To suffocate their opponents, a growing number of top teams are adopting the practice of controlling possession of the ball throughout a game. Excellent mobility and passing are needed for this. One of the greatest passers of the twenty-first century will surely have been a member of dominant teams in recent years. Players on those teams who are physically dominant and possess an instinctive ability to read and comprehend the game going on around them are also necessary for dominance.
They can take complete control of their space on the pitch by doing this. Although some of the strongest players are also inherently the most dominant, this is less about becoming the best player ever. This involves keeping your opponent hidden and putting up steady, confident performances for an extended amount of time in order to win. These ten football players are the most dominant in history.
10Erling Haaland
Norway
Erling Haaland has a natural knack for scoring goals. It was never shocking to see their son in the professional sports world because his mother was an athlete and his father was a former Premier League football player. When he scored nine goals for Norway in a single Under-20 World Cup match, he attracted a lot of attention. Since then, he has continued to break Manchester City’s goal-scoring records. He can force defenders off the ball and take control of the opponent’s penalty area since he is surprisingly swift for a man his size.
His domineering behaviour is not solely due to his raw force. He is a self-development student. Therefore, Haaland’s commitment to his trade is one of the reasons he is so good. Haaland is constantly searching for the next challenge to overcome, whether it is by drinking milk or meditating. He is constantly looking for small ways to get better.
9 Spain’s Sergio Ramos
Sergio Ramos is undoubtedly among the dirtiest football players in history. With an incredible 29 red cards during his career, the former Real Madrid defender and Spain international is among the most sent-off players in history. He was a club and national champion on top of the controversy.
That included the numerous accolades he received with his club and country, as well as the duels he would engage in and frequently win with his opponents. This included the 2010 World Cup, the Euros, and several Champions League titles. Ramos was extremely commanding because of his intense desire to win and the fierceness with which he won the ball. He was a really challenging client because he was also a player.
Eight, Ireland’s Roy Keane
Roy Keane has a strong desire to be flawless. He was largely responsible for Manchester United’s success in the 1990s and the first part of the 2000s. Keane would be relentlessly motivated and consider winning his personal war to be the bare minimum. He held his teammates to the same standard. He frequently found himself playing against the finest in Europe as United continued its quest for dominance. As Keane disclosed when he listed the five most formidable opponents he had ever faced, they too want to dominate.
He would show up in the box to score when he was a young player. He developed his ability to command play and play in a deeper role as he grew older and wore the captain’s armband at Old Trafford. By doing this, United was able to control the game. He was therefore able to find a probing forward pass and get on the ball. Anyone facing Keane knew they were up to a fight.
Yaya Toure, Ivory Coast number seven
When Yaya Toure played for Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering Barcelona, he was an extremely competent centre-back. He became one of the greatest African players in Premier League history after joining Manchester City. He played midfield, which is a more advanced position, in England. Toure would frequently take games by the scruff of the neck while he was at City.
He would impose himself on the opposition and the outcome itself by using his physicality and technical mastery. Some of his individual accolades, such as being named African Footballer of the Year for four consecutive years from 2011 to 2014, show this.
6 France’s Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane’s exceptional ability to outscore opponents and produce goals was the key to his supremacy. He was physically formidable at six feet one, capable of finding a game-winning pass and dribbling his way out of a sea of legs. He is regarded as the finest player France has ever had, despite extremely formidable opponents.
He was just too much for the players to handle. After scoring two goals to help France defeat Brazil 3-0 and win the World Cup Final for the first time in 1998, he went on to have an even greater performance at Euro 2000. He was at the top of his game during that tournament, helping his country win. The victory over Portugal in the semi-final featured a performance that will live in history.
The fifth Didier Drogba in Ivory Coast
Didier Drogba made it look easy despite frequently playing a difficult job up front by himself for Chelsea, especially when they were playing in Europe. At Stamford Bridge, he had remarkable success. It’s intriguing to hear what people who had to mark him thought about Drogba’s genius. The Ivorian was listed among the best forwards in Premier League history by former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher.
Drogba also performed well in Chelsea’s crucial games. He scored 21 goals and sent out 18 assists in 68 games against the Premier League’s Big Six. He was frequently a constant threat to Arsenal, bullying them into submission. Drogba scored 13 goals in 15 appearances versus the Gunners, winning 10 of them and losing just one. In 2012, he was also instrumental in Chelsea’s victory over Bayern Munich in the Champions League final.
4. Ibrahimovic, Zlatan
Sweden
The story that Zlatan Ibrahimovic crafted off the pitch frequently appeared to be the source of his domination in games. He often exaggerated his strength and intelligence in the media. The huge Swede would frequently follow up with impressive goals and displays.
He appeared to be rather content to create opponents in the process, as though this would help him feel more prepared for games. Zlatan didn’t care if some of those enemies were actually teammates. He transformed from a scrawny youngster into a powerful, aggressive player who could outsmart or even outplay his opponent. What distinguishes him from so many others is mostly his attitude. a strong individual who upheld high standards throughout his career, both on and off the pitch.
3. France’s Thierry Henry
For Arsenal, Thierry Henry was a tyrant. He would move quickly, deftly, and gracefully over the pitch. By doing this, he would exert dominance, but in such a graceful manner that he seemed superior to everyone else. Perhaps the best individual effort in Premier League history was delivered by the Frenchman.
This occurred during Arsenal’s 2004 4–2 victory over Liverpool. The Gunners went behind twice in this game. They were in need of someone to step up, and Henry delivered with a hat-trick. Henry was frequently the face of that legendary Arsenal team, and he was always a hit.
2. Van Dijk, Vigil
The Netherlands
The Dutch titan Virgil van Dijk has been a major factor in Liverpool’s recent success. He has been a man-mountain for both club and nation since he is tall, strong, and skilled with the ball. When Liverpool won the Premier League in 2020, he was a part of their first top-flight English championship in thirty years.
This comes after they defeated Spurs 2-0 in the 2019 Champions League final. His accomplishments placed him among the all-time greats of Premier League football. Liverpool would be wise to find a replacement in Van Dijk’s class after his outstanding career.
1 Rodri Spain
Is it any coincidence that during the 2024–2025 season, Manchester City’s performance plummeted without Rodri? He has been the driving force behind City’s recent success. The £62 million City spent Atletico Madrid for his talents must thus be remembered as Pep Guardiola’s greatest acquisition for the team.
Rodri is a master of the midfield, able to take the ball from his opponents in close quarters and then control play. He is able to dominate in terms of strength, movement, passing ability, and football knowledge because of his skill set. He scored the game-winning goal to give City the treble in the 2023 Champions League final, which was telling. Additionally, he had a significant impact on Spain’s victorious Euro 2024 campaign.
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