He's not just the greatest South American footballer of all time. It may seem a little controversial to leave Neymar this low down on the list, but the 27-year-old still has so much more to prove over the coming years. From Pele to Messi and everyone in between, this is a list celebrating the very best the continent has had to offer us. One of the key stopping points in this quest is the Under-20 South American Youth Championships. Written by Espen on November 16, 2019 Last Updated July 29, 2020. Bebeto is often a forgotten figure in the history of Brazilian football, simply due to the sheer volume of world-class strikers the country has been able to produce. For a bow-legged upstart who frequently refused to train, Mane Garrincha was one hell of a player, whose dribbling skills were unrivalled during his peak years. Best Footballers in the World: Top 10 South American Players this season . South America has always been a hotbed for producing the best football talents within the world. Another South American whose Manchester United career was underwhelming at best, Diego Forlan went on to enjoy a stellar career upon his exit from Old Trafford in 2004. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. Widely regarded as one of the first effective ball-carrying central defenders, Elias Figueroa is held in high regard in the footballing world for his pioneering approach to defending. He has a further 6 appearances altogether in the UEFA Champions League and the DFB Pokal, but has not found the net in either tournament. Camisetas de Fútbol 2020/21 (Filtradas) Promesas Fútbol 2020. Not that he cares one bit, of course. His leadership skills, on and off the pitch, shone through during his career and what's more, he boasted a quite remarkable goal scoring record for a defender, having plundered 134 goals in 451 games. To find a pass that no one had even considered to be possible. These players bring a wonderful latin american favour to the game of football and their talents continue to take European Football by storm. Despite being overtaken in the goal scoring charts by Alexis Sanchez, Marcelo Salas remains Chile's greatest ever player. He was a fully qualified physician, as well as being one of the greatest to ever play the game. There isn't a single player who burned quite as brightly as Ronaldinho for such a short amount of time. On pure talent alone, no one comes close. Ever sine he disappeared from the limelight, there hasn't been another player who can put a smile on the faces of supporters quite like Ronaldinho did. From 1998, eligibility extended to South Americans playing in Mexico due to the participation of Mexican clubs in the Copa Libertadores. The whole 'Manchester United flop' theme is starting to get old by this point, but don't let Falcao's ill-fated spell in the Premier League distract you from the fact that he is one of the most lethal strikers of the past decade. Alexis Sanchez' inclusion on this list may seem like a joke when you consider his recent form for Manchester United, but the Chilean winger has proven to be quite the player in the past - particularly on the international stage. Pele wasn't just one of the greats of football. Whatever the 'beautiful game' really is, Rivelino knew how to play it. Prior to Nilton Santos' introduction onto the world stage, full-backs were simply expected to provide extra cover in defence and nullify the the threat of opposition wingers. The Uruguayan hitman excelled at Villarreal and Atletico Madrid, finding the back of the net 128 times in La Liga, and was at the peak of his powers during the 2010 World Cup where he was voted as the tournament's best player for his Jabulani-defying heroics. Here are the top 50 South Americans to ever grace the game. After winning the Ligue 1 title this season, he became the most decorated player in history, with 42 titles to his name - the majority of which came during his profitable time with Barcelona. His greatest performance for Brazil fittingly came in the final against Italy, where he scored to put his side on course for victory. The Brazilian was irrepressible at the 1958 and 1962 World Cups, featuring in the team of the tournament on both occasions, with defenders everywhere getting twisted inside out at the mere though of trying to get the ball off him. 'The Brain' pulled the strings for the Selecao, acting as the glue that held together their countless prodigious talents. Guest Writer Lucas Calderon – a 12-year-old football fan from Bolivia lists the 10 best young South American players in 2019 exclusively for MOTDmag.com Jairzinho remains the only player to ever score in every single game of a single World Cup campaign. The Rey del Fútbol de América ("King of Football of America"), often referred to as the South American Footballer of the Year, is an annual association football award presented to the best footballer in South America over the previous calendar year.The award was conceived by Venezuelan newspaper El Mundo, which awarded it from 1971 to 1985. No further explanation needed. He shone at Barcelona alongside Hristo Stoichkov and cemented his status as a Brazilian legend by finishing his international career with 55 goals to his name. A decent account of himself take European football by storm club football by storm hernan Crespo scored where... Monaco, but when fit, he has also picked up 3 assists the. 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