11 Greatest Passers in the History of the Game

Passing is an integral part of the game of football.

"An artist, in my eyes, is someone who can lighten up a dark room. I have never and will never find difference between the pass from Pele to Carlos Alberto in the final of the World Cup in 1970 and the poetry of the young Rimbaud, who stretches cords from steeple to steeple and garlands from window to window. There is in each of these human manifestations an expression of beauty which touches us and gives us a feeling of eternity."

-Eric Cantona

Nils Liedholm

The Swedish international was so good, it took him two years to miss a pass while he was at Milan. He was part of the Gre-No-Li trio for Milan and Sweden, which took the latter to the World Cup final in 1958.

Johnny Haynes

Phil Cole/Getty Images

LONDON - OCTOBER 18: A statue of Fulham football legend Johnny Haynes is unveiled ahead of the Barclays Premier League match between Fulham and Sunderland at Craven Cottage on October 18, 2008 in London, England. (Photo by Phil Cole/Getty Images)

Haynes was the best passer of the ball in the history of the English game, as well as the best player in the history of Fulham Football Club.

Juan Roman Riquelme

Koji Watanabe/Getty Images

BEIJING - AUGUST 23: Sani Kaita of Nigeria and Juan Riquelme of Argentina compete for the ball during the Men's Final between Nigeria and Argentina at the National Stadium on Day 15 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 23, 2008 in Beijing, China.

Riquelme is famous for his time at Villareal, where he nearly reached the final of the Champions Leeague in 2006. The Argentine international also took part in World Cup 2006 for Argentina.

Gerson Olivera Da Souza

The Brazilian playmaker was the hub around which Brazil 1970 operated. His passing and touch were exquisite, and he was an integral part of that very famous 1970 team.

Diego Maradona

The diminutive Argentine playmaker is considered by many the best player ever to kick a ball. Maradona's touch, skill and ability are universally acclaimed. His passing, however, is also one of his strengths.

Zinedine Zidane

Zidane. What can you say about the man? The quintessential play maker, one of the greatest No.10's of all time. He has led France into their most successful period of all time(two world cups, two finals, one European championship win)

Gianni Rivera

The Milanese playmaker provided the inspiration that led Italy to the final of the 1970 World Cup, only to lose to a Brazil side that is hailed as "the greatest football team ever."

Gunter Netzer

The German midfielder played a key role in Germany's triumph at Euro '72. After that, however, German Coach Helmut Schon decided to drop him for World Cup '74, shunning his creative insipration for Wolfgang Overath's reliability.

Johan Cruyff

The greatest Dutch player of all time was also one of the greatest passers of all time. This was a skill he used to great advantage in the Dutch TotaalVoetbaal side of 1974, which reached the final of the World Cup.

Zico

"The White Pele" was the play maker of the Brazil side, which was desperately unlucky not to win the World Cup twice and is acclaimed more than the 1994 World Cup side, which actually did win the World Cup

Michael Laudrup

The Dane was one of the best passers in the world. He was integral to Barcelona's 1992 European Cup triumph.