15 Greatest Right-Backs in Football History [Ranked]

In brief
Famous South American hosts including Maicon, Javier Zanetti, and Cafu are on the list.
The two English representatives are Gary Neville and Kyle Walker.
For extended periods, six of the individuals on the list worked in Italy.
Over time, the right-back’s position has drastically changed, evolving from a defensive-minded teammate to the right center-half to a vital creative contributor in a contemporary squad. It is easy to see the change in approach as players like Trent Alexander-Arnold of Liverpool are contributing more assists than ever before, which stands in stark contrast to the warrior-like right-backs of the past.

Right-backs have always been a vital component of any XI, regardless of the time period or the demands placed on them by specific players. Many right-backs, like as Cafu and Kyle Walker, have distinguished themselves throughout the history of the beautiful game by claiming the position and leaving their distinctive marks on it. Here are the top 15 best right-backs in football history in light of that.

15Maicon

Notable clubs: Cruzeiro, Monaco, Inter, Manchester City, AS Roma

Maicon reportedly paid €6.8 million to join Inter after leaving French team Monaco in 2006. Maicon won four Serie A championships, three Italian Cups, a FIFA Club World Cup, and three Italian Super Cups when he was at San Siro. His Champions League victory in 2009–10, under Jose Mourinho, was the most conspicuous trophy he took home from Milan.

Maicon was a performer during his time at Inter, as his darting dashes left onlookers speechless. He was selected for the Brazilian national team and gained 76 caps thanks to his samba flare. Maicon scored one of the most famous World Cup goals ever, bringing his lively approach to his international matches. In line with the goal from wide, Maicon scored against Korea DPR with a strong strike from an apparently impossible angle. After stints at AS Roma and Manchester City, Maicon retired in 2021.

Maicon

Major Accolades

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480

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14 Manfred Kaltz
Famous teams: Hamburger SV

Manfred Kaltz.#HSV pic.twitter.com/2Pn6LcocQU

— Olympia (@olympia_vintage) May 2, 2024

Manfred Kaltz played for Hamburger SV his whole career, with the exception of relatively brief stints with Girondins Bordeaux and Mulhouse. During that time, he established himself as one of the greatest right-backs of all time. Throughout his career, the German played more than 750 games and excelled with the team.

But Kaltz’s success extended beyond the club level. The legendary Hamburger player also excelled in international football, winning a European Championship with Germany, making it to the competition’s final, and placing second in the 1982 World Cup. Throughout his career, Kaltz scored more than 100 goals, making him a prolific goal scorer. Excellent for a defender.

Kaltz, Manfred

Major Accolades

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761

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102

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13. Tassotti, Mauro
Famous teams: AC Milan and Lazio

After making his debut with Lazio, Mauro Tassotti joined AC Milan in 1980 and played for the storied Italian team for 17 years. During his time with the San Siro, he played around 600 games and became a legend there. Throughout his career, he won 19 awards and made a significant impact on football.

His adventures with Milan were far more successful than his international career. Although Tassotti only played for Italy seven times, he helped to bring in a new era for the position by being one of the first full-backs to provide an offensive threat for his team.

Tassotti, Mauro

Major Accolades

19.

Looks

627

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10.

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12 Berti Vogts Notable teams: Monchengladbach, Borussia

🏆 EURO 1972 winner
🏆 1974 World Cup winner

Happy 76th birthday to Berti Vogts! 🎉 pic.twitter.com/6tC2oe8IgQ

— German Football (@DFB_Team_EN) December 30, 2022

Berti Vogts is the epitome of a one-club man, having played his whole career at Borussia Monchengladbach, and he represented the team admirably for 14 years. With five Bundesliga titles in seven years, he played a significant role during one of the team’s most successful eras.

Vogts played in the Bundesliga for 14 years in all, and he was selected to the team of the year nine times. If that doesn’t demonstrate his skill level during his career, we don’t know what does. The dependable full-back was a legend for both club and country, playing over 27 games in all but two of his professional seasons.

Vogts, Berti

Major Accolades

10.

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538

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10.

11 Kyle Walker
Notable teams include AC Milan, Manchester City, and Tottenham Hotspur.

Kyle Walker, the epitome of the contemporary full-back, has played at an elite level for more than 15 years in the English top flight. Kyle Walker has been a part of the right-back movement since he was a young player at Sheffield United and went on to become a champion captain at Manchester City. Walker joined City from Tottenham Hotspur in 2017 and went on to win 17 major awards.

