Top 10 Greatest Right Footed Players of All Time

February 21, 2022

Right-footed players hold the majority in the history of football. Most football players are born with a natural tendency to use their right foot instead of the weaker left foot. Which is one of the reasons why there are so many right-footed players compared to left-footed players. However, despite being in the minority, two left-footed players, Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi are regarded as two of the best of all time.

If you take those two great players out of the equation, the rest of the list is dominated by right-footed players. Even now, the majority of the world’s best players are right-footed. As a result, it is difficult for them to stand out in a crowd, and it takes something exceptional to set them apart.

TheFootballLovers have compiled a list of the Top 10 Best Right Footed Players of All Time based on their statistics. So let’s jump right into it.

10. Mauro Silva

Mauro Silva is among the best right footed players in football history

Mauro Silva was a skilled defensive midfielder who played for the Brazilian national team. He was best recognized for his time with Deportivo, where he was a hardworking player with tremendous stamina, tackling, and leadership qualities. Mauro Silva had an amazing right foot and he use to tackle with precision using his right foot.

Silva had a great club career with Deportivo in La Liga. Over the course of 13 La Liga seasons, he played 458 games and scored one goal, winning six major trophies. Mauro Silva also won the World Cup with Brazil in 1994 and won the Copa America in 1996.

The Brazilian retired from active football at the end of the 2005/06 season. Mauro Silva is regarded as one of the best right-footed footballers of all time.

9. Ronald Koeman

Top 10 Greatest Right Footed Players of All Time - Ronald Koeman Barcelona

Ronald Koeman is certainly among the best right-footed footballers of all time. Being a defender comes with great responsibility and they’re not supposed to be scoring goals (for the most part). But Ronaldo Koeman was a defender with a keen eye for the goal.

With more than 200 goals in over 600 appearances thanks to an absolute rocket of a right foot, the former Barcelona and Netherlands center-back is the greatest scoring defender of all time.

Ronaldo Koeman was among the key attacking options during his time at Barcelona, even though he mostly played at the back. Netherlands and Barcelona greatly benefitted from his right foot, especially from set-pieces.

8. David Beckham

david beckham

David Beckham is considered to be one of the best English players to ever step on a football pitch. Beckham represented Manchester United, AC Milan, PSG, and Real Madrid. The former English international had a rocket of a right foot and was absolutely sensational from set-pieces. He will always be remembered for his iconic free-kick against Greece that took England into the World Cup final.

The England international enjoyed a sparkling career in five nations with some of the finest teams in the world because of an unmatched right foot that packed unrivaled precision and significant impact.

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David Beckham scored 114 goals and had countless assists to his name during his career with different clubs and he did so without the input of his left foot. Beckham certainly deserves to be on the list of the top 10 best right footed footballers in history.

7. Franco Baresi

Franco Baresi is one of the greatest right footed players of all time

Franco Baresi is one of the best center-backs the world has ever seen. Baresi was so good he once came second in the Balon d’Or rankings which happens rarely for defenders. The Italian international spent his life in Serie A and played for AC Milan for 20 years, in which he captained the club for 15 seasons.

Franco Baresi was a Rolls Royce of a center-back. He was blessed with a magical right foot and had great pace and agility to make the recovery runs as a defender. Baresi and Maldini formed a partnership together during their time at AC Milan and conceded only 23 goals in 196 matches. That’s actually an insane stat and shows how disciplined they were together.

One-of-a-kind defender, Franco Baresi deserves to be on the list of the best right footed footballers in history.

6. Alfredo Di Stefano

Alfredo di Stefano is among the best right footed players in football history

Alfredo Di Stefano played as a forward during his football career and is regarded as one of the best footballers of all time. Di Stefano’s career peaked at Real Madrid and his stats at the club were phenomenal which made him the club legend.

He became a symbol of the club and a fan favorite after winning eight championships in eleven seasons and scoring 308 official goals. His performances in the European Cup Finals were particularly remarkable, as he scored in each of them.

Alfredo Di Stefano will always be the only player to ever win the “Super Balon d’Or” – the award to honor the 30th anniversary of France Football Magazine. The Super Balon d’Or was awarded to Di Stefano in 1989 and he is the only player to have ever won that award.

Comparing players is difficult. But, after conducting study and interacting with individuals who have seen Di Stéfano play, I have to admit that he may be the best all-around player to ever grace the football pitch. Needless to say, Alfredo Di Stefano is among the best right footed footballers of all time.

The greatness of Di Stéfano was that, with him in your side, you had two players in every position.”

5. Andres Iniesta

Andres Iniesta

Moving on to the top 5 best right footed soccer players, we have Andres Iniesta. One of the best midfielders of all time, Andres Iniesta was a joy to watch. He was literally poetry in motion on the football pitch. The way Iniesta caressed the ball before passing it was magical. The man was simply electric during his time with Barcelona and Spain.

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His extraordinary dribbling abilities, which included precise touches and body feints, allowed him to run rings around defenders. Iniesta was a key member of Spain’s World Cup-winning team in 2010. Iniesta scored the world-cup-winning goal in 2010 for Spain against the Netherlands and that is still the only World Cup Spain has ever won.

