Determining the best in a particular field of human activity is a thankless task, because everyone has their own criteria. Some people like one, others like another. However, in the case of football players, everything is simpler. France Football and FIFA did their best: more than half of the list given here are their candidates. Others are also well-known - Pele, Didi, Garrincha, Kan... The book, along with foreign football players, pays attention to Soviet athletes. However, nostalgia or “patriotic” fashion has nothing to do with it. The authors simply believe that our masters, although they lived in slightly different conditions, are not inferior to their foreign colleagues in qualifications, talent and professionalism. The collection is compiled in chronological order so that no one is offended. Born earlier, useful earlier. We tried to pay attention not only to goals, shots, jumps and feints, but also to the human qualities of football players, their actions, passions and destinies. However, statistics lovers did not go unnoticed. The main actions of the “heroes of the leather ball”: where, when, to whom - albeit briefly, but stated, and the too large list is interrupted by ellipses. And one last thing. The reader may be surprised by the somewhat discursive tone of some of the articles. So the authors do not insist on their opinion! On the other hand, what could be nicer to a fan than talking about football?