The best and brightest: the polarizing Diego Maradona heads our list of the top 25 players of the past quarter century - Twenty-Five Years Of Soccer Digest

Soccer Digest, Oct-Nov, 2002 by Michael Lewis

10. Zbigniew Boniek (Poland)

The greatest Polish player of all time, Boniek was too young to enjoy his country's early-1970s accolades. Still, he forged quite a career for himself, highlighted by a hat trick against Belgium in the 1982 World Cup. Juventus officials liked what they saw and paid $1.7 million for his services, a substantial sum in those days. It paid off in more ways than one, as Boniek scored the game-winner in the Cup Winner's Cup final in 1982 and the following year helped Juve to the European Cup.

11. Zico (Brazil)

Zico was the best Brazilian player to never hoist the World Cup trophy. Brazil's biggest star throughout the 1980s, he was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time. Lethal on free kicks, Zico was a member of the 1982 team that lost to Italy and Paolo Rossi, 3-2, in an epic second-round group battle. Four years later, Zico was the villain, missing a key penalty kick in another match for the ages, a quarterfinals shootout loss to France after the teams had played to a 1-1 draw. Zico now coaches the Japanese national team, succeeding World Cup boss Philippe Troussier.

12. Kevin Keegan (England)

Long before he turned to coaching (and shockingly quit the England national team in September 2000), Keegan was one of the top players in the world, winning the European Footballer of the Year Award in 1978 and 1979. Keegan led Liverpool to the 1977 European Cup championship and almost duplicated the feat with Hamburg three years later, but the German club fell to Nottingham Forest in the final. Injuries kept him from achieving World Cup greatness, however, and he was reduced to the substitute's bench at Spain '82.

13. Ruud Gullit (Netherlands)

Every great goal-scorer needs a good set-up man and Gullit was Van Basten's with Milan and Holland. Unfortunately, several devastating knee injuries slowed this talented midfielder's game, but not before he played a vital role in Milan's 1988 Serie A crown and 1989 and 1990 European Cup titles. Gullit also starred for Harleem, Feyenoord, PSV, Sampdoria, and Chelsea, and while he never completely regained his flair after his operations, he showed flashes of it throughout the rest of his entire career.

14. Gheorghe Hagi (Romania)

Hagi scored his first international goal against Northern Ireland in September 1984. Only 19 at the time, he let the rest off the world know that he was on his way to becoming Romania's greatest player. Hagi solidified his reputation by dominating the Romanian League, enjoying career highs of 31 goals in a season and six in a single game. He was considered the best midfielder in the 1994 World Cup, leading Romania to the quarterfinals.

15. Peter Schmeichel (Denmark)

Most people remember Schmeichel's fabulous performance in the 1992 Euro finals, when he stood on his head to keep Germany off of the score sheet in a 2-0 Danish triumph. But Schmeichels career went a lot further than one game--he was the best goaltender of his generation. A hulking, intimidating figure who wasn't shy about opening his mouth, Schmeichel also stood out for Manchester United, the perennial English Premiership champions in the '90s who captured the 1999 European Championship League crown.