A complete footballer is essentially a player who can do literally all the things needed to excel in their position. They can score, assist, pass, tackle, header, and more all to the highest and most consistent level.

In the modern game, Jude Bellingham is a prime example of this at Real Madrid. Scoring 19 league goals (despite being a midfielder) and winning both La Liga and the Champions League in his debut season, proved how talented he is.

However, it is not just the ability to arrive in the box and score big goals that make Bellingham the player he is, but his ability to shine in all facets of the game; he has incredible body strength for his age, is quick, technically gifted, can carry the ball through the lines, and is defensively very strong too, using his engine and aggression to bully the opposition midfielders.

But which other footballers have proven to be ‘complete’ players over the years? With that question in mind, here are the very best of them.

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Ranking Factors

• Versatility
• Ability to master all the key skills need to excel in their position
• Consistency

12

Duncan Edwards

Career span: 1952 – 1958

Perhaps the saddest ‘what could have been’ story in all of football history, Duncan Edwards was just 21 when he tragically died in the Munich air disaster. The Manchester United youngster had already won the First Division twice and was well on his way to making himself a club legend before he lost his life far too young.

Although primarily a defensive midfielder, Edwards could operate in any outfield position. Notably once starting a match as an emergency striker before being switched to central defence in place of another injured teammate. When Edwards was still just 17 and signing his first professional deal, Legendary manager Matt Busby said:

11

Frank Rijkaard

Career span: 1980-1995

One of the greatest holding midfielders of all time, Frank Rijkaard played out the majority of his career at Ajax and AC Milan. He was known for being a player with many more strings to his bow than the typical defensive midfielder. Defensively, Rijkaard was the full package: strong, tall, powerful in aerial duels, hard-working, aggressive, and able to cover ground quickly, the Dutchman was incredibly consistent and not only physically capable but intelligent as well, using his defensive awareness and tactical intelligence to read play and track opposition attackers.

However, Rijkaard was not just a defensive bull but also a phenomenal ball player, using his calmness in possession and technique to control games and link up with his teammates. This technical ability allowed him to play as a more advanced midfielder and even as a second striker at times during his playing days.

10

Zinedine Zidane

Career span: 1989-2006

Elegance on a football pitch defined, Zinedine Zidane was one of the most unique and enjoyable footballers to witness play the beautiful game, gliding across the pitch like a boat in the ocean. Able to drop deeper in play, picking up possession to control and dictate, Zidane’s football intelligence was noticeably above the rest, which allowed him to always be a step ahead of the opposition.

The Frenchman’s technical ability was off the scale, as he would caress the ball and link up with his teammates in such a graceful manner that you could not help but just be in awe of his talent. This technique also extended into his shooting abilities, striking the ball so sweetly and scoring some of the most sumptuous volleys in football history. Perhaps an underrated aspect of Zidane’s makeup, though, is his leadership qualities, as he was a true professional who led his sides by example, constantly inspiring and driving his teammates on.

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9

Clarence Seedorf

Career span: 1992-2014

Playing for Inter Milan, Real Madrid, AC Milan, and Ajax during his playing days, Clarence Seedorf was a beloved player by every set of fans that he played for, due to his ability to knit the midfield together. This was because there was simply nothing that the Dutchman could not do. His footballing intelligence was excellent, allowing him to be a step ahead of the opposition, and his technical ability was unbelievable, dribbling around the opponents to set a teammate up or provide space to take a shot from outside the box.

Seedorf’s shot power was also unbelievable, scoring a catalogue of screamers from outside the box during his career, and just to top it all off, his gifted physique allowed him to get around the midfield with tenacity, being a defensive pest who did not stop all game long.

8

Franz Beckenbauer

Career span: 1964-1983

Being the first defender to ever win the Ballon d’Or – and the only defender to win it twice – Franz Beckenbauer is one of a kind in football history and is regarded by many to be the best defender to have ever played the game. The West German was unlike any defender before him, as he transfigured the idea of what a centre-back should be, operating as a sweeper.

He is regarded as the master of the one-two tactic, picking the ball up in deeper areas and lending it into the midfield, making runs beyond his teammates, and receiving it back in a more advanced area of the pitch. More than comfortable in possession, a goal threat, and defensively brilliant and intelligent with the decisions he made on the pitch, Beckenbauer was well beyond his years in his style of play for his position.

