Best Right-Backs in Football History: When we look at the greatest right-back players in history, we notice that many of them come from more recent decades. This is because this position has gone through significant changes and development. It’s not just about defending anymore; modern Right-Backs play a crucial role in creating chances and scoring goals.
Best Players In The World By Position
Best Soccer Players of the 90s
Best Left-Back in Football History
Best Defensive Midfielders In Football History
Best Attacking Midfielders of All Time
Best Free-Kick Takers in History
A current example of this transformation is Arnold, a player from Liverpool. He’s known as one of the top assist providers in the Premier League.
Best Right-Backs in Football History
If you’re curious to learn about the top 10 Best Right-Backs in Football History, you can find more information in the article.
10. Giuseppe Bergomi
Giuseppe Bergomi, the former right-back for Inter Milan and the Italian national team, played a significant role in shaping the right-back position during the late 20th century. This helped him earn a place among the top 10 right-back players in history.
He played a crucial part in his club’s success, winning many championships. Additionally, he represented the Italian national team in four World Cup tournaments. His first World Cup appearance was in the 1982 World Cup held in Spain.
9. Bertie Vogts
The former player of Borussia Mönchengladbach and the German national team is a key figure in German soccer history. He played a crucial role in the success of the 1974 World Cup and the 1972 European Nations Cup alongside a remarkable generation of players.
He’s also a revered figure at his club, having played over 500 matches. He led his team to victory in the European Cup twice and secured the German League title in five seasons.
Vogts was exceptional not only in defense but also made significant contributions in attack, displaying his skills in creating chances and scoring goals. He managed to score 42 goals for his club.
8. Gary Neville
He’s the former right-back for the England national team and Manchester United. He spent an impressive twenty seasons with the team, during which he achieved numerous local, continental, and international titles.
His professional career spanned two decades, and he played for several clubs, winning many titles. Among experts, he’s often regarded as the best right-back of the 20th century.
His success came from his excellent defensive skills, combined with his impressive ability to create chances and score goals.
Even though he excelled in offense, his most remarkable contributions were in defense, which earned him a place among the top 10 right-back players in history.
7. Lilian Thuram
Who can forget the French powerhouse Lilian Thuram? He stood out for his incredible fitness, strong physique, and remarkable speed. These qualities made him a key player as a right-back during his time and secured his place among the top 10 right-back players in history.
Thuram, who played in 142 international matches, played a crucial role in France’s success, helping them win the 2000 European Championship and the 1998 World Cup.
Looking at his club career was filled with titles and achievements. He excelled with the golden generation of the Italian club Parma, as well as with Juventus and Barcelona, achieving numerous titles with these clubs.
6. Giacinto Facchetti
Facchetti is known as one of the best right-backs ever. His playing style is unique, with amazing speed, endurance, and physical strength. He achieved great success with Inter Milan, winning 4 Serie A titles and the Champions League twice from 1963 to 1971.
What sets him apart is that he scored significant goals despite being a defender. He has an impressive record of 59 official goals in 475 appearances.
He also represented Italy 94 times. With the national team, he won the 1968 European Championship and reached the final of the 1970 World Cup, where they lost to Brazil’s Carlos Alberto and his team.
5. Dani Alves
At the age of 39, this Brazilian full-back continues to shine. He holds the record for winning the most titles, both with his national team Brazil, and the clubs he has played for, which include Barcelona, Seville, Juventus, and Paris Saint-Germain.
Alves has been exceptional in both defense and offense, creating opportunities and scoring goals. It’s no surprise that he ranks 5th among the top 10 right-back players in history.
4. Carlos Alberto Torres
Brazil has given us some great right-back players, like Carlos Alberto Torres. He was the captain of the Brazilian team that won the 1970 World Cup.
Carlos Alberto Torres played professionally for twenty years and was part of several clubs, achieving many titles. Many experts believe he was the best right-back of the 1900s.
This is because he was good at defending, making impressive attacks, and helping with creating chances and scoring goals.
3. Cafu
Alves followed in the footsteps of an incredible player before him. The previous right-back for the Brazilian national team was the amazing “Cafu,” who is considered one of the two best full-backs in history. Cafu was outstanding both in defense and offense.
Cafu’s soccer journey began with São Paulo, where he won the Copa Libertadores twice. He later moved to Italy, playing for AS Roma and then AC Milan.
He achieved victory in the Champions League and won a Serie A title while at AC Milan. Cafu holds the record for the most appearances for Brazil with 143 caps, and he was part of the team that won the World Cup twice, in 1994 and 2002.
2. Philipp Lahm
Philipp Lahm is a well-known figure in German and international soccer. He’s considered the best right-back in the history of the German national team.
He was a small and speedy player who stood out for his incredible skills like agility, intelligence, endurance, and his ability to create scoring chances. He was also great at defending his area.
As the captain of Bayern Munich, he played a big role in helping his team win many local titles, including the European Champions League and other championships.
During his time with Bayern Munich, he achieved 8 Bundesliga titles, 6 national cups, and a Champions League win. He was also a key player in the strong German team of the 2000s. He finally won the World Cup in 2014 after finishing in third place twice in previous tournaments.
1. Javier Zanetti
Javier Zanetti, an Argentine soccer player, is a legend for Inter Milan. He holds the record for the most appearances in the club’s shirt. Many experts consider him the best right-back ever.
Zanetti had a long career and was an excellent player both in how he played the game and how he acted as a person. He spent 20 seasons playing only for Inter Milan. During this time, he won all the important titles and was loved by the fans. He led the team for 14 years as their captain.
He joined Inter Milan in 1995 and stayed there for almost 20 years. He was the team’s captain for most of the 2000s. With Inter, he won 5 Serie A titles (the top Italian league), 4 Italian Cups, and 1 Champions League. He also played for the Argentina national team, earning over 143 caps and winning 2 Copa America titles. Zanetti is also mentioned in our article about the best Argentine players ever.
