Every footballer who is on the list of best has their unique skills and ability which gives them the rank on the list. However, some players are believed to have better skills than others, and that's when awards and recognition comes into play. Drawing from this, I'll have to settle for the two most popular players of our time as the best footballers ever.
Christiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are the most decorated footballers, having more trophies than any other footballer in history, with exception to Neymar, he has more trophies than both messing and Ronaldo, but he lacks the heavy weights.
Both Ronaldo and Messi have a duo record of 5 ballon d'Or awards. Ronaldo has won 4 European player of the year, while Messi has 5 of the same award. Both players have UEFA champions league title to their names. They also have made scoring records that won't be broken anytime soon. These two have basically clinched almost every major trophy or award available to football, except the world cup which they both haven't won. Others who have won the world cup lack the heavy awards they have.
Now, tell me. Why shouldn't I pick Ronaldo and Messi as the best footballers ever to play on a pitch?