Football All-Stars – 4th Edition – 4 June 2026

Summary

Jude Bellingham, Lionel Messi, Pelé, Mia Hamm, and Ada Hegerberg all feature in the Football All-Stars 4th Edition (4 June 2026) — a 130-page player encyclopaedia from the makers of the magazine that profiles more than 40 football greats across every era and position, with 8 pull-out posters and 5 Top 10 rankings covering managers, goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders and forwards. The 4th edition adds Lamine Yamal, Vinicius Jr, and Bukayo Saka to the roster, reflecting the shift toward younger superstars who have already delivered in World Cups and Champions League finals.

The contents open with Jude Bellingham (p6), the Real Madrid and England midfielder whose all-round game has drawn comparisons to Zinedine Zidane and Frank Lampard. Paolo Maldini (p10) and Lionel Messi (p12) follow, with Messi's World Cup-winning campaign dissected through match-by-match stats. The Top 10 Managers (p20) ranks the greatest coaches by trophies, longevity and tactical influence, while Erling Haaland (p36), Kylian Mbappe (p12) and Vinicius Jr (p114) represent the modern generation. Sam Kerr (p118), Marta (p90), Ada Hegerberg (p30) and Mia Hamm (p16) ensure balanced gender representation across the profiles.

Each player page follows a standard template: career timeline, signature moment, honours list, and a technique note. The Top 10 Goalkeepers (p40) includes Gianluigi Buffon (p128), Lev Yashin, and Alisson Becker (p16), with a stat table comparing clean-sheet percentages across eras. The Top 10 Forwards (p106) ranks Thierry Henry (p102), Ronaldo Nazario, and Robert Lewandowski (p54) by goals-per-game ratio weighted for competition level.

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Content Guide

▸ Modern Superstars
p.6 · Jude Bellingham
The England midfielder's 2025-26 season broken down by goals, assists, dribbles completed and pressing stats. The positional adjustment that made him a 20-goal midfielder.

p.12 · Kylian Mbappe
Mbappe's evolution from pure speed merchant to complete forward, with data on his improved chance-creation numbers. The one defensive weakness that elite teams still try to exploit.

p.30 · Ada Hegerberg
The Lyon and Norway striker's return from long-term injury to Champions League contention. Her pre-match nutrition and recovery protocol that keeps her available for 90 minutes every three days.

p.114 · Vinicius Jr
The Brazilian's transformation from raw dribbler to Champions League match-winner, tracked through progressive carries and final-third entries. The finishing drill that his Real Madrid coach credits with doubling his goal output.

▸ Legends
p.12 · Lionel Messi
Messi's complete career portfolio: 800-plus goals, 7 Ballon d'Or wins, and a World Cup triumph. The 10-minute video analysis he studies before every match — and what it reveals about his preparation.

p.82 · Diego Maradona
The 1986 World Cup quarterfinal against England — a single-game performance that remains the benchmark for individual impact in football history. The training-ground move he used to set up the second goal.

p.102 · Thierry Henry
Henry's Arsenal invincible season in 2003-04 and the tactical flexibility that allowed him to play as a central striker after starting as a winger. The finishing secret he shared with young strikers: patience before power.

▸ Top 10 Lists
p.20 · Top 10 Managers
From Rinus Michels to Pep Guardiola, ranked by trophy total, tactical influence and longevity. The manager whose win rate improved most from club to international football.

p.40 · Top 10 Goalkeepers
Lev Yashin, Gianluigi Buffon, Manuel Neuer and seven others, compared via clean-sheet ratios adjusted for era. The modern goalkeeper who redefined the position's athletic requirements.

p.106 · Top 10 Forwards
Ronaldo Nazario, Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Gerd Muller, Ferenc Puskas, Eusebio, Romario, Marco van Basten, Thierry Henry and Robert Lewandowski — ranked by goals-per-game weighted by competition difficulty.

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Editor's Take

As a single-volume collection of football's greatest players, this 4th Edition does the job well — the Top 10 lists are debated, not just copied from Wikipedia, and the inclusion of women's stars alongside men's feels natural rather than performative. The new additions (Lamine Yamal, Saka, Vinicius Jr) keep the edition current. However, the profile template becomes predictable after 10 entries: career timeline, signature moment, honours — it's the same structure every time. The poster format adds value in print but is lost in digital, which limits the audience. The biggest weakness is the absence of tactical or team-level content; this is pure player encyclopaedia with no sense of how these players fit into systems. A section on formations and playing styles would have rounded out the content.

Strengths
• Top 10 lists are well-researched and argued, not just popularity contests
• Gender-balanced player selection across eras
• New-generation profiles keep the edition relevant

Weaknesses
• Profile template is repetitive across 40-plus entries
• No tactical or team-level content

Verdict: Selective read — an excellent quick-reference collection for young fans, but lacking the depth that older readers expect from a football annual.