The following records are as they currently stand in Europe:
The most successful footballer player ever in terms of winners' medals: Ryan Giggs with Manchester United-33 (12x League, 4x FA Cup, 4x League Cup, 8x Community/ Charity shield, 2x UEFA Champions League, 1x UEFA Super Cup, 1x Intercontinental Cup, 1x FIFA Club World Cup).
Most successful player in UEFA European Champions Clubs' Cup era: Francisco Gento with Real Madrid-6(1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1966) .
Most successful in UEFA Champions League era: Paolo Maldini with AC Milan-5 (1989, 1990, 1994, 2003, 2007)
Most successful player in FIFA World Cup: Pelewith Brazil-3 (1958, 1962, 1970)
Most Individual Honours: Ronaldo with Brazil, Internazionale, Barcelona, Real Madrid-5 (3x Fifa World Player of the Year, 2x Ballon d'Or)
NB: The two individual honours were combined from the 2010 season to become the FIFA Ballon d'Or, Lionel Messi has won both awards since (2010, 2011).
Statistics don't really define success though, for example, Zidane was voted the best player to come out of Europe in the last 50 years but only won 1 Champions League title. Also good examples, Johann Cruyff, Garrincha, Maradona, Stanley Matthews.
Manchester United Football Club
The best football player of year 2008 by FIFA?
yes he was the worlds best football player that played at Auburn University
no
Pele is the best he won three world cups - two consecutively, and the third was two wAorld cups after the second. He was placed second re the athlete of the century (First place was Muhammad Ali).In American Football the greatest Football player in world history is probably Jim Brown. It just depends on what kind of football you are asking about.And in Australian Football, perhaps the greatest player in history has been Haydn Bunton Snr, having been the only person to win 6 state Best and Fairest awards - 3 from Victoria, the premier football state - and 3 from WA (The nearest other was Russell Ebert with 4 from SA).AnswerActually Alfredo di Stefano is a better one