Pep Guardiola gave Walker the opportunity to play a variety of roles and positions during his time at the Etihad Stadium that many would not have dared to assign him. Walker, who is currently on loan at AC Milan, has consistently disproved his detractors and developed into one of his generation’s most tactically astute right-backs.

Walker, Kyle

Major Accolades

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635

Objectives

Twelve

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10 Zambrotta Gianluca
Notable teams include AC Milan, FC Barcelona, and Juventus.

Gianluca Zambrotta, the Italian World Cup champion, was a trailblazer in the development of the contemporary right back. Zambrotta was a gifted winger in his early playing days, so much so that in 1999 he was transferred from Bari to Juventus, the Italian powerhouse. As is now typical in football, Zambrotta gradually went backwards during the following six seasons at the Old Lady, switching from right flank to right back.

Zambrotta’s decision to join FC Barcelona following a successful stint at Juventus demonstrates exactly how talented he was as a player. Because of his days on the flank, Zambrotta continued to have a strong instinct for attacking and would charge forward whenever he had the chance. The player also played strong defence and had excellent opponent reading skills. After a good stint at the Nou Camp, Zambrotta retired in 2013 and transferred to AC Milan.

Zambrotta Gianluca

Major Accolades

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610

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9. Giuseppe Bergomi
Famous teams: Inter Milan

Legendary full-backs were drawn to those Milan clubs for whatever reason, and now here’s another one. Giuseppe Bergomi played in more than 750 games for Inter Milan over his whole career. The Italian, who was captain of his squad, was a formidable opponent on the right side of defence and is regarded as one of the best defenders in Italian history.

If one of the greatest football players of all time thinks so highly of you, who are the rest of us to argue with? Bergomi was chosen by Pele to be featured in the FIFA 100 back in 2004.

Bergomi Giuseppe

Major Accolades

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754

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8 Djalma Santos Famous clubs: Palmeiras, Portuguesa

Palmeiras em cenas..

Temporada do fax! 😂

Djalma Santos, ídolo do Palmeiras, após a conquista do Robertão de 1967.

Foto: Arquivo do Estadão. pic.twitter.com/INfVbMnlBK

— Umberto Conti (@umbertocontiho3) December 5, 2023

Even though Djalma Santos never played for a team outside of his native Brazil, he left a lasting influence on football and is regarded as one of the greatest full-backs in history. He excelled for his national squad and was outstanding for Palmeiras and Portuguesa.

Santos played for Brazil on two World Cup winning teams and has a trophy chest that would make many elite athletes jealous. Throughout his career, Santos, who is renowned for his highest level of professionalism, was never sent off, which is quite an accomplishment given that he is one of the few players to have played over 1000 games.

Santos Djalma

Major Accolades

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964

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7 Gary Neville
Famous teams: Manchester United

A local boy, Gary Neville is a leader and a one-club player. Neville never turned back, from playing for Manchester United’s first team to graduating from Carrington as a member of the Class of ’92. He battled for decades to maintain his spot on one of the best teams ever after making his debut for the team he loved.

Neville became a specialist in the right-back position by playing his role flawlessly. Neville weathered squad changes and the addition of superstars throughout his little less than 20-year tenure at United. Neville is considered one of the best right-backs England has ever produced because of his achievements and significant contribution to United’s success over the years.

Neville, Gary

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602

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6 Lilian Thuram
Monaco, Parma, Juventus, and FC Barcelona are notable clubs.

Lilian Thuram gained notoriety in Parma, where he excelled in Serie A. Juventus took notice of his outstanding defensive performances during France’s 1998 World Cup victory and in Serie A during the following few seasons. His 1997 French Player of the Year accolade was enough to get Juventus’ notice, if his World Cup trophy wasn’t. Thuram relocated to Turin after an agreement was reached for €36 million. In addition to his Parma victories, Thuram won two Scudettos, a UEFA Cup, an Italian Cup, and an Italian Super Cup while he was at the Old Lady.

