5 greatest right-footