Research & references

Sources behind the ratings.

Legends Database is built from years of reading, watching and cross-checking. These are the principal publications, archives and research communities used to shape player profiles and editorial assessments.

17Print titles
14Digital & audiovisual
7Publishing countries

Source collection

Press & periodicals

Contemporary reporting, specialist magazines and historical print archives.

17
Italy Daily

La Gazzetta dello Sport

Historical archive

Used for Contemporary reporting
Italy Daily

Corriere dello Sport

Historical archive

Used for Contemporary reporting
Italy Weekly

Guerin Sportivo

Print publication and contemporary football coverage.

Used for Contemporary reporting
Italy Monthly

Calcio 2000

Print publication and contemporary football coverage.

Used for Contemporary reporting
Italy Weekly

SuperGol

Print publication and contemporary football coverage.

Used for Contemporary reporting
Italy Weekly

Intrepido

Print publication and contemporary football coverage.

Used for Contemporary reporting
Italy Club magazine

Hurrà Juventus

Print publication and contemporary football coverage.

Used for Contemporary reporting
England Weekly

Shoot!

Print publication and contemporary football coverage.

Used for Contemporary reporting
England Weekly

Match!

Print publication and contemporary football coverage.

Used for Contemporary reporting
England Monthly

World Soccer

Print publication and contemporary football coverage.

Used for Contemporary reporting
England Monthly

FourFourTwo

Print publication and contemporary football coverage.

Used for Contemporary reporting
England Monthly

When Saturday Comes

Print publication and contemporary football coverage.

Used for Contemporary reporting
Argentina Weekly

El Gráfico

Print publication and contemporary football coverage.

Used for Contemporary reporting
Brazil Weekly

Placar

Print publication and contemporary football coverage.

Used for Contemporary reporting
Spain Weekly

Don Balón

Print publication and contemporary football coverage.

Used for Contemporary reporting
France Weekly

France Football

Print publication and contemporary football coverage.

Used for Contemporary reporting
Germany Weekly

Kicker

Print publication and contemporary football coverage.

Used for Contemporary reporting

Source collection

Footage & broadcasts

Full matches, television coverage and restored audiovisual material.

4
Private archive Footage

VHS Recordings

Historical matches and highlights from the 1970s through the 1990s.

Used for Direct observation
Private archive Footage

DVD Collections

World Cups, club competitions and player retrospectives.

Used for Match analysis
Broadcast archive Television

Original TV Broadcasts

RAI, BBC and other international network broadcasts.

Used for Historical context
Digital platform Video

YouTube

Archival matches, highlights and restored historical footage.

Used for Visual cross-checking

Source collection

Data & archives

Statistical repositories and documentary records used for verification.

4
Active resource Statistics

RSSSF

Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation.

Used for Historical records
Active resource Database

Transfermarkt

Career data, transfer history and club statistics.

Used for Career verification
Research category Press archive

Digital Newspaper Archives

Scanned historical publications and press collections.

Used for Contemporary evidence
Research category Database

Online Football Databases

Statistical repositories and historical football records.

Used for Data cross-checking

Source collection

Specialist & community research

Independent profiles, historical ratings and informed football discussion.

6
Active resource Research

Dx84tech.com

Twin site for parallel research and data cross-reference.

Used for Independent verification
Specialist archive Profiles

PES Miti del Calcio

Historical ratings, player profiles and community research.

Used for Profile comparison
Archived resource Historical

PES Stats Database

Historical player ratings and attributes from the former database.

Used for Rating comparison
Community archive Discussion

ForumCalcio

Italian football debates and historical player discussions.

Used for Expert perspectives
Active resource Profiles

xtraimmortal.blogspot.com

Specialist all-time profiles, rankings and historical notes.

Used for Profile comparison
Archived research Community

Historical Web Forums

Community-driven football archives from the early 2000s web.

Used for Historical discussion

Editorial methodology

No single source is definitive.

Ratings are editorial in nature: a synthesis of research, informed opinion, historical data and direct observation of archival footage.

01

Collect

Gather contemporary reporting, match footage, statistical records and specialist research.

02

Cross-check

Compare conflicting evidence across independent references and different historical perspectives.

03

Synthesise

Form an editorial assessment focused on peak performance rather than a simple career average.