The false nine role has adapted over the years. Lionel Messi played the role expertly while at Barcelona. Wayne Rooney and Johan Cruyff also played the role in their careers.
Due to the constantly developing changes in philosophies and tactical approaches in modern-day football, gone are the days of every team operating with a conventional centre forward who is given the license not to contribute in the build-up phase and poach inside the box. Nowadays, the defensive role and link-up ability are almost as crucial as the goals themselves for many coaches worldwide, partly down to the birth of the false nine role. The first sighting of this idea came from the Corinthians in the late 1890s and was brought into modern-day football formations by the great, Johan Cruyff.
The purpose of this role is for the forward to drop deeper into play to provide an additional option during the buildup, leaving the opposition centrebacks with no one to mark, intending to draw defenders out of their positions and leave space in behind. With the false nine playing a pertinent role inside today's game, here are 11 of the very best to have mastered the position down the years. The false nine role has been used in football since the 1890s and has become popular in recent years.
11 Matthias Sindelar Beginning with one of the earliest footballers to play the role, Matthias Sindelar, who captained the Austrian Wunderteam in the 1934 World Cup under manager Hugo Meisl, who became famous as the first manager to implement a style of total football into a national side. Sindelar would play a significant role in this side, as he played at the heart of the frontline in the 2-3-2-3 formation, which allowed the Austrian to drop deeper and unlock his creative abilities. While playing the role, Sindelar managed an impressive 27 goals in 43 appearances and earned the nickname 'The Mozart of Football'.
Matthias Sindelar's Career Statistics Appearances 428 Goals 255 Trophies 8 10 Francesco Totti An iconic figure in Italian football history, Francesco Totti earned a name for himself as a one-club man who had incredible creative and goal-scoring abilities. In 2006, Luciano Spalletti faced an injury issue to the striker at the time when he made a tactical decision to use Totti as a false nine at the top of a 4-1-4-1 formation, pulling defenders out of position and providing space for midfielders and wide men to run into. He would then win the European Golden Boot in the 2006/07 campaign, scoring 26 goals and finishing 10th in the 2007 Ballon d'Or race, picking up 20 of the votes.
Francesco Totti's Career Statistics Appearances 843 Goals 316 Assists 232 Trophies 6 One club football players are rare in modern football, but they are loved by fans of those clubs. 9 Roberto Baggio From one Italian to another, Roberto Baggio is easily one of the best talents that the country has ever produced. Gifted as a playmaker but also a ruthless goalscorer, Baggio was strong in every facet of his game.
He was even so good that Pep Guardiola claimed: "If Baggio were to play in today’s football, he’d score 50 goals per season. There’s no doubt about it." Debates have emerged over whether Baggio was a false nine or not, with Michel Platini labeling the Italian as a "nine and a half.
" However, due to his ability to drop deep, create chances, and arrive in key moments, Baggio played the role to the highest standard and very much epitomised the role of a false nine before it became trendy. Roberto Baggio's Career Statistics Appearances 660 Goals 304 Assists 166 Trophies 4 Producing the likes of Paolo Maldini, Roberto Baggio, and Andrea Pirlo, Italy has long been a high-yielding talent factory. 8 Thomas Muller While not possessing the physical attributes or technical skills that some other players possess on this list, Thomas Muller eats at the table of the greatest players to have ever graced the game due to a relentless mentality and high footballing intelligence.
Able to be deployed anywhere across a frontline, Muller's best position has often been behind a more conventional striker or alone as a false nine, where he is given the ability to drift into and attack pockets of space. His understanding of the game and vision to find and link up with teammates have allowed him to thrive throughout his entire career at Bayern Munich , and at the age of 34, he is still an ever-present and key member within the team. Thomas Muller's Career Statistics Appearances 927 Goals 331 Assists 315 Trophies 33 The top 10 playmakers in world football have been announced, Messi snubbed for the top two 7 Antoine Griezmann A true great of this generation, Antoine Griezmann is currently one of the most adaptable forwards in football.
Able to play as a standalone centreforward, as well as out wide, Griezmann is at his best when he is deployed in a duel striker setup and is given the license to drop into deeper areas of the pitch, a role in which Diego Simeone has gotten the best out of him at Atletico Madrid . Playing in a deeper role for France during their World Cup triumph in 2018, the Frenchman, once dubbed too small to play football, would play a key role for his side behind Olivier Giroud , attaining eight goal contributions in seven matches. It must be noted that Griezmann also operates in similar roles, such as a second striker and attacking midfielder, depending on the tactical setup of the side he is playing for; however, the style in which he plays the game assimilates to that of a false nine.
Antoine Griezmann's Career Statistics Appearances 829 Goals 312 Assists 158 Trophies 7 Here at the most expensive players in football history based on cumulative transfer fees paid for their services. 6 Dennis Bergkamp One of the most unique additions to the Premier League , especially in the time he played, Dennis Bergkamp developed a reputation for his incredible technique, vision, and understanding of the game. Behind Thierry Henry in Arsene Wenger's famous Arsenal side, he was given the license to drift between the striker and attacking midfielder roles, dropping deeper in play to pick up possession where he could work his magic.
