SP. The 15 most skilful players in football history have been ranked

• Skill is a subjective term in football, though there is a universal understanding that the word encapsulates dazzling feet, quick movements and actions that wow the watching fans.
• Ronaldinho nigh-on epitomised skill in football, dazzling with flair, no-look passes, and hundreds of goal contributions for teams such as PSG, Barcelona and AC Milan.
• Four entrants on this list are still playing professional football as of October 2024.

“Skill” is very much a subjective term anyway, but this is especially true in football. A skilful defender and a skilful attacker may well be worthy of such a description, but what that term incorporates is changed entirely due to their positional differences. Generally, a player must have exceptional technical ability to be considered skilful, as many of the term’s connotations relate to players who have wowed their opponents and on-watching fans with what they were able to do on the ball.

In a modern game where many metrics are ranked on quality based on statistics, “skill” is one of the few that can not be quantified. Goals or assists can indicate a player’s productivity, but whether or not they are skilful is something that can be defined only by watching them, and seeing how they use the ball to benefit their team. So, with all of that being considered, which players within football over the years have displayed the highest levels of skill?

Ranking Factors

• Fan reception – How did fans feel about the player and how do they still feel about him now?
• Overall quality – Often, the most skilful players are some of the best in the world
• Longevity – Honours can not really define skill, but lengthy careers indicate a level that rarely drops.

15 Sergio Busquets

Sergio Busquets, as a defensive midfielder, probably would not be a name that jumps to everybody’s mind when asked who the most skilful players in football have been, and that is understandable, but his technical ability can not be understated. During his prime years with Barcelona, Busquets was an integral part of their success, his composure and class on the ball often going under the radar.

Pep Guardiola once referred to him as a player who could “solve any problem with his brain,” so strong and complex is his understanding of the game. Guardiola also feels that Busquets will make “an exceptional coach” upon retiring from football, high praise from one of history’s greatest gaffers.

14 Hatem Ben Arfa

Though there will always be questions over his consistency, Hatem Ben Arfa is one of football’s most naturally gifted players. He found form on the big stage with Newcastle United and lost it soon after, before discovering his star power once more during a later stint with Nice. A mazy dribbler, Ben Arfa could glide past defenders as though they weren’t even there.

Ben Arfa’s ability was perhaps showcased entirely in one moment with Newcastle. Facing Bolton Wanderers in April 2012, Ben Arfa picked up the ball inside his own half and blitzed past four Bolton defenders before slotting his strike home, showing immense control despite moving at full speed. Rightly so, papers dubbed the goal “a moment of genius,” with which Ben Arfa’s career was filled, up until his retirement in 2022.

13 Jay-Jay Okocha

Okocha was, to quote the saying as famous as it was beloved, “so good, they named him twice.” The Nigerian starlet spent the 90s with Eintracht Frankfurt, Fenerbahce and Paris Saint-Germain, but it was with Bolton Wanderers that he garnered the most attention.

Under the management of Sam Allardyce, Okocha arrived in Bolton at 29 years old, going on to reinforce the reputation he had gotten as one of the silkiest players to ever grace the game. His ability on the ball, passing range and eye for goal ensured that he would not be forgotten any time soon.

12 Michael Laudrup

“I just can’t believe he hasn’t won the title as best player in the world.” Such were the words of current Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola when, a few years ago, he touched on the career of Michael Laudrup. The Danish playmaker spent most of his career in Spain with both Barcelona and Real Madrid, but it was with the former that he truly shone as a player.

Laudrup, who also played in his native Denmark, Italy and the Netherlands, was a diamond, a player capable of making the hardest parts of the game look so simple and easy. Even many Barcelona players, past and present, have commented on just how good Laudrup was, despite him joining their bitter rivals in 1994 after five years in Catalonia.

11 George Best

Controversy followed George Best throughout his career, largely in part due to his rather public interests in both alcohol and women. Regardless of his antics away from the pitch, Best was a technically prodigious winger, often thought of as one of the best dribblers and chance-creators that the game of football has ever seen with his immeasurable natural ability.

Many who played with, or watched, Best, declared that he was the best player that they had ever seen, including Brazilian legend Pele. A reader of the Daily Telegraph declared that in 1960 when Manchester United played the New Zealand national team in a friendly when the team tried to defend him, Best “gave them all dancing lessons.”

10 Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo has, understandably, been compared with Lionel Messi in virtually every aspect of their games, given their standings as two of the greatest to ever play the sport. Many view Messi as the epitome of talent and flair, while Ronaldo is the epitome of hard work.

While it may be true that the Argentine’s technique is somewhat more natural than Ronaldo’s, it would feel unfair to say the Portuguese is not one of football’s silkier operators. For years, Ronaldo terrified opposing defenders with his wide array of tricks and flicks, combining his quick feet with his quicker pace to routinely cause problems for whichever soul was unlucky enough to be marking him.

9 Ricardo Quaresma

Quaresma’s career could be measured equally by his skill as it could his temperament. In his youth, the dynamic winger garnered a reputation for trickery, often incorporating moves such as rabonas and trivelas into his play style. His temper, particularly in his early career, proved problematic at times however, such as when he refused to play for Barcelona so long as Frank Rikjaard was manager soon after moving there in 2003.

As Quaresma aged, though, he matured. Any behavioural issues were phased out with time and by the 2016 Euros, a tournament that he played in the final of, Quaresma had moved beyond his youth, setting a reputation for himself as a reliable veteran, still capable of awing fans, teammates and opponents alike.

8 Neymar

An ACL injury struck Neymar just five games into his stint in Saudi Arabia with Al-Hilal, the club that he joined in 2023. That, combined with moving out of Europe in his early 30s, seems to have jaded some people’s opinions on Neymar. However, his technical ability can not be understated. Neymar was, and still is, one of the most gifted players of his generation and within the game’s history as a whole.

Particularly during his stint with Barcelona, Neymar wowed both fans and neutral spectators alike as part of a feared attacking trio alongside Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi. Debuting for Brazil at 18 years old is no easy feat, nor is becoming their record goalscorer, yet Neymar did both, such was his ability.

7 Thierry Henry

It seems ridiculous now, but at the time of Henry’s transfer to Arsenal for £11 million, many found the price tag to be somewhat concerning. It was only under Arsene Wenger’s guidance that Henry found his true peak. The manager converted Henry into a striker, which would go on to greatly help their Arsenal side.

Henry was a dynamic forward, capable of dancing past his marking defender with a dazzling piece of skill or racing beyond them with his rapid speed. Ex-Gunner Alan Smith once remarked that he had never seen a player of Henry’s ilk. Though preferring to play up front, Henry often drifted out wide throughout his career, which helped him provide a large number of assists as well as being a lethal marksman.

6 Zinedine Zidane

One of the best of his generation and one of the best of all time, Zizou became as beloved as he was well known for the effortless elegance he possessed on the ball. Capable of pinging passes all over the pitch with a keen eye for goal, the Frenchman is one of just nine players in history to have won the Ballon d’Or, Champions League and World Cup.

The midfielder has received praise for his level of skill from countless icons. Ex-Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan once remarked that he had “never seen a player quite like Zidane,” while former West Germany captain Franz Beckenbauer labelled Zidane as “one of the greatest players in history.”

5 Diego Maradona

A player who was as controversial as he was gifted, Diego Armando Maradona captivated hearts and minds across his career. An infinitely talented number 10, Maradona’s prime was spent with Napoli. Such was his impact in Naples, that the club retired his number soon after his departure.

Not only was Maradona a capable footballer, but many have commented on his leadership, on and off the pitch, and how positive an impact his general character had on any team that he played with. That being said, however, Maradona’s technique, his ball striking, passing range and general skill on the ball all also helped the Argentine on his way to becoming a legend.

4 Johan Cruyff

Excluding his final season in football which he played with Feyenoord, Cruyff spent all of his domestic career in Europe with Ajax and Barcelona, where he comfortably established himself as a legend of both clubs. The Dutchman revolutionised the game of football, with his technical ability being a subject of marvel and admiration to many.

A practitioner of Total Football, Cruyff’s mind was as sharp as his feet. The attacking midfielder felt that it was his technique more than anything that set him out as one of the best, as did many of his peers. Football in its entirety mourned the loss of Cruyff when he died, so large was the impact that he had on the sport.

3 Lionel Messi

Eight Ballon d’Ors, four Champions Leagues, 10 La Liga titles, two Ligue 1 triumphs and a World Cup victory. Now that the last item on that list has been accomplished, perhaps it can finally be said that Lionel Messi has a resume that just about matches the abilities he possesses as a player.

A mercurial dribbler and lethal goalscorer, Messi’s technique is something that appears nigh-on impossible to copy. The natural ability with which he plays football is astounding, with many feeling that his 2022 World Cup win was enough to firmly rank him as the best player of all time.

2 Ronaldo Nazario

Il Fenomeno played for PSV, Inter Milan, Barcelona, Real Madrid and AC Milan across his tenure in Europe, during which he established himself as a complete forward. Ronaldo was lethal in front of goal, possessed lightning speed at his peak and was one of the best dribblers that football has ever seen.

Many footballers, past and present, have dubbed Ronaldo as the best technical player that they have witnessed, an attacker with such explosive dynamism that shifted the overall perception of a number nine, both in terms of what they should be expected to do and what they are capable of doing with enough hard work.

1 Ronaldinho

Ronaldinho Gaucho is, perhaps, the closest a footballer will ever get to truly epitomising skill within an individual. The man who, for so many, is the first face in their head upon hearing the phrase “Jogo Bonito.” Ronaldinho’s flair, his penchant for no-look passes, flashy skill moves and being constantly involved in goals for the teams that he played for turned him into a legend.

Notching 373 goal contributions across his 561-game career, Ronaldinho played for PSG, Barcelona and AC Milan in Europe, with spells in his native Brazil coming either side of that 10-year stint. The attacking midfielder was impossible to defend against at times, such was the sheer spellbinding nature of the brand of football that he played.

All stats are taken from Transfermarkt and are correct as of 31/10/2024.