According to the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS), recognized by FIFA, the list of the 5 best soccer players in the world in the 20th century is as follows:

1. Pelé (Edson Arantes do Nascimento). Born in Brazil in 1940, the best player of the century according to FIFA and the best athlete of the 20th century according to the International Olympic Committee, he won the World Cup with the Brazilian national team in 1958, 1962 and 1970, being the youngest and most successful player in history.
2. Johan Cruyff. Dutch player born in 1947 and died in 2016, he is considered the best player in Europe, received the Ballon d’Or three times (1971, 1973 and 1974), and is considered the best exponent of the so-called «total soccer» of Rinus Michels.
3. Franz Beckenbauer. Born in 1945 in Germany, this footballer nicknamed «The Kaiser» was captain of his country’s national team when it won the World Cup in 1974 and 1976, as well as the European Championship in 1972, and was the team’s coach when it won the 1990 Cup. In addition, he won the Golden Ball in Europe in 1972 and 1976, being remembered as the best player in his country’s history.
4. Alfredo Di Stefano. Argentine footballer and coach nationalized Spanish, born in 1926, he was honorary player of the clubs River Plate, Millonarios and Real Madrid, being honorary president of the latter from 2000 until his death in 2014. He is considered one of the best players of all time, top scorer of Real Madrid at the time of his retirement, after playing eleven seasons.
5. Diego Armando Maradona. Born in Buenos Aires in 1960, «el Diego» is one of the most famous, admired and controversial soccer players in history. A midfielder or striker, he was World Champion in 1986, runner-up in 1990 and World Youth Championship winner in 1979, before being suspended for doping. He was five times top scorer in the Argentine league, and was later a TV host, coach of several national teams and starred in fiction and documentary films.

Obviously, this list, drawn up in 2004, does not include current soccer stars of the 21st century such as Argentina’s Lionel Messi or Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo.