The top 10 most overrated footballers in history controversially ranked by fans

Debating the ranking of footballers is a constant talking point for fans across the planet, what with the annual Ballon d'Or award and the rivalry between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

And with that the terms 'overrated' and 'underrated' are constantly thrown around as supporters argue their case for and against some of the biggest stars.

Some could be classed as genuine opinions while others may be tainted with bias. For instance, the close competition between Messi and Ronaldo means both are harshly ridiculed by one another's fan groups.

The players just get on with it by doing their talking on the pitch and let the fans decide amongst themselves on social media, which can often cause some to go overboard with their criticism.

Taking a look into the online world of opinions is always bound to be controversial and thetoptens.com have allowed fans to cast their vote in an interactive list of the most overrated athletes.

Here, Daily Star Sport have filtered through the list and compiled the top 10 most overrated footballers as voted by fans. But who is top of the list?

10 — Michael Owen

First to kick off the list is Michael Owen, the last British player to win the Ballon d'Or award and the last player to do so while playing in the Premier League.

Owen burst onto the scene with Liverpool and was a huge part of their Treble-winning side in 2001, and the England international was adored by the Anfield faithful.

After eight years in Merseyside, the striker departed for Real Madrid in 2005 but only lasted one season at Los Blancos before departing for Newcastle. But injuries played a major part in wrecking his remaining playing days.

Owen also tarnished his Liverpool legacy when joining Manchester United in 2009 — and it wouldn't be a surprise if a large portion of his votes came from the Reds supporters.

9 — David Trezeguet

David Trezeguet achieved iconic status at Juventus following an incredible 10 years of service between 2000-2010, and was even named in the club's greatest all-time XI back in 2017.

The Frenchman won both the World Cup and European Championships with France in 1998 and 2000 respectively, and finished his career winning almost everything, as he lost the Champions League final in 2003.

Despite being worshipped by many of the Juventus faithful, it was an awkward arrival in 2000, as he scored the winning goal in the European Championship final against Italy to lift the trophy, before making his way to the nation shortly after.

Trezeguet also fell out with France after being overlooked for selection in 2007, and retired from international duty in 2008 after criticising former manager Raymond Domenech.

His goal record of 171 goals in 320 appearances for the Bianconeri means he surely has no place being on this list. But as the Frenchman might say, c'est la vie.

8 — Thierry Henry

Despite remaining Arsenal's all-time top scorer and being widely regarded as one the greatest Premier League players in history, Thierry Henry comes in at number eight.

Henry arrived at Arsenal in 1999 after working under Arsene Wenger at Monaco earlier in his career, and took the Premier League by storm over the next eight seasons.

The Frenchman also joined Barcelona and was part of their historic treble winning side during the 2008-09 season, and although he doesn't have many enemies, Henry isn't too popular in Ireland.

Henry used his hand to control the ball before delivering the assist for William Gallas' winner against the Republic of Ireland in 2009 as the sides met for a World Cup play-off, and the Frenchman's illegitimate action dumped Ireland out of the running.

We will let you decide if there was a spike of votes coming in from Dublin or not.

7 — Carlos Tevez

Carlos Tevez was an exceptional talent, but almost his entire career has been laced with controversy, even starting with the third party transfer that brought him to the Premier League in 2006.

Despite starring for many clubs, Tevez has ended up as a villain wherever he has gone. He snubbed Manchester United's loan agreement to join rivals Manchester City, then refused to play for the Citizens in crucial games and even fell out with his hometown club Boca Juniors later on in his career for apparently not trying hard enough.

Tevez was one of the stars that cashed in on the riches that the Chinese Super League had to offer in 2016, but was criticised by manager Wu Jingui during his time in Shanghai for being "overweight" and unfit to play.

Tevez described his period in China as a "holiday", while receiving a reported annual salary of £29.5million. Still, his achievements may suggest his inclusion on the list is somewhat undeserved.

6 — Frank Lampard

He may have lasted only 18 months as a manager there, but Frank Lampard the footballer is still hailed as one of the greatest Chelsea players of all-time, and even remains the club's all-time top scorer despite being a midfielder.

Lampard spent 13 successful years at Chelsea before departing for Manchester City in 2014, and then New York City in 2015 to wrap up his career in America.

The Englishman doesn't have many critics, but is branded as overrated by many United and Liverpool fans due to a constant debate surrounding England's best midfielder.

Fans continue to debate between Paul Scholes, Steven Gerrard and Lampard in a never-ending battle about England's 'golden generation'.

5 — Lionel Messi

This one may come as the ultimate shock, if any of the others didn't already, but fans have genuinely rated Lionel Messi as the fifth most overrated player of all-time, despite being regarded as one of the greatest players to ever kick a football.

The six-time Ballon d'Or winner has blessed football fans for almost two decades with countless magical performances, but for some, his 10 La Liga titles and four Champions League honours simply aren't enough.

It's likely that many of his voters are Ronaldo fans, but also there has been a shift in the debate this season, following Messi's move to Paris Saint Germain where he is yet to score a league goal.

One argument that has always been held in Ronaldo's favour is his ability to perform in a number of leagues, and Messi's difficult start to life in France after finally leaving Barcelona has only heightened his rivals achievements even more.

4 — Ronaldinho

Ronaldinho is also one of the finest players of all time and the global icon dazzled with his Brazilian flair for across Europe, most notably for Barcelona and AC Milan.

The Brazilian won the Ballon d'Or in 2005 and has been inducted into the Milan hall of fame for his impact between 2008 and 2011 before heading back to his homeland.

Although glamorous on the field, Ronaldinho has seen his retirement filled with legal issues which led to him being imprisoned after using a fake passport in Paraguay.

In true Ronaldinho fashion, however, he continued to play football behind bars, and won a futsal prison tournament after winning 11-2. The Brazilian scored five and assisted the other six, but clearly the Samba star's talents aren't everyone's cup of tea.

3 — Cristiano Ronaldo

Ronaldo has been battling Messi on the Ballon d'Or stage for well over a decade and is also widely regarded as the greatest of all-time, if his Argentinian rival isn't.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is now back at United and is continuing to prove his ability at the age of 36, and the Portuguese star has recently become the mens all-time top international goalscorer, surpassing Ali Daei's record.

Ronaldo is also increasing his tally as the Champions League's top goalscorer and is one of the competition's most decorated talents with five European titles.

However, due to his rivalry with Messi and dislike from an array of fanbases across the globe, he takes a spot on the podium of this particular list.

2 — Pele

Pele was widely regarded as the best player football had seen before the likes of Messi and Ronaldo came along, with Diego Maradona also in the conversation.

In 1999, he was named Athlete of the Century and still claims to have scored 1,279 goals in 1,363 games across a career that saw him win three World Cups with Brazil.

Despite his incredible record, many fans have questioned the legitimacy of his ability as he never played in Europe, and many critics also believe that the game has evolved since the the 1960's, when Pele was at his best.

The 'official' statistics of Pele's achievements have changed frequently throughout the years, which has led many fans to branding the Brazilian as overrated.

1 — David Beckham

David Beckham has been named by fans as the most overrated player in history despite his incredible service to United before moving to Real Madrid in the 'Galactico' era.

Beckham has recently been inducted into the Premier League hall of fame and the British icon narrowly missed out on the Ballon d'Or award in 1999. That would suggest, in itself, that he was correctly rated.

But the Englishman was not popular with everyone. He left United in 2003 after the famous 'flying boot' incident involving Sir Alex Ferguson, and overall failed to live up to lofty expectations in Spain.

Beckham then focused on business and his status as a global icon, spending five years at LA Galaxy from 2007-2012, before retiring in 2013 while at PSG.

Still, no one could bend it like Beckham back then — and very few have since.

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