We've ranked the greatest two-footed players in football history. Legends including Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona miss out due to being reliant on one foot. Santi Cazorla, Zinedine Zidane, and Pele are among the most two-footed footballers ever.
Who are the most two-footed players in football history? As kids, we were always told to use our weaker feet as much as possible, as it was imperative to be able to use both. Some of the best players to have graced a football pitch have been so good on both sides that it's hard to know which is their preferred foot. While it's an obvious advantage, it's not imperative.
Arguably the greatest player of all time, Lionel Messi, is unashamedly one-footed. Okay, he's more than capable of using his right foot, but you certainly wouldn't call him two-footed. The legendary Argentine doesn't make our list of the 20 most two-footed players in football history - nor does Diego Maradona, who was also very left-footed.
We've spent time thinking of the most ambidextrous players in football history. It was a tough task compiling 20 players, let alone putting them in the correct order. There are no doubt players we've missed out, but here is our ranking of the 20 most two-footed players ever.
In order to rank the players, we considered the following factors: Technical ability with both feet. Career achievements. Longevity.
How good their 'weaker' foot actually was. 20 Most Two-Footed Players Ever Rank Player 'Stronger' Foot 1 Santi Cazorla Right 2 Zinedine Zidane Right 3 Pele Right 4 Johan Cruyff Right 5 Kevin De Bruyne Right 6 Sir Bobby Charlton Right 7 Cristiano Ronaldo Right 8 Glenn Hoddle Left 9 Alfredo Di Stefano Right 10 Paolo Maldini Left 11 George Best Right 12 Wesley Sneijder Right 13 Neymar Right 14 Son Heung-min Right 15 Diego Forlan Right 16 Pedro Right 17 Toni Kroos Right 18 Pavel Nedved Right 19 Ousmane Dembele Left 20 Ivan Perisic Left 20 Ivan Perisic On his Tottenham debut in 2022, Perisic wowed fans by taking set-pieces with both his right and left feet. Only special two-footed players can do that, and the Croatian is certainly special in that sense.
He's also scored penalties with both feet during his career. Perisic's long career has seen him win league titles in Germany and Italy as well as a Champions League trophy with Bayern Munich. He's been capable of playing on both flanks with his ability to go either left or right, giving opposing defenders nightmares, and has even transitioned into a wing-back role almost seamlessly in his twilight years.
19 Ousmane Dembele Can we bring your attention to an interview with Dembele when he was at Rennes? It went something like this: Reporter: "Are you right or left footed?" Dembele: "Hmmmm left-footed." Reporter: "Sure? Because you also score with your right foot." Dembele: "Yeah, I'm more left-footed yeah.
" Reporter: "Don't you take penalties with your right foot?" Dembele: "Hmmm yeah." Reporter: "Why?" Dembele: "Because I shoot better with my right foot." So Dembele is left-footed but shoots stronger with his right foot.
This sounds like a player who is so comfortable using either foot that he's not quite sure which is stronger at this point. The Paris Saint-Germain ace has yet to live up to the careers of some of the players still to come, which is why he finds himself 19th. Barcelona have spent an eye-watering amount of money on players, but only a handful have gone on to be a success.
18 Pavel Nedved Pavel Nedved is a forgotten Ballon d'Or winner, having claimed the prestigious award in 2003. He was naturally right-footed (we think) but was brilliant with either. The long-haired wide player was a joy for fans to behold, particularly in his Juventus days.
He was named his nation's Player of the Year on four occasions (1998, 2000, 2003, 2004). Nedved was even handed a Golden Foot award in 2004, which is an honour given to football players for their athletic achievements and their personality. In over 600 club appearances, the winger scored 148 goals in spells for Juventus, Lazio and Sparta Prague.
17 Toni Kroos Both Kroos and his Real Madrid midfield partner, Luka Modric, were contenders for a spot on this list, but we've gone for the classy German. He's capable of splitting a defence - or scoring a goal - with either foot. When it comes to the most technically gifted players on the planet, the ex-Bayern Munich star is up there with the very best.
The 2023-24 season has been a renaissance in the career of the midfield maestro as he's reclaimed a starting berth in Carlo Ancelotti's starting XI. In doing so, Kroos has displayed his vision and ability to never lose possession, no matter which foot he uses. The 34-year-old has proven without doubt he's one of the best passers on the planet.
Los Blancos have had some incredible stars in their history including Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos, Zinedine Zidane and Alfredo Di Stefano. 16 Pedro The former Barcelona and Chelsea man perhaps didn't have the same power with both feet, but he was equally capable of scoring with his left or right. Very ambidextrous.
The Lazio forward goes under the radar when discussions come up about the most underrated players in the past decade. He played a huge role in a vastly successful Barcelona side alongside David Villa and Lionel Messi in the early 2010s and has performed well everywhere he's gone since then. While playing in the Premier League, the Spaniard netted 29 times and registered 16 assists before moving on to Serie A.