Schooled from a young age in the Ajax academy, Bergkamp played football in a similarly graceful manner to Johan Cruyff. While a phenomenally talented player who could drop deep and could provide assists, it must be stated that the Dutchman was also a lethal goalscorer for 'the Gunners.' Simply put, Bergkamp had it all.
Dennis Bergkamp's Career Statistics Appearances 817 Goals 306 Assists 168 Trophies 16 A true Arsenal icon and scorer of 87 Premier league goals, but which were his very best? 5 Alessandro Del Piero Playing as a false nine or second striker throughout his career, Alessandro Del Piero is one of the greatest players to have ever come out of Italy, and in the early years of his career, his ability on the ball, pace, and lethality in front of goal were awe-inspiring. However, following a serious knee injury in the final minutes against Udinese in 1998, Del Piero was out for the remainder of the season and, despite still being a phenomenal player upon returning, lost a yard of pace, which affected his game. His technique though was still sublime, and the goalscoring did not halt as he went on to win the World Cup in 2006 and helped drag Juventus from the second division of Italian football in the 2006/07 season.
Alessandro Del Piero's Career Statistics Appearances 868 Goals 343 Assists 195 Trophies 16 GIVEMESPORT takes you through the 25 greatest players whose big transfer to the Premier League, for whatever reason, fell through 4 Wayne Rooney One of the most exceptionally talented English footballers of all time, Wayne Rooney was a truly sensational forward who had the adaptability in his game to play a range of positions. Playing as a stand-alone striker, false nine, attacking midfielder, and as he aged, a central midfielder, Rooney's unbelievable passing range and technique allowed him to still operate at a world-class level as he lost his pace. Playing a major role in Manchester United's iconic under Sir Alex Ferguson , Rooney's versatility as a forward allowed him to partner many different types of strikers.
Wayne Rooney's Career Statistics Appearances 884 Goals 366 Assists 185 Trophies 18 Four active players make the list of England's finest-ever crossers. 3 Karim Benzema Playing a large amount of his Real Madrid career facilitating the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale , Karim Benzema was the glue to the side and deserves a large amount of credit for the selfless work that he provided for the team. Dropping deeper in play, Benzema's ability to link up with his teammates, create chances, and arrive in the box when needed gave the balance to the 'Los Blancos' front line, allowing Ronaldo to drift into more central positions to poach goals.
In 2018, when Ronaldo left Madrid for Juventus, Benzema was then given a more pivotal role in the side, where he was relied upon to replace the goals that the Portuguese superstar scored. In the following years, the Frenchman did just that, winning the Ballon d'Or in 2022 after finishing the 2021/22 season as the top scorer in both La Liga (27 goals) and the Champions League (15 goals), and winning both competitions. Karim Benzema's Career Statistics Appearances 923 Goals 470 Assists 220 Trophies 33 Much has been said of the new BMV partnership set to rip into clubs across Europe this season for Real Madrid (Bellingham, Mbappé and Vinicius).
But how do they compare with the 2014 BBC of Bale, Benzema and Cristiano? 2 Johan Cruyff The catalyst for the introduction of the false nine role into modern-day football, it is only right that Johan Cruyff features on the list of the greatest players to have ever played the position. With an unbelievable level of intelligence and understanding of the game, Cruyff was such a versatile forward who could play anywhere across the frontline but was best operating in a central role where he could drift in between the lines and link up with his teammates. Used as a false nine under Rinus Michels for Ajax and the Netherlands in the 1970s in a 1-3-3-3 formation, Cruyff's abilities perfectly suited the role.
His incredible technique, speed of movement, and decision-making allowed him to always operate a step ahead of his opponents. A revolutionary figure not only off the pitch as a manager but also on the pitch as a player. Johan Cruyff's Career Statistics Appearances 614 Goals 355 Assists 251 Trophies 22 We take a look at why the Dutch maestro was so good at playing the beautiful game.
1 Lionel Messi There is not much that has not already been said about Lionel Messi , as the Argentinian's abilities are well documented across what has been an illustrious career. Operating from the right flank, or from a false nine position, Messi is simply untouchable, and in his prime when he had the pace to burst away from defenders, if not fouled immediately, he would skip around opposition players as if he were playing against kids. Hailed by Guardiola as the 'most complete centre forward' recently, Messi's intelligence to drift inwards to find space allowed wingers to push beyond him, and due to his footspeed, technique, and awareness, he would very rarely lose possession, often creating chances or scoring goals on his own.
A genius that was untouchable, Messi is not only the greatest false nine in history but also the best player too. Lionel Messi's Career Statistics Appearances 1091 Goals 844 Assists 413 Trophies 43 Lionel Messi's dream Argentina debut turned into a nightmare after just 40 seconds..
