Soccer dominated the football world because of its best players from the 1980’s. And it was a golden era of football in many ways. One of them is that players contributed a lot during that era and introduced different new skills to the game. That’s why the biggest stars of that era became the most famous football players of the 1980s. And it’s impossible to compare their level with each other, but there’s one name that overshadowed the great players of that era, and his name was the great Maradona.
Here’s the list of the top 10 most talented footballers from the 1980s decade who played football in the best leagues in the world.
10. Peter Leslie Shilton
Peter Shilton (born September 18, 1949) was a former English footballer who played as a goalkeeper. One of the great players who achieved 1000 appearances as an England international and 1000 as a club player. He was the top goalkeeper of that era. He contributed to world football for 30 years and earned many honors during his soccer journey. His career information is listed below:
Club Career
| Years | Team | Appearances |
| 1966-74 | Leicester City | 286 |
| 1974-77 | Stoke City | 110 |
| 1977-82 | NottinghamForest | 202 |
| 1982-87 | Southampton | 188 |
| 1987-92 | Derby County | 175 |
| 1992-95 | Plymouth Argyle | 34 |
| 1995 | Wimbledon | 0 |
| 1995 | Bolton Wanderers | 1 |
| 1995-96 | Coventry City | 0 |
| 1996 | West Ham United | 0 |
| 1996-97 | Leyton Orient | 9 |
International Career
| Years | Team | Appearances |
| 1965 | England U16 | 1 |
| 1967 | England U18 | 9 |
| 1968-72 | England U23 | 13 |
| 1972-90 | England | 125 |
9. Socrates
Socrates (19 February 1954 – 4 December 2011) was a former Brazilian footballer who played as a midfielder. He had multiple talents, including being a doctor, a politician, and a footballer. His multiple talents earned him the name “Doctor Socrates.” He was also very popular due to his cool playing style. His career information is listed below:
Club Career
| Years | Team | Appearances |
| 1973-78 | Botafogo SP | 99 |
| 1978-84 | Corinthians | 135 |
| 1984-85 | Fiorentina | 25 |
| 1986-87 | Flamengo | 12 |
| 1988-89 | Santos | 25 |
| 1989 | Botafogo-SP | 6 |
| 2004 | Garforth Town | 1 |
International Career
| Years | Team | Appearances |
| 1979-86 | Brazil | 60 |
8. Ruud Gullit
Ruud Gullit (born September 1, 1962) was a Dutch footballer who played as a defender, midfielder, and forward during his international career. He also captained the Dutch national team and won the 1988 UEFA Euro. He won the Ballon d’Or in 1987 and was named world soccer player of the year in 1987 and 1989. His career information is listed below:
Club Career
| Years | Team | Appearances |
| 1979-82 | H.F.C Haarlem | 91 |
| 1982-85 | Feyenoord | 85 |
| 1985-87 | PSV | 68 |
| 1987-94 | AC Milan | 125 |
| 1994 | Sampdoria (Loan) | 31 |
| 1994-95 | Sampdoria | 22 |
| 1995-98 | Chelsea | 48 |
International Career
| Years | Team | Appearances |
| 1979 | Netherlands U-21 | 4 |
| 1981-94 | Netherlands | 66 |
7. Franco Baresi
Franco Baresi (born May 8, 1962) was an Italian footballer who played as a central defender during his international career. He was also known as “Kaiser Franz” due to his skills and success with fellow sweeper Franz Beckenbauer. He didn’t watch any football on television until he was 10. He had a 20-year soccer career. His career information is listed below:
Club Career
| Years | Team | Appearances |
| 1977-97 | AC Milan | 532 |
International Career
| Years | Team | Appearances |
| 1982-94 | Italy | 81 |
6. Zico
Arthur Antunes Coimbra (born March 3, 1953), known as Zico, was a Brazilian footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He was famous for his freekicks and brilliant passing. He scored almost 101 goals on free kicks. He also represented the Brazil national team, but he did not win any tournaments representing the country during his soccer career. His career information is listed below:
Club Career
| Years | Team | Appearances |
| 1971-83 | Flamengo | 212 |
| 1983-85 | Udinese | 39 |
| 1985-89 | Flamengo | 37 |
| 1991-94 | Kashima Antlers | 45 |
International Career
| Years | Team | Appearances |
| 1976-86 | Brazil | 71 |
Managerial Career
| Years | Team |
| 1999 | Kashima Antlers |
| 2000-2002 | CFZ |
| 2002-2006 | Japan |
| 2006-2008 | Fenerbahce |
| 2008 | Bunyodkor |
| 2009 | CSKA Moskow |
| 2009-10 | Olympiacos |
| 2011-12 | Iraq |
| 2013-14 | Al-Gharafa |
| 2014-16 | FC Goa |
| 2018-22 | Kashima Antlers (Technical Director) |
| 2022 | Kashima Antlers (Technical Director) |
5. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
Karl-Heinz “Kalle” Rummenigge (born September 25, 1955) was a German footballer who played as a forward. Rummenigge played for Bayern Munich and won many titles during his career. He also won two Ballon d’Or awards in 1980 and 1981. He was one of the greatest forward players because of his versatile style of play. His career information is listed below:
Club Career
| Years | Team | Appearances |
| 1974-84 | Bayern Munich | 310 |
| 1984-87 | Inter Milan | 64 |
| 1987-89 | Servette | 50 |
International Career
| Years | Team | Appearances |
| 1975 | West Germany B | 1 |
| 1976-86 | West Germany | 95 |
4. Paolo Rossi
Paolo Rossi (born September 23, 1956; died December 9, 2020) was an Italian footballer who played as a forward. He helped Italy win the 1982 FIFA World Cup by scoring six goals during the tournament. He also won the Ballon d’Or in 1982. He was one of the most versatile forwards in Italy during that era. His career information is listed below:
Club Career
| Years | Team | Appearances |
| 1973-76 | Juventus | 0 |
| 1975-76 | Como (Loan) | 6 |
| 1976-80 | Vicenza | 94 |
| 1979-80 | Perugia (Loan) | 28 |
| 1981-85 | Juventus | 83 |
| 1985-86 | AC Milan | 20 |
| 1986-87 | Hellas Verona | 20 |
International Career
| Years | Team | Appearances |
| 1977-86 | Italy | 48 |
3. Marco Van Basten
Marcel “Marco” Van Basten (born October 31, 1964) was a Dutch footballer who played as a striker for Ajax and AC Milan. He was famous for his ball control, headers, attacking style, and volleys. He won many titles during his career. He was also named FIFA World Player of the Year in 1992 and won three Ballon d’Ors in 1988, 1989, and 1992. His career information is listed below:
Club Career
| Years | Team | Appearances |
| 1981-87 | Ajax | 133 |
| 1987-95 | AC Milan | 147 |
International Career
| Years | Team | Appearances |
| 1981-83 | Netherlands U21 | 15 |
| 1983-92 | Netherlands | 58 |
Managerial Career
| Years | Team |
| 2003-04 | Jong Ajax (Assistant) |
| 2004-08 | Netherlands |
| 2008-09 | Ajax |
| 2012-14 | Heerenveen |
| 2014 | AZ |
| 2014-15 | AZ (Assistant) |
| 2015-16 | Netherlands (Assistant) |
2. Michel Platini
Michel Francois Platini (born June 21, 1955) was a French footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He played for Nancy, Saint-Etienne, and Juventus. He also won three Ballon d’Or in a row in 1983, 1984, and 1985. He was the country’s top goal scorer until 2007. He had won many titles during his career. His career information is listed below:
Club Career
| Years | Team | Appearances |
| 1972-79 | Nancy | 181 |
| 1979-82 | Saint-Etienne | 104 |
| 1982-87 | Juventus | 147 |
International Career
| Years | Team | Appearances |
| 1975-76 | France Olympic | 7 |
| 1976-87 | France | 72 |
| 1988 | Kuwait | 1 |
1. Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona (born October 30, 1960 – November 25, 2020) was an Argentine footballer who played as an attacking midfielder and a second forward. He is also known as the greatest player in the history of soccer. His vision, passing, ball control, and dribbling skills made him unique among all other players of that era. He won many titles during his international career, including the FIFA World Cup in 1978 and 1986. His career information is listed below:
Club Career
| Years | Team | Appearances |
| 1976-81 | Argentinos Juniors | 166 |
| 1881-82 | Boca Juniors | 40 |
| 1982-84 | Barcelona | 36 |
| 1984-91 | Napoli | 188 |
| 1992-93 | Sevilla | 26 |
| 1993-94 | Newell’s Old Boys | 5 |
| 1995-97 | Boca Juniors | 30 |
International Career
| Years | Team | Appearances |
| 1977-79 | Argentina U20 | 15 |
| 1977-94 | Argentina | 91 |
Managerial Career
| Years | Team |
| 1994 | Deportivo Mandiyu |
| 1995 | Racing Club |
| 2008-10 | Argentina |
| 2011-12 | Al-WasI |
| 2013-17 | Deportivo Riestra (Assistant) |
| 2017-18 | Fujairah |
| 2018-19 | Dorados De Sinaloa |
| 2019-20 | Gimnasia De La Plata |
