained that peak, he will be/would have been ranked higher in the subsequent set of 5 years.
c) Individual Recognition - Considers Awards, Team of the Tournaments, Individual Records, Recognition from famous magazines or organizations like IFFHS etc.
d) Contribution to Trophies Won - Considers Trophies won during the 5 year duration. As individual recognition is in some way related to the trophies won and popularity of a player, this is also one of the factors considered. Underdog runs to Semi-Finals or Finals in Club and/or International Competitions and Runner-Up League finishes are also given importance.
e) Strength and Quality of Opposition - Players doing well in a bigger league get more preference than players doing well in a weaker league in that duration.
Players were/will be selected on a combination of these factors, but I never rule out a player completely because they fail to meet one or two of the above criteria, but if they meet the other criteria splendidly well. However, a player doing well in all the above criteria will be in ahead in ranking than a player doing well in lesser number of criteria.
1990-1994GoalkeepersPeter Schmeichel (Brøndby IF/Manchester United F.C., Denmark)
Walter Zenga (Inter Milan/U.C. Sampdoria, Italy)
Michel Preud'homme (KV Mechelen/S.L. Benfica, Belgium)
Andoni Zubizarreta (FC Barcelona/Valencia CF, Spain)
Thomas Ravelli (IFK Göteborg, Sweden)
Gianluca Pagliuca (U.C. Sampdoria/Inter Milan, Italy)
Sergio Goycochea (Millionarios/Racing Club de Avellaneda/Stade Brestois 29/Cerro
Porteño/Club Olimpia/River Plate/Deportivo Mandiyú, Argentina)
Andreas Köpke (1. FC Nürnberg/Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany)
Vítor Baía (FC Porto, Portugal)
Cláudio Taffarel (Internacional/Parma/Reggio Audace F.C./Atlético Mineiro, Brazil)
Bodo Illgner (1. FC Köln, Germany)
Central DefendersFranco Baresi (A.C. Milan, Italy)
Jürgen Kohler (FC Bayern Munich/Juventus F.C., Germany)
Alessandro Costacurta (A.C. Milan, Italy)
Ronald Koeman (FC Barcelona, Netherlands)
Aldair (S.L. Benfica/A.S. Roma, Brazil)
Gheorghe Popescu (CS Universitatea Craiova/PSV Eindhoven/Tottenham Hotspur F.C.,
Romania)
Oscar Ruggeri (Real Madrid CF/C.A. Vélez Sarsfield/A.C. Ancona/Club América/C.A. San
Lorenzo, Argentina)
Pietro Vierchowod (U.C. Sampdoria, Italy)
Rune Bratseth (SV Werder Bremen, Norway)
Laurent Blanc (Montpellier HSC/S.S.C. Napoli/Nîmes Olympique/AS Saint-Étienne,
France)
Miodrag Belodedici (Red Star Belgrade/Valencia CF/Real Valladolid, Romania)
Paul McGrath (Aston Villa F.C., Republic Of Ireland)
Guido Buchwald (VfB Stuttgart/Urawa Red Diamonds, Germany)
Tony Adams (Arsenal F.C., England)
Gary Pallister (Manchester United F.C., England)
Miguel Ángel Nadal (RCD Mallorca/FC Barcelona, Spain)
Des Walker (Nottingham Forest F.C./U.C. Sampdoria/Sheffield Wednesday F.C.,
England)
Ricardo Gomes (S.L. Benfica/Paris Saint-Germain F.C., Brazil)
Riccardo Ferri (Inter Milan/U.C. Sampdoria, Italy)
1995-1999GoalkeepersJosé Luis Chilavert (Vélez Sarsfield, Paraguay)
Fabien Barthez (Olympique de Marseille/AS Monaco FC, France)
Angelo Peruzzi (Juventus F.C./Inter Milan, Italy)
Oliver Kahn (FC Bayern Munich, Germany)
Andreas Köpke (Eintracht Frankfurt/Olympique de Marseille/1. FC Nürnberg, Germany)
Peter Schmeichel (Manchester United F.C./Sporting CP, Denmark)
David Seaman (Arsenal F.C., England)
Edwin van der Sar (AFC Ajax/Juventus F.C., Holland)
Gianluca Pagliuca (Inter Milan/Bologna F.C. 1909, Italy)
Central DefendersMarcel Desailly (A.C. Milan/Chelsea F.C., France)
Ciro Ferrara (Juventus F.C., Italy)
Jaap Stam (SC Cambuur/Willem II/PSV Eindhoven/Manchester United F.C.,
Netherlands)
Fernando Hierro (Real Madrid CF, Spain)
Matthias Sammer (Borussia Dortmund, East Germany/Germany)
Paolo Montero (Atalanta B.C./Juventus F.C., Uruguay)
Jürgen Kohler (Juventus F.C./Borussia Dortmund, Germany)
Laurent Blanc (AS Saint-Étienne/AJ Auxerre/FC Barcelona/Olympique de Marseille/Inter
Milan, France)
Carlos Gamarra (Cerro Porteño/S.C. Internacional/S.L. Benfica/S.C. Corinthians
Paulista/Atlético Madrid, Paraguay)
Aldair (A.S. Roma, Brazil)
Alessandro Costacurta (A.C. Milan, Italy)
Tony Adams (Arsenal F.C., England)
Jens Nowotny (Karlsruher SC/Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Germany)
Gheorghe Popescu (Tottenham Hotspur F.C./FC Barcelona/Galatasaray S.K., Romania)
Christian Wörns (Bayer 04 Leverkusen/Paris Saint-Germain F.C./Borussia Dortmund,
Germany)
Fabio Cannavaro (S.S.C. Napoli/Parma Calcio 1913, Italy)
Alessandro Nesta (S.S. Lazio, Italy)
Thomas Helmer (FC Bayern Munich/Sunderland A.F.C., Germany)
Miroslav Đukić (Deportivo La Coruña/Valencia CF, Croatia)
Sol Campbell (Tottenham Hotspur F.C., England)
Siniša Mihajlović (U.C. Sampdoria/S.S. Lazio, Yugoslavia)
2000-2004Oliver Kahn (FC Bayern Munich, Germany)
Gianluigi Buffon (Parma Calcio 1913/Juventus F.C., Italy)
Francesco Toldo (ACF Fiorentina/Inter Milan, Italy)
Iker Casillas (Real Madrid CF, Spain)
Óscar Córdoba (Boca Juniors/A.C. Perugia Calcio/Beşiktaş J.K., Colombia)
Dida (SC Corinthians Paulista/A.C. Milan, Brazil)
Rüştü Reçber (Fenerbahçe S.K./FC Barcelona, Turkey)
Santiago Cañizares (Valencia CF, Spain)
Vítor Baía (FC Porto, Portugal)
Jerzy Dudek (Feyenoord/Liverpool F.C., Poland)
Roberto Abbondanzieri (Boca Juniors, Argentina)
Jens Lehmann (Borussia Dortmund/Arsenal F.C., Germany)
2005-2009Iker Casillas (Real Madrid CF, Spain)
Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus F.C., Italy)
Petr Čech (Chelsea F.C., Czech Republic)
Júlio César (A.C. ChievoVerona/Inter Milan, Brazil)
Edwin van der Sar (Fulham F.C./Manchester United F.C., Holland)
Pepe Reina (Villareal CF/Liverpool F.C., Spain)
Igor Akinfeev (CSKA Moscow, Russia)
Jens Lehmann (Arsenal F.C./VfB Stuttgart, Germany)
Rogério Ceni (São Paulo, Brazil)
2010-2014Manuel Neuer (FC Schalke 04/FC Bayern Munich, Germany)
Iker Casillas (Real Madrid CF, Spain)
Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus F.C., Italy)
Thibaut Courtois (K.R.C. Genk/Atlético Madrid/Chelsea F.C., Belgium)
Petr Čech (Chelsea F.C., Czech Republic)
Victor Valdes (FC Barcelona, Spain)
Joe Hart (Birmingham City F.C./Manchester City F.C., England)
Samir Handanović (Udinese Calcio/Inter Milan, Slovenia)
Vincent Enyeama (Hapoel Tel Aviv F.C., Lille OSC, Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C./Nigeria)
David de Gea (Atlético Madrid/Manchester United F.C., Spain)
Hugo Lloris (Olympique Lyonnais/Tottenham Hotspur F.C., France)
2015-2019GoalkeepersJan Oblak (Atlético Madrid, Slovenia)
Keylor Navas (Real Madrid CF, Costa Rica)
David de Gea (Manchester United F.C., Spain)
Manuel Neuer (FC Bayern Munich, Germany)
Marc-André ter Stegen (FC Barcelona, Germany)
Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus F.C./Paris Saint-Germain F.C., Italy)
Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea F.C./Real Madrid CF, Belgium)
Alisson Becker (Sport Club Internacional/A.S. Roma/Liverpool F.C., Brazil)
Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur F.C., France)
Samir Handanović (Inter Milan, Slovenia)
Ederson (Rio Ave F.C./S.L. Benfica/Manchester City F.C., Brazil)
Central DefendersDiego Godín (Atlético Madrid, Uruguay)
Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid CF, Spain)
Raphaël Varane (Real Madrid CF, France)
Gerard Piqué (FC Barcelona, Spain)
Virgil van Dijk (Southampton F.C./Liverpool F.C., Netherlands)
Kalidou Koulibaly (S.S.C. Napoli, Senegal)
Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus F.C./A.C. Milan, Italy)
Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham Hotspur F.C., Belgium)
Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus F.C., Italy)
César Azpilicueta (Chelsea F.C./Spain)
Toby Alderweireld (Southampton F.C./Tottenham Hotspur F.C., Belgium)
Thiago Silva (Paris Saint-Germain F.C., Brazil)
Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund/FC Bayern Munich, Germany)
Nicolás Otamendi (Valencia CF/Manchester City F.C., Argentina)
José Giménez (Atlético Madrid, Uruguay)
Aymeric Laporte (Athletic Bilbao/Manchester City F.C., France)
Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain F.C., Brazil)
Please share your thoughts and opinions and I'll try to answer any questions as well. Any players whom I may not have thought of, are welcome for consideration as I have intended not to ignore lesser known players in weaker leagues. Don't hesitate to point to any mistakes/corrections required (player names, club names, clubs played for etc.) as well. Any help for formatting is also welcome. Pasting from my Document isn't looking ideal.
Also a thought for fellow Draft enthusiasts, I hope this is interesting.
EDITS:
1. Today, I pulled out my work again after 5 years and made my final touches to the Goalkeeper position. I want to present my work here, the Goalkeepers are ready. Rest of the positions will be edited in as and when my final touches for respective positions are over.
I understand that some players like Hart are not popular here and he fell of a cliff, but he did win 4 Premier League Golden Gloves and the Premier League twice at a period when he was good.
2. Central Defenders for the first era is in. Updated the 2nd era & the recent one (these were tough). Doing this position (even making final touches) is harder than what I did for Goalkeepers, so they'll be in era by era, unless I manage to get quicker. Suggestions and opinions are welcome for this position for inclusion or exclusion.
Meanwhile, I'm also continuing research for Goalkeepers taking in the suggestions, I'd like more inputs on Dudek, as his inclusion seems controversial, but he is regarded highly in Poland as well as in certain magazines, rankings.