GOAT Index

Two legends at a time. Thousands of votes. One ranking.

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George Best: the case for the GOAT

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    George Best: the case for the GOAT

    Winger · Northern Ireland · Born 22 May 1946, Belfast, Northern Ireland · Died 2005 · Career 1963–1984

    Mesmerising winger with balance, dribbling and flair, football's first pop-star celebrity. Played his best years at Manchester United and represented Northern Ireland.

    Career highlights

    Why George Best could be the GOAT

    At his peak George Best could beat anyone, any way he chose. He scored in the 1968 European Cup final and won the Ballon d'Or that year at 22. Without a major tournament for his country, his case rests on sheer talent, and on that measure few ever matched him.

    What fans say

    George Best is #17 of 30 in the fan ranking, with a 2–3 head-to-head record from 82 Men's football votes. See the full Men's football GOAT ranking

    George Best head to head

    How the ranking works. Every head-to-head vote is a result, like a game. The standings use a Bradley–Terry model, the same idea behind chess ratings: beating a highly rated legend counts for more than beating a long shot. Ratings are shown on a chess-style scale centred on 1500.

    One vote per matchup per person. If you see a pairing again in another session your new answer replaces the old one, so nobody can stuff the ballot by repeating a matchup.

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      Photos come from Wikimedia Commons under the licenses listed. Each links to its source page.