The right-winger position has seen the best footballers in the world make their name in the sport. As football has evolved, wingers have adapted from the traditional role of providing crosses into the box and are tasked with being one of the leading creative outlets on the pitch.

With blistering speed, exceptional dribbling ability and clinical finishing, some of the biggest and most illustrious names to ever grace the pitch have made their name on the right flank. From the Champions League to the World Cup, right-wingers have featured prominently throughout the biggest successes in the elite competitions. Indeed, even in 2025, arguably the best player in the world, is Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, who despite his teenage years is operating as one of the greatest right-wingers in recent years.

That being said, below is a list of the 15 greatest right-wingers in football history. From players as far back as the 1930s to those still plying their trade, there are only a few standout names among those considered the best in the position.

Ranking Factors

• Legacy – How they are remembered and their last impact on football.
• Longevity – How long they played throughout their career at the highest level.
• Statistics – The ability to consistently score and create goals is the standard on which a winger is judged upon.
• Individual Honours – What they achieved during their career.

15

Roberto Donadoni

Clubs: Atalanta, Milan, MetroStars, Al-Ittihad

While some football fans may remember Roberto Donadoni for his managerial stints as Italy boss or at Napoli, Parma or Bologna, he was a supreme right winger in his day. Capable of playing on either flank, Donadoni was known for his explosive pace and agility, and he was a key part of the successful Milan side of the 1990s, winning six Serie A titles in the process.

14

Julinho

Clubs: Portuguesa, Fiorentina, Palmeiras

Known mostly for his exceptional dribbling and powerful shot, Julinho was a legend for Palmeiras, playing over 250 times for them. Julinho wasn’t just an out-and-out winger though, being more than capable of playing as a play-maker and coming inside and creating chances or shooting for goal himself. Indeed, such was his impact at Serie A side Fiorentina, he was voted as the club’s best player in history in 1996.

13

Amancio

Clubs: Deportivo La Coruna, Real Madrid

Nicknamed El Brujo (The Wizard), Amancio enjoyed a legendary career with Real Madrid that spanned 14 years from 1962-1976. After thriving at Deportivo La Coruna, Amancio made the move to Los Blancos, and he established himself as one of the greatest players in the world, winning La Liga’s top-scorer award for two years in a row as well as finishing in third place in the Ballon d’Or in 1964.

12

Angel Di Maria

Clubs: Rosario Central, Benfica, Real Madrid, Manchester United, PSG, Juventus

One of the greatest wingers of our time, Angel Di Maria blossomed from a talented starlet at both Rosario Central and Benfica into a truly world-class performer at Real Madrid. While he may have been somewhat overshadowed by the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale at the Santiago Bernabeu, there’s no questioning Di Maria and his wand of a left foot were enormous reasons as to why the club were so successful in the Champions League in particular during the 2010s.

11

Helmut Rahn

Clubs: Sportfreunde Katernberg, Rot-Weiss Essen, FC Koln, SC Enschede, Meidericher SV

The man who finished as the runner-up in the Ballon d’Or race in 1958, Helmut Rahn would win the FIFA World Cup with West Germany four years prior to that, making the tournament’s All-Star team too. Playing as an outside right, Rahn was a shifty operator who knew how to find the back of the net, doing so well over 100 times at club level. He enjoyed his best success with Rot-Weiss Essen, winning the DfB-Pokal in the 1952/1953 season.

10

Mohamed Salah

Clubs: Basel, Chelsea, Fiorentina, Roma, Liverpool

Mohamed Salah is one of two members of this list to be still plying his trade and could very well feature much higher when his career is said and done. ‘The Egyptian King’ arrived at Anfield via Roma after an unsuccessful spell in the Premier League with Chelsea, but no one could have imagined what he would go on to do.

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He ended Liverpool’s 30-year wait for a Premier League title and added a sixth Champions League on the way to winning the lot. Salah has taken England by storm with his blistering pace, quick dribbling and ability to cut inside and find the top corner. He was once again been instrumental in leading the Reds to another Premier League title in the 2024/2025 season.

9

Arjen Robben

Clubs: Groningen, PSV, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich

Arjen Robben was the definition of a one-trick pony during his career, and yet, no one could stop the Dutchman when he cut inside onto his left foot. Although he won multiple trophies at Chelsea and Real Madrid, it was not until his move to Bayern Munich that he entered conversations as one of the most exciting wingers to play the game.

He took the Netherlands to the 2010 World Cup final with two goals and two assists along the way before the crushing loss against Spain. However, he scored the match-winner in the 2013 Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund to add to his overflowing trophy cabinet. Robben may not have been the flashiest winger, but he knew what he could do and executed it to perfection. A deserved inclusion into the list.

8

David Beckham

Clubs: Man United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, AC Milan, PSG

David Beckham holds A-list celebrity status and is a household name across the planet, but his career was forged on the pitch at Old Trafford. Blessed with the best right foot in history, ‘Bend it like Beckham’ is a term used by aspiring footballers all over. His free-kick against Greece to secure World Cup qualification for England in 2002 is one of the most iconic goals ever to be scored.

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A pivotal figure in the ‘Class of 92’, he was part of Manchester United’s 1999 treble-winning side, falling short of Rivaldo for the Ballon d’Or the same year. In retrospect, his move to Real Madrid stunted what could have been a more luxurious career, but he led the way for football on the north American continent with his blockbuster move to LA Galaxy. There can be no list without the number seven.

7

Luis Figo

Clubs: Sporting CP, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter Milan

A key figure in the Real Madrid ‘Galacticos’ era, Luis Figo won the Ballon d’Or in 2000 with Barcelona before making the infamous switch to their fierce La Liga rivals. He never looked back as one of the most gifted technical footballers of the early 2000s and quickly became a club legend at the Santiago Bernabeu, winning the 2002 Champions League.

Figo also starred as one of the ‘Golden Generation’ for the Portugal national side, reaching the final of the 2004 European Championships and the semi-finals of the 2006 World Cup, starring alongside Cristiano Ronaldo. What a career.

6

Gareth Bale

Clubs: Southampton, Tottenham, Real Madrid, LAFC

One of the most underrated players of the modern generation, Gareth Bale, burst onto the scene at Tottenham Hotspur as a left-back before becoming one of the most exciting right-wingers in world football. The Welsh icon helped Spurs qualify for the 2012/13 Champions League campaign, during which he famously tore apart Inter Milan single-handedly at the San Siro.

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After being named the Premier League Player of the Year in 2013, he secured a world-record move to Real Madrid, where he continued to dominate opposition defences with his blistering pace on the way to five Champions League triumphs. Despite the Madridistas turning on him towards the end of his time in Spain, his overhead kick goal in the Champions League final against Liverpool in 2018 will be remembered as one of the best final goals in competition history.