15 Diego Forlan After arriving in England with Manchester United, Forlan struggled to score with either foot. But later in his career, with the likes of Villarreal and Atletico Madrid - as well as with Uruguay in various tournaments - it soon became clear that Forlan was incredibly two-footed and a fantastic finisher. Upon viewing the ex-striker in action, it was never truly apparent which foot he favoured.
Forlan once explained how he trained to become both-footed, telling reporters: "Even as a kid, I'd kick a tennis ball against a wall with both feet for hours. That was one way to become two-footed." He had one of the most feared shots in world football, as demonstrated at the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa.
14 Son Heung-Min The amount of times we've seen Son cut in from the right wing and curl one into the top corner with his left foot, it's easy to be forgiven for thinking the South Korean was left-footed. It's not until he takes free-kicks and penalties with his right that you realise which foot is actually his strongest. As of August 2024, Son had scored the most goals in Premier League history with his 'weaker' foot, with 46.
This was more than his former teammate Harry Kane, who everyone knows is also brilliant on both feet. Transitioning into a more central role at times for Tottenham, defenders have a hard time trying to figure out which way they are going to be dragged by the wonderful forward. We look at every Golden Boot winner in Premier League history and who is the best that is all of them.
13 Neymar Another player who is an absolute nightmare to defend again. Will he go right? Will he go left? It doesn't matter to the Brazilian because he'll make you look silly either way. He's definitely among the best players to come from the South American country , which is known to produce some of the most technically gifted footballers ever.
This lends itself to the belief that there's very little the Al-Hilal superstar can't do with a football at his feet. Neymar has won trophies everywhere he's gone, including league titles in Ligue 1 and La Liga, the Champions League, and many cup competitions. The 32-year-old will go down as one of the greatest players of his generation when he finally hangs up his boots.
The top 100 players of the 21st century have been ranked, with Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Suarez unsurprisingly ranking high. 12 Wesley Sneijder Okay, Sneijder may not be in the argument when it comes to the greatest players of all time, but he's certainly one of the most two-footed players that we've had the joy of watching. The former Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Galatasaray midfielder was a superb creator in his prime years.
He could see passes that were even difficult for those in the stands or watching from home to spot, and he could deliver the ball to the feet of his teammates with precision and accuracy. Something that won't come as a surprise to many is that the Netherlands hero could also pick out the corners of the net with both feet. 11 George Best We all know that Best was right-footed, but he's another legendary player who could comfortably use both.
The story of how he became so two-footed is a fascinating one. Best first started playing for his local youth club, Cregagh Boys in east Belfast, at the age of 13. The team was run by Bud McFarlane, who suggested Best played with his right foot too much.
He listened and concentrated on never touching the ball with his right foot for the following training sessions. When he turned up for the next match, he brought only one boot with him: his left one. George put the boot on and wore a plimsoll on his right foot.
He scored 12 goals in the game and never once used his right foot to kick the ball. 10 Paolo Maldini Maldini was left-footed, wasn't he? Well, according to reports, the legendary Italian may have been right-footed . Remarkable.
Maldini is one of the best defenders of his generation, making 902 appearances for AC Milan during his illustrious career. The Italian icon represented the Rossoneri in three separate decades, showing his incredible longevity in the sport. He played as both a central defender and on the left-hand side of the back-line, and he was just as comfortable using his right foot as he was with his left.
Whether that be to intercept a pass or put in a goal-saving challenge, he rarely put either foot wrong in his incredible number of games. Roberto Carlos and Cristiano Ronaldo were both named in Kaka's dream team made up of past teammates and opponents. 9 Alfredo Di Stefano Sadly, most of us are too young to have watched the great Di Stefano live, but he's been described as : "The most complete player to have graced the game.
" Watching clips of him, it's clear the Real Madrid legend was extremely two-footed. Only three players have out-scored the legendary figure in Los Blancos' history, which is wonderfully impressive with the number of world-class players to have pulled on the famous white shirt over the years. Di Stefano is one of the greatest players to have been born in Spain, as well as being one of the best to also represent Argentina as he switched allegiances in 1957.
What is the Super Ballon d'Or, who has won it and who could possibly win it again? 8 Glenn Hoddle To find out just how technically astute Glenn Hoddle was at the height of his powers, all you need to do is a quick search for his career highlights. At first glance, it would be extremely difficult to tell which foot he preferred as his body positioning when travelling with the ball was so natural, no matter which foot he was using. Hoddle is a Tottenham hero despite his brief stint with Chelsea towards the end of his career.
It takes an extremely talented player to keep in the good graces of both London sides after representing them both. He was named in the PFA First Division Team of the Year on five different occasions. 7 Cristiano Ronaldo Ronaldo may not be quite as accurate with his weaker left foot as others on this list, but he's certainly got the power.
We've seen the Portuguese superstar smash in 30-yarders with his weaker foot before. Not many can do that. GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Cristiano Ronaldo (167) has scored 62 more goals on his left foot than Lionel Messi (105) has on his right foot.
According to the Messi vs Ronaldo App, the Portuguese superstar has netted 173 times with his left boot . This is an impressive goal tally to many players across an entire career, regardless of the body part. He excels in many fields, and his ambidexterity is just another to add to the list.
To put it into context, despite being renowned for his aerial ability, the 39-year-old has scored more goals with his left foot than his head. Who has scored the most headers, penalties or free-kicks? Messi or Ronaldo 6 Sir Bobby Charlton Sir Bobby Charlton sadly passed away in late 2023, but his legacy in the beautiful game will be remembered forever as he goes down as one of Manchester United's greatest ever players , as well as one of the best to come from England. His playing days came before many of us were around, but people who did have the privilege of witnessing the greatness of the Englishman would have fallen in love with him the way we do with modern players.
Charlton was so clinical on both feet that some were unaware if he was naturally right-footed or if his left was his stronger side. That's a clear indicator of a two-footed baller. Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, David Beckham and Wayne Rooney all feature as the controversial top 25 is revealed.
5 Kevin De Bruyne Everyone knows that Kevin De Bruyne is right-footed, but there's probably not a better shooter with his 'weaker' foot in the world. If the Belgian is lining up from 25 yards with his left foot, there's every chance the ball will nestle in the bottom corner. He hits with so much power and accuracy it's unreal.
The 33-year-old once scored a hat-trick of left-footed strikes for Manchester City against Wolves. The reason he's reportedly so good with his left foot is a funny story. Kristof Terreur, a Belgian journalist, explained how neighbours banned him from using his right foot.
The result? An equally strong left foot. He tweeted: "Kicks with left & right. When De Bruyne was a kid, his neighbour forbade him to use his right foot because he was destroying grass & flowers.
" 4 Johan Cruyff Again, one of the greatest players to have ever played the game - helped by the fact Cruyff was so two-footed. He was so two-footed that he turned down the opportunity to cross the ball with his right foot in the 1974 World Cup game against Sweden, instead producing a 'Cruyff turn' to get the ball back onto his supposedly weaker left. The Dutchman is credited as a genius of the sport and part of that brilliance was his unpredictability on the pitch.
In particular, the way the Barcelona and Ajax legend glided across the pitch with the ball at his feet was phenomenal to watch, as well as aesthetically pleasing for supporters. Including the likes of Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten and Arjen Robben, the best Dutch players of all time have been ranked. 3 Pele Many believe Pele is the greatest player of all time.
Again, we weren't fortunate enough to witness the legendary Brazilian, but a simple YouTube search will show you that he scored many goals with both feet. There was very little the three-time World Cup winner couldn't do on a football pitch, with his heading ability even being on a par with his finishing ability on either foot despite being on the shorter side. He tragically passed away in late 2022, but Pele will forever be remembered as one of the most complete players to ever step onto a pitch and perhaps the greatest player to ever come from Brazil.
2 Zinedine Zidane Zinedine Zidane deserves to be this high up on the list purely because of THAT left-footed volley in the Champions League final for Real Madrid against Bayer Leverkusen. The Frenchman was as technically gifted with his left as he was with his right. As if defenders and opposing midfielders didn't have enough to worry about with his deceptive speed, power and dribbling ability, the fact he was comfortable going either way was just another strength to his game.
There's an argument to be made that the French legend should be number one on the list, but he narrowly misses out. We've ranked the 30 greatest central midfielders in recent history, including the likes of Zinedine Zidane and Xavi. 1 Santi Cazorla One clip alone sums up just how two-footed Cazorla was.
He was getting ready to take a corner for Arsenal with his right foot when he was told to produce an inswinger. No need to bring across a left-footed player because Cazorla just switched sides and whipped it in with his 'weaker' foot. What a baller.
Cazorla's ability to use both feet came following an injury to his right ankle. He told the Arsenal club website : “I have always preferred the right foot, ever since I was younger . I was a little bit hurt in my right ankle once, and that is when I started to use my left foot a lot more.
" The midfielder continued: “Being able to use both feet is something that came quite naturally to me ever since I started playing. However, it is something I continuously work on in a very strong manner to ensure that my level never gets any lower. Everything comes from a base of hard work.
"After training sessions I would stay an extra half-an-hour and kick the ball against the wall with my weaker foot over and over again to make sure it became stronger and better.” From David Silva to Diego Costa, several Spanish stars have shone in the Premier League over the years..