7

Wayne Rooney

Career span: 2002-2021

A Manchester United icon during his illustrious career, Wayne Rooney burst onto the scene at just the age of 16 at Everton, taking the Premier League by the scruff of its neck and becoming the hottest prospect in English football. His aggressive playing style meant that he had no issues physically despite playing men’s football at a younger age, and as he developed his game, he became a seriously complete forward under Sir Alex Ferguson.

Technically gifted and with an absurd ability to finish chances, Rooney would dominate the English top flight for over a decade, amassing five league titles and a Champions League. As he aged, his role in the side would become less of a forward and more of a midfielder, as passing range and in-game intelligence meant that he could drop deeper to pick the ball up and spray passes as more of an anchor. Overall, there was almost nothing that Rooney could not do on a football pitch, and is perhaps England’s greatest player of all time.

6

Lionel Messi

Career span: 2004 – present

There is every argument that Lionel Messi is the best footballer to ever play the sport. With that in mind, he is undoubtedly a complete footballer. He scores and picks up assists at a prolific rate; as a youngster, he had the speed and agility to run past player after player; he has vision up there with the very best of the game; and he could operate out wide, centrally, or in a false nine role.

The only reason he does not rank higher is that there are forwards in the game who were perhaps more versatile when it came to certain physical aspects of the game, such as winning aerial duels and putting in tackles. That said, he never let such issues impact his brilliance.

5

Johan Cruyff

Career span: 1964-1984

A catalyst for the development of modern-day football in more ways than one, Johan Cruyff saw the game through a different prism than most. Influenced by Rinus Michels, the Dutchman would become a student of the total football philosophy, which portrayed itself through the style in which he would play the game. As a forward, Cruyff was incredibly versatile and off the cuff, making it almost impossible to predict what his next move would be on the football pitch.

Whether it was dropping deep and picking the ball up, making runs in behind, linking up with teammates, or running at defenders, as an attacker, Cruyff was the complete package. His technical ability was unmatched, he was quick, had unbelievable control of the ball, and most importantly, his understanding of the game allowed him to see things others couldn’t imagine, possessing superb situational awareness, making him unlike any player we have ever seen. Cruyff was a unique gift to football.

4

Steven Gerrard

Career span: 1998-2016

In the debate of the greatest English midfielder of all time, many will point to the passing range and ability to dictate a game of Paul Scholes or the goal-scoring prowess and leadership of Frank Lampard. However, what Scholes and Lampard could do, Steven Gerrard could do it all, running the show in a below-par Liverpool side for the majority of his playing days, the scouse midfielder became one of the fiercest midfielders on the planet.

Having the ability to ping a ball 50 yards on the money, Gerrard’s passing range was outrageous, as was his ability to strike the ball from range, creating a habit of scoring from long distances with thunderous shots. Being the embodiment of what is known as a box-to-box midfielder, he also possessed great defensive capabilities, reading the game astutely, and was the heart and soul of Liverpool’s team. In the 2005 Champions League final, he would score and claim man of the match in the most memorable night in Liverpool’s history, as they came back from a 3-0 half-time deficit against AC Milan to draw 3-3 and win on penalties.

3

Cristiano Ronaldo

Career span: 2002-Present

One of the greatest players to ever lace up a pair of football boots, Cristiano Ronaldo climbed his way to the top of European football due to a mentality like none other. Joining Manchester United at the age of 18 from Sporting, Ronaldo arrived at Old Trafford as a skinny, tricky winger who was more interested in beating a man than contributing to a goal. However, under Alex Ferguson, that quickly changed.

Winning the Ballon d’Or at United while scoring 42 goals in the 2007/08 season, he earned a move a season later to Real Madrid, where he would become the legend he is today. In his prime, he was simply unplayable; he was quicker than his opponent, stronger, smarter, more skilful, and was a supreme goal threat from anywhere within a 40-yard distance from goal. Winning five Ballon d’Or’s, five Champions League’s, three Premier League’s, two Serie A’s, two LaLiga’s, and a European Championship with Portugal, Ronaldo has cemented himself as the top two footballers of all-time alongside Lionel Messi. Ever the humble man, he actually believes he is the most complete player ever, once saying, per ESPN:

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