The final decade of the 20th century in football is best in many ways, including the best soccer players of the 90s, improved soccer rules, and modern playing styles. The 1990s soccer era was famous for great change in football, including tactical evolution, player transfers, globalization, and commercialization. The last decade of the 20th century was full of great players who played top-level football and earned many rewards for their country. One of the top soccer players of that era were Ronaldo Nazario, Zinedine Zidane, Paolo Maldini, Roberto Carlos, and Thiery Henry. The players from the 1990s played an important role in improving modern-day soccer.
What do you think was the best player from the 1990s to 2000? There were many great players from the 1990s who played brilliant football and became greats of the game. Some of them introduce new skills and techniques in the game. Those were the players who gave everything to football to enhance the sport all over the world. You can easily watch the example of great players from the 1990s like Ronaldo Nazario, Zinedine Zidane, and Paolo Maldini.
If you know something about soccer, then you may know about these big soccer players from the 90s who may not be playing right now, but they were as brilliant as Messi or Ronaldo right now. It was the golden era of football, and it was the era in which soccer was at its peak from the fans point of view. The players were famous for their unique playing styles both on and off the field.
Here’s everything you should know about 90s soccer players. Soccer players from the 1990s were exceptional, and they also inspired the next generation of players. They were really sincere in their game and had success on a club and international level. The top ten soccer players of the 1990s, who were considered to be the best at the time, are listed below.
Top 10 best soccer players from the 1990s
10. Rivaldo
Rivaldo Vitor Borba Ferreira (born April 19, 1972) was a Brazilian footballer who played as an attacking midfielder and a second striker. He was considered one of the most skilled and creative players of all time because of his bicycle kicks, free kicks, ball striking, and ability to score goals. In 1999, he won the Ballon d’Or and was named FIFA World Player of the Year. He was physically weak. At the club level, some coaches have said that he’s too weak to succeed. His career information is listed below:
Club Career
| Year | Team | Appearances | Goals |
| 1991-92 | Santa Cruz | 9 | 1 |
| 1992-94 | Mogi Mirim | 0 | 0 |
| 1993-94 | Corinthians (Loan) | 8 | 2 |
| 1994-96 | Palmeiras | 30 | 14 |
| 1996-97 | Depotivo La Coruna | 41 | 21 |
| 1997-2002 | Barcelona | 157 | 86 |
| 2002-03 | Milan | 22 | 5 |
| 2004 | Cruzeiros | 11 | 2 |
| 2004-07 | Olympiacos | 70 | 36 |
| 2007-08 | AEK Athens | 35 | 12 |
| 2008-11 | Bunyodkor | 53 | 33 |
| 2011 | Sao Paulo (Loan) | 30 | 5 |
| 2012 | Kabuscorp | 21 | 11 |
| 2013 | Sao Caetano | 7 | 0 |
| 2014-15 | Mogi Mirim | 8 | 1 |
International Career
| Year | Team | Appearances | Goals |
| 1992-93 | Brazil U20 | 9 | 1 |
| 1996 | Brazil Olympic (O.P.) | 7 | 1 |
| 1993-2003 | Brazil | 74 | 35 |
9. Gabriel Batistuta
Gabriel Omar Batistuta (born February 1, 1969) was an Argentine footballer who played as a striker. His nicknames were Batigol and El Angel Gabriel. He was one of the best strikers of his era. He played mostly for the club named Fiorentina but never won the Serie A title. He won the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa Italiana with them. He was the highest-paid player when he moved to Roma in 2000 for €36 million. His career information is listed below:
Club Career
| Year | Team | Appearances | Goals |
| 1988-89 | Newell’s Old Boys | 24 | 7 |
| 1989-90 | River Plate | 21 | 4 |
| 1990-91 | Boca Juniors | 34 | 13 |
| 1991-2000 | Fiorentina | 269 | 168 |
| 2000-03 | Roma | 63 | 30 |
| 2003 | Inter Milan | 12 | 2 |
| 2004 | Al-Arabi | 21 | 25 |
International Career
| Year | Team | Appearances | Goals |
| 1991-2002 | Argentina | 78 | 56 |
8. Alessandro Del Piero
Alessandro Del Piero (born November 9, 1974) was an Italian footballer who played as a second striker. He was a technically gifted player and a great freekick specialist as well. He won six Serie A titles, four Supercoppa Italianas, and the Coppa Italia. He retired in 2014 after playing for Indian Super League club Delhi Dynamos FC.His career information is listed below:
Club Career
| Year | Team | Appearances | Goals |
| 1991-93 | Padova | 14 | 1 |
| 1993-2012 | Juventus | 513 | 208 |
| 2012-14 | Sydney FC | 48 | 24 |
| 2014 | Delhi Dynamos | 10 | 1 |
International Career
| Year | Team | Appearances | Goals |
| 1991 | Italy U17 | 3 | 1 |
| 1992-93 | Italy U18 | 14 | 12 |
| 1993-96 | Italy U21 | 12 | 3 |
| 1995-2008 | Italy | 91 | 27 |
7. Roberto Carlos
Roberto Carlos Da Silva Rocha (born April 10, 1973) was a Brazilian footballer who played as a left back. He was considered the most offensive and greatest left-back in the history of soccer. He was named to the FIFA World Cup All-Star team in 1998 and 2002 and made over 1100 professional career appearances at the club and international level. His career information is listed below:
Club Career
| Year | Team | Appearances | Goals |
| 1991-92 | Uniao Sao Joao | 21 | 3 |
| 1991-93 | Atletico Mineiro (Loan) | ||
| 1993-95 | Palmeiras | 44 | 3 |
| 1995-96 | Inter Milan | 30 | 5 |
| 1996-2007 | Real Madrid | 370 | 47 |
| 2007-09 | Fenerbahce | 65 | 6 |
| 2010-11 | Corinthians | 35 | 1 |
| 2011-12 | Anzhi Makhachkala | 25 | 4 |
| 2015-16 | Delhi Dynamos | 3 | 0 |
International Career
| Year | Team | Appearances | Goals |
| 1996 | Brazil U23 | 6 | 0 |
| 1992-2006 | Brazil | 125 | 11 |
6. Ryan Giggs
Ryan Joseph Giggs (born November 29, 1973) was a Welsh footballer who played as a midfielder. He played his entire club football career at Manchester United and also served as player-manager and assistant manager. He won 13 Premier League titles, four FA Cups, and three league cups. He was the first player to win two PFA Young Player of the Year awards in 1992 and 1993 in history. His career information is listed below:
Club Career
| Year | Team | Appearances | Goals |
| 1990-2014 | Manchester United | 672 | 114 |
International Career
| Year | Team | Appearances | Goals |
| 1989 | England U16 | 1 | 1 |
| 1989 | Wales U18 | 3 | 0 |
| 1991 | Wales U21 | 1 | 0 |
| 1991-2007 | Wales | 64 | 12 |
| 2012 | Great Britain | 4 | 1 |
5. Paolo Maldini
Paolo Cesare Maldini (born June 26, 1968) was an Italian footballer who played as a left back and center midfielder. He was considered one of the best defenders in soccer history. He got the nickname “Capitano” because he captained the national team and club team at the same time. He won 26 titles with AC Milan, including 5x UEFA Champions League, 7x Serie A, 1x Coppa Italia, 5x Supercoppa Italiana, 5x UEFA Super Cups, 2x Intercontinental Cups, and 1x FIFA Club World Cup. His career information is listed below:
Club Career
| Year | Team | Appearances | Goals |
| 1984-2009 | AC Milan | 647 | 29 |
International Career
| Year | Team | Appearances | Goals |
| 1986-88 | Italy U21 | 12 | 5 |
| 1988-2002 | Italy | 126 | 7 |
4. George Weah
George Manne Oppong Weah (born October 1, 1962) was a Liberia footballer who played as a striker. He was the first African footballer to become a head of state. He is considered one of the best players to have never played in the FIFA World Cup. He was the first to win the Ballon d’Or as an African national. His career information is listed below:
Club Career
| Year | Team | Appearances | Goals |
| 1981-84 | Young Survivors | ||
| 1984-85 | Bong Range United | ||
| 1985-86 | Mighty Barrolle | ||
| 1986-87 | Invincible Eleven | ||
| 1987-88 | Tonnerre Yaounde | ||
| 1988-92 | Monaco | 103 | 47 |
| 1992-95 | Paris Saint German | 96 | 32 |
| 1995-2000 | AC Milan | 114 | 46 |
| 2000 | Chelsea (Loan) | 11 | 3 |
| 2000 | Manchester City | 7 | 1 |
| 2000-01 | Marseille | 19 | 5 |
| 2001-03 | Al Jazira |
International Career
| Year | Team | Appearances | Goals |
| 1986-2018 | Liberia | 75 | 18 |
3. Roberto Baggio
Roberto Baggio (born February 18, 1967) was an Italian footballer who played as an attacking midfielder and a second striker. He was a technically gifted player famous for his freekicks, dribbling skills, and goal-scoring. He was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 1993 and won the Ballon d’Or in 2004. He won two Serie A titles, a Coppa Italia, and a UEFA Cup playing for seven different clubs. His career information is listed below:
Club Career
| Year | Team | Appearances | Goals |
| 1982-85 | Vicenza | 36 | 13 |
| 1985-90 | Fiorentina | 94 | 39 |
| 1990-95 | Juventus | 141 | 78 |
| 1995-97 | AC Milan | 51 | 12 |
| 1997-98 | Bologna | 30 | 22 |
| 1998-2000 | Inter Milan | 41 | 9 |
| 2000-2004 | Brescia | 95 | 45 |
International Career
| Year | Team | Appearances | Goals |
| 1984 | Italy U16 | 4 | 3 |
| 1988-2004 | Italy | 56 | 27 |
2. Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Yazid Zidane (born June 23, 1972) was a French footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He is considered one of the best players of all time and has had success in coaching as well. He won the FIFA World Cup in 1998 by scoring a brace in the final. He won FIFA World Player of the Year in 1998, 2000, and 2003 and the Ballon d’Or in 1998. He got the award for Best FIFA Men’s Coach in 2017. His career information is listed below:
Club Career
| Year | Team | Appearances | Goals |
| 1989-92 | Cannes | 61 | 6 |
| 1992-96 | Bordeaux | 139 | 28 |
| 1996-2001 | Juventus | 151 | 24 |
| 2001-06 | Real Madrid | 155 | 37 |
International Career
| Year | Team | Appearances | Goals |
| 1987-88 | France U16 | ||
| 1988-89 | France U17 | 4 | 1 |
| 1989-90 | France U18 | 6 | 0 |
| 1990-94 | France U21 | 20 | 3 |
| 1994-2006 | France | 108 | 31 |
Managerial Career
| Year | Team |
| 2014-16 | Real Madrid B |
| 2016-18 | Real Madrid |
| 2019-21 | Real Madrid |
1. Ronaldo Nazario
Ronaldo Luis Nazario De Lima (born September 18, 1976) was a Brazilian footballer who played as a striker. He is considered one of the best strikers of all time, and his individual brilliance earned him the FIFA World Player of the Year award three times. He has also won two Ballon d’Or. He is an inspiration for the next generation of players. His career information is listed below:
Club Career
| Year | Team | Appearances | Goals |
| 1993-94 | Cruzeiro | 34 | 34 |
| 1994-96 | PSV | 46 | 42 |
| 1996-97 | Barcelona | 37 | 34 |
| 1997-2002 | Inter Milan | 68 | 49 |
| 2002-07 | Real Madrid | 127 | 83 |
| 2007-08 | AC Milan | 20 | 9 |
| 2009-11 | Corinthians | 52 | 29 |
International Career
| Year | Team | Appearances | Goals |
| 1993 | Brazil U17 | 7 | 5 |
| 1996 | Brazil U23 | 8 | 6 |
| 1994-2011 | Brazil | 98 | 62 |
