Dutch newspaper names Messi as the greatest player in football history.

Cristiano Ronaldo wasn't even included in the top five football stars that Voetbal recently voted on and announced.

Voetbal International is a prestigious and long-standing Dutch football magazine, first published in 1962. The magazine recently conducted a meticulous six-round poll to compile a list of the 100 greatest football players of all time.

According to the latest results published yesterday, June 8th, by Voetbal, Lionel Messi tops this list of the top 100, becoming the greatest player in football history. Behind the current Barcelona superstar is his compatriot and legend Diego Maradona, the 1986 World Cup champion, a tournament Messi has never won.

Messi's top ranking in Voetbal is likely to spark controversy in the coming weeks. Photo: VI.

The remaining three positions in the top five are occupied by legends Johan Cruyff (Netherlands), Pele (Brazil), and Alfredo Di Stefano (Argentina and Spain), respectively.

Messi has never won the World Cup, but he has won the Ballon d'Or five times – a feat that Cristiano Ronaldo could equal later this year. The Argentine superstar is recognized for his brilliant club career, with 30 major and minor titles with Barca, in addition to the gold medal in men's football at the 2008 Olympics.

Cristiano Ronaldo isn't in the top five, despite his equally brilliant career. Besides his four Ballon d'Or awards, the Real Madrid superstar has won the Champions League four times, three of those in the last four seasons. Last year, Ronaldo was also the number one inspiration behind a relatively modest Portuguese national team that won Euro 2016.

In the 2016-2017 season, Ronaldo and Real Madrid achieved a double, winning both La Liga and the Champions League. In the Champions League alone, he scored 10 goals from the quarter-finals onwards, staging a spectacular comeback to surpass Messi and claim the Golden Boot award.

According to VNE