Thuram won the European Championships in 2000, another international medal. Thuram transferred to FC Barcelona, another European powerhouse, six years later. The Frenchman retired after two seasons in Catalonia, where he won a Spanish Super Cup. Thuram was renowned for his forceful play style, which involved regaining possession of the ball and making every effort to keep it from being given away. He was rarely defeated one-on-one because of his strong play and composed demeanour, which made him a fearsome opponent. One of the best players in the position, Thuram was traditional yet superb at his defensive responsibilities.

Thuram, Lilian

Major Accolades

Twelve

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685

Objectives

13.

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5 Javier Zanetti Prominent teams: Inter

With two amazing footballing nations in his blood, Javier Zanetti, who was born in Buenos Aires to Italian parents, was bound for stardom. Zanetti chose to join Inter and move back to his parents’ homeland after turning down offers from Argentine powerhouses Boca Juniors and River Plate. The rest became history after Zanetti landed in Italy. The Argentinean was undoubtedly one of the most famous captains in history during his 19 years at the club. Five Serie A championships, four Italian Cups, a UEFA Cup, a Champions League, and a Club World Cup were all won by Zanetti.

Zanetti was a superb right-back who could also play in the middle of the midfield and on the left. As evidenced by the Champions League final victory, Zanetti was employed in the midfield for periods of his career due to his amazing ball skills and confidence in attack. Even though he didn’t win a World Cup with Argentina, Zanetti left an enduring reputation at Inter as one of the best the team had ever possessed.

Zanetti, Javier

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1,001

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4 Carlos Alberto
Fluminense, Santos, Flamengo, and the New York Cosmos are notable clubs.

Carlos Alberto, a Brazilian legend, is considered one of the best players to ever wear the yellow and blue shirt. He played for Fluminese, Botafogo, Flamengo, and mostly Santos in the Brazilian top flight for 15 very successful years, but his tenure with the Brazilian national team garnered more attention. Carlos Alberto led his nation to their third World Cup victory in 1970.
Alberto won the coveted World Cup trophy in addition to four Brazilian league victories. Later in life, Alberto played with the New York Cosmos of Major League Soccer, where he won four league titles. After retiring from the game in 1983, Alberto went on to manage throughout South America. Alberto was renowned for his leadership skills, but he also had a great eye for a pass. He was a creator from deep, which was unusual at the time, whether he was passing short or long.

Alberto Carlos

Major Accolades

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797

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3. Philipp Lahm
Notable teams include Bayern Munich and VfB Stuttgart.

Between 2002 and 2017, German coach Philipp Lahm played 113 games for his nation and 332 for Bayern Munich. Lahm won 23 championships in his long career, with his nation’s 2014 World Cup victory serving as the pinnacle of his success. From the first to the last match, the German exuded elegance.

Nothing seemed to bother him because he played football at his own pace and with such composure. He plucks the ball away from raging attackers with ease and reads the game well in addition to being composed on the ball. In addition to being a fierce defender, the German legend’s versatility inspired Guardiola to transfer him into the midfield for Bayern, a move that really benefited Lahm and his squad.

Lahm, Philipp

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773

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2. Dani Alves
Famous teams include Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, FC Barcelona, and Sevilla FC.

Dani Alves of FC Barcelona and Brazil is well-known for being one of the most decorated athletes in history. From league and cup titles in Spain, France, and Italy to trophies in his home country of Brazil. Additionally, he helped Brazil win two Copa America titles in 2007 and 2019.
Alves, Dani

Major Accolades

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995

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199

1 Café Notable teams: AC Milan and AS Roma

Cafu started his playing career in Brazil, spending six seasons with Sao Paulo before relocating to Europe. Before going back to his own country, he spent half a season playing for Real Zaragoza in Spain. When the Italian powerhouses Roma knocked, Cafu could not refuse them since it was obvious that he was too good not to try himself again in Europe. Cafu moved to AC Milan and started the most prosperous phase of his domestic career there after a successful stint in the Italian capital, where he won a Coppa Italia and one Serie A title.

Cafu received even more honours at the San Siro, including the 2007 Champions League. With 143 appearances, Cafu is the most capped player for Brazil and has won two World Cups on the international front. He was an ideal right-back because of his exceptional passing range, fluid dribbling, lightning-fast pace, and courageous defence. Because of his skill and outstanding accomplishments, Cafu is widely regarded as the best right-back of all time and is a true icon of the game.

Cafu

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573

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