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Football has witnessed a number of top-notch players in every era. These players have gone down in the history books as some of the greatest ever to play the sport. But, is it just their hard work, perseverance and grit that propelled them to the glory they so richly deserved?
Competition is another element in their respective journeys towards the pinnacle of football. Being pitted against equally talented players has served them the much-required inspiration that has compelled them to break a sweat in order to achieve their desires.
The rivalries they built over a period of time with certain players has also been a source of massive amusement to the spectators. Throughout the years, we have witnessed a number of times when frictions between two individuals added an extra dimension of entertainment that we fans just love to relish.
Without further ado, let's have a look at these 10 player rivalries from different eras that never failed to entertain multitudes of footballing aficionados.
#10 Gerd Muller vs Klaus Fischer vs Jupp Heynckes
The intense competition between Gerd Muller, Jupp Heynckes and Klaus Fischer was the stuff of folklore for German football fans in the era between the 1960s and 70s.
Gerd Muller, Der Bomber as he is widely well-known, emerged victorious amongst the trio with a tally of 365 goals during his times with German giants Bayern Munich. While he tops the list of all-time topscorers of the Bundesliga, he is followed by Klaus Fischer with 268 goals and Jupp Heynckes with 220.
Although it was Muller who entirely dominated the league by winning the top-scorer award 7 times, the remaining two made sure he didn't win it all too easily. Klaus Fischer bagged the league golden boot once while Jupp Heynckes won it twice.
A rivalry between two strikers of the same calibre will always be thrilling, but one between three of the same kind will definitely be a treat to watch, don't you think?
#9 Frank Lampard vs Steven Gerrard
Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard were two of the finest players to grace the Premier League. They are as deserving as any other midfielders when it comes to being counted in the English top-tier's all-time XI.
To start with, both Lampard and Gerrard were epitomes of the clubs they played for. They gained massive respects for their loyal services to Chelsea and Liverpool. Gerrard served the Merseysiders, in the later years as a skipper, for 17 years. Lampard, in the meanwhile, plied his trade at the Stamford Bridge for 14 years.
On the pitch, there was hardly a bad word or two exchanged between them; there's no particular enmity between them to talk about. But, considering the levels they attained to as footballers and the fact that they vied for the title of England's best midfielder during their age, it is but natural for people to savour competition by pitting them against each other.
Post football, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard have entered into coaching. The Blues legend currently heads Championship outfit Derby County while the ex-Merseyside skipper commands the hot seat Scottish club Rangers.
Considering the history they have between themselves as players, no doubt the fans would enjoy watching these two titans coming up against each other as tactical maestros in the future, kickstarting the second chapter in their rivalry.
#8 Gerard Pique vs Sergio Ramos
Real Madrid vs Barcelona is probably the greatest club rivalry of the modern times. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo always had the maximum share of the spotlight but let's not forget these two titans who gave it they are all on the pitch.
Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique stand as worthy representatives for their respective clubs. The defensive duo, known for being fiercely committed and loyal to their clubs, have locked horns for more than most of the times during El Clasico.
In spite of having indulged in quarrels, it is astounding to see how Ramos and Pique get on extremely well with each other when they don their national colours. The duo has played instrumental parts in Spain's World Cup and Euro-winning campaigns and stand as role models when it comes to putting your personal rivalries aside during national duties.
#7 Iker Casillas vs Gianluigi Buffon
In the first decade of the 21st century, there has hardly been a duo of shot-stoppers who has dominated the posts better than Iker Casillas and Gianluigi Buffon. The two goalkeepers have attained statuses as demi-gods for their respective clubs and country.
Buffon and Casillas always vied for the best goalkeeper position in the world in their prime, and their impressive track record and trophy cabinets hold a mighty testament for that. The Spaniard vs the Italian is yet another face-off where respect prevails in spite of the tough competition the players shared between themselves. So much so, that Cassilas and Buffon have gone down in history as players who are nigh impossible to hate.
Both goalkeepers were also epitomes of longevity following their legendary careers for two of the greatest European heavyweights and also for their national teams. Iker Casillas served as Real Madrid for 15 years while Gianluigi Buffon guarded the Juventus posts for 17 years.
Yet another example of maintaining a rivalry, the Cassilas-Buffon face-off is one fine lesson on how to be perfect gentlemen while playing a man's game.
#6 Rudd Van Nistelrooy & Thierry Henry
The Premier League has been a home to many great strikers of the same era. There have been a lot of strikers like Didier Drogba, Wayne Rooney and Luis Suarez who have vied for the 'best forward' position during their times, but none of the rivalries between these players gets close to the neck-to-neck horse race between Thierry Henry and Rudd Van Nistelrooy.
Both marksmen faced each other at a point of time when the Manchester United-Arsenal rivalry was at its extreme peak. They spearheaded two of the greatest sides in the Premier League and none can argue over their worth for the job.
Henry and Van Nistelrooy were always embroiled in a tough tussle for the Golden Boot since the very first game of the league season. They built a reputation as skilled sharpshooters and were also the of the greatest marksmen of their age.
Although Thierry Henry set the record for winning the most number of Golden Boots(4), his Dutch counterpart made sure the Frenchman's path to the title wasn't a cakewalk. Rudd Van Nistelrooy lifted the precious trophy only once in his career, nonetheless, there couldn't have been a better and equally skilled adversary for Thierry Henry to ask for.
#5 Ronaldinho vs Zinedine Zidane
Magic vs beauty. Skill vs Elegance.
Two of the greatest footballers ever to walk this earth, Ronaldinho vs Zidane is a rivalry where you'll hardly find a fan hating them. It's as if they were just born to deliver the beautiful football and be loved by multitudes throughout the globe.
While Ronaldinho's jaw-dropping skills made people sit on the edge of their seats, Zinedine Zidane's elegance and delicacy defined why the beautiful game was called beautiful.
Although they boasted playing styles that varied poles apart, Ronaldinho and Zidane had one thing in common - they made football look easier than it actually appears to be. Also, they had the ability to win games single-handedly. It was a sight to watch these two grandmasters greeting each other during games and showing mutual respect; they set an example to the future generations on how a rivalry should be handled.
Never before and never in the future will there be a rivalry as wrapped in beauty and elegance as the one between Ronaldinho and Zidane.
#4 Roy Keane vs Patrick Viera
Hardihood, gallantry, virility, fearlessness; the battle between Roy Keane and Patrick Viera was probably one of the most enjoyed match-ups of all time.
Up till now, we have learnt about how the rivalries in the beautiful game have commanded respect between the said players. However, Roy Keane and Patrick Viera made sure the spectators didn't get any chance to see the gentleness on the pitch.
Keane and Viera were revered as gods during their times at Manchester United and Arsenal respectively. They were symbols of their respective clubs and clashed on multiple occasions when the two clubs faced each other. Be it the tunnel clash between them or the assaults on the pitch, the face-off between the Irishman and the Frenchman was filled with intense vigour, passion and an unquenchable thirst to beat each other.
Roy Keane vs Patrick Viera were top-notch footballers during their times - and so was the heated rivalry between them. Even to this day, the fans might have a hard time reminiscing a friction between two players as pugnacious and aggressive as the one between Patrick Viera and Roy Keane.
#3 Johan Cruyff vs Franz Beckenbauer
Rivalries aren't formed in a day, are they? They come into being over a period of years when two players are constantly pitted against each other. And yet, here's a rivalry that has gone down as one of the best ever, one that was seen for only four games!
Franz Beckenbauer and Johan Cruyff ruled the world in the 70s; they were two dynamic players who shaped the history of the sport. Vying for the title of the 'Best of the generation' title, Cruyff and Beckenbauer first came face to face in the quarterfinals of the European Cup. They captained their sides Ajax and Bayern Munich respectively.
However, they set the base for their rivalry when they met on the grandest stage of football - the FIFA World Cup. The Netherlands lost to Germany in the World Cup finals of 1974, regarded by many as the greatest football game ever played.
They might be compared to each other, but Cruyff and Beckenbauer shared a really good friendship off the pitch.
#2 Pele vs Diego Maradona
The first rivalry of its kind where two players from different eras have been constantly compared to each other. Diego Maradona burst on to the football scene when Pele was in the twilight of his career.
The comparisons between Pele and Maradona have ignited intense debate in spite of the fact that they played in different generations. That is mainly because of their attempts to be remembered as the GOAT - the Greatest Of All Time.
Hailing from Brazil and Argentina who share quite an intense rivalry beyond football, both Pele and Maradona guided their respective nations to World Cup victories. Although Pele won 3 World Cups for Brazil while Maradona only 1 for Argentina, it would be imprudent to ignore the fact that the 'Black Pearl' was a part of one of the greatest Brazilian sides of all time while El Diego had a considerably weaker team around him.
Few would disagree over the claim that Pele vs Diego Maradona is the most celebrated rivalry of the 20th century.
#1 Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo
The one for the modern folks! To so many people who adore the beautiful game, having the chance to breathe in the times of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi is nothing short of a blessing.
Ronaldo and Messi are celestial deities of the sport for football fans and it's their colossal numbers that do all the speaking for them. A fact why this duo has made themselves immortal is the ways of how they have mocked the countless football records that they have surpassed. They have done things that were beyond imagination, let alone realizing them.
The shedloads of goals they have scored in order to trounce each other and their ultimate race to win the Ballon d'Or; Such level of competition was never ever experienced before and won't be for a long time.
To all those neutrals who try to initiate peace amongst their hardcore supporters, somewhere in the insides, they too know that Ronaldo vs Messi will be a rivalry that will never cease to exist. It has now become the identity of the current times, the very thing for which this era shall be known for in the future.