Andres Iniesta also played a vital role in Spain’s victory at the 2008 and 2012 Euros. He also played a pivotal role in Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona where he introduced the famous tiki-taka style football.

It’s almost tough to get Iniesta to drop the ball. He was a world-class player because of his intelligence, agility, vision, balance, and technical ability. Iniesta is often regarded as the best player who never won the Ballon d’Or. In 2010, he came in second, and in 2012, he came in third.

4. Johan Cryuff

Johan Cruyff is among the best right footed players in football history

Johan Cruyff is considered to be one of the greatest players to grace the beautiful game. The three-time Balon d’Or winner was blessed with a belter of a right foot. He is a legend for Barcelona, Ajax, and Netherlands national team. Cruyff won numerous other honors, including European Footballer of the Year (1971, 1973, and 1974).

In the attacking half, Cruyff would drop deep to carry the ball forward and manage play. Cruyff was a trailblazer, and his agility, acceleration, and awareness distinguished him as a one-of-a-kind world-class athlete.

Cruyff scored 263 goals and assisted countless players during his club career. The former Dutch international created his own skill move called Cruyff turn. He was not only an elegant football player but also an influential manager. Cruyff is the architect of La Masia as we know it today, and he also had a successful managerial career. He was a dynamic playmaker with exceptional vision and the ability to deliver game-changing passes. Cruyff’s teams were accustomed to playing smooth football, which benefited from having a mastermind on the team.

3. Zinedine Zidane

Zinedine Zidane Ballon d'Or

The best midfielder of his time, Zinedine Zidane is rightful to be on the list of the best right-footed footballers of all time. Zidane was a master of his craft and he made football look so easy at times he was that elegant. The former French midfielder scored two goals in the 1998 World Cup final against a star-studded Brazilian side which helped France win the World Cup. Zidane then went on to win the Balon d’Or in 1998.

Zidane was a midfield sensation who made football seem so simple. He was known for his playmaking abilities, agility, vision, and eye for goal. The Frenchman was voted FIFA World Player of the Year in 1998, 2000, and 2003, in addition to winning the Ballon d’Or in 1998.

Zinedine Zidane had a great club career as well. When Real Madrid paid €77 million for him in 2001, he became the most expensive footballer in the world. During his career, Zidane won two Serie A titles, one La Liga title, one Champions League trophy, one World Cup, and one European title.

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Not only was he a great football player, but he is also an exceptional manager. Zinedine Zidane is the only manager to ever win 3 Champions League titles in a row. He went on to win 4 Champions League trophies in the space of 5 years as the manager for Real Madrid. Absolutely incredible.

2. Pelé

Pele is among the best right footed players in football history

Pelé is considered to be one of the best football players of all time and no surprise he had an exceptional right foot. In 1958, 1962, and 1970, he won the World Cup three times. Pelé is the only player to have scored more than 1200 goals in his senior career, making him the player with the most right footed goals in football history.

Pelé may have been surpassed as the greatest football player of all time by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, but he continues to serve as an inspiration to many young Brazilians. Pelé is Brazil’s all-time leading goalscorer, with 77 goals in 92 appearances.

Pelé also had a successful club career with Santos and the New York Cosmos. He had 643 goals in 659 games for Santos before leaving for the New York Cosmos after 18 years of service.

Because of his proclivity for scoring spectacular goals and mesmerizing trickery, Pelé is credited with connecting the phrase “The Beautiful Game” with football. Needless to say, Pelé is one of the best right footed soccer players.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo is the best right footed player of all time

Without a grain of doubt, Cristiano Ronaldo is certainly the greatest right-footed footballer of all time. No other right-footed player has stayed at the top of the game other than Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese hold the record for scoring the most international goals, as well as scoring the most Champions League goals. There’s a reason Cristiano Ronaldo is called “Mr. Champions League”.

Cristiano Ronaldo won his first Balon d’Or award in 2008. He then went on to win 5 Balon d’Ors over the years. At 37 years old, Ronaldo continues to break record after record and he keeps on showing elite-level consistency.

In 438 games for Real Madrid, Cristiano scored an almost amazing 450 goals in all competitions. Throughout 906 games across all competitions, Ronaldo has scored 683 goals and supplied 230 assists in his senior club career. Ronaldo won two La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey, and four Champions Leagues with Real Madrid.

Cristiano Ronaldo won three Premier League titles, one Champions League title, one FA Cup, and two League Cups during his time at Manchester United. With Juventus, Ronaldo also won the Scudetto twice.

Table of the Best Right Footed Players of All Time

Rank Name
1 Cristiano Ronaldo
2 Pelé
3 Zinedine Zidane
4 Johan Cruyff
5 Andres Iniesta
6 Alfredo Di Stefano
7 Franco Baresi
8 David Beckham
9 Ronald Koeman
10 Mauro Silva
Table of the Best Right Footed Players of All Time

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