George Best played football.
FIFA Player of the Century was a one-off award created by FIFA to decide the greatest football player of the 20th century , announced at the annual FIFA World gala , held in Rome on 11 December 2000 . George Best ( 22 May 1946 -- 25 November 2005 ) was a Northern Irish professional footballer who played as a winger for Manchester United and the Northern Ireland national team . Best was one of the first celebrity footballers , earning the nickname `` El Beatle '' in 1966 , but his subsequent extravagant lifestyle led to various problems , most notably alcoholism , which he suffered from for the rest of his life . Manchester United Football Club is a professional football club based in Old Trafford , Greater Manchester , England , that competes in the Premier League , the top flight of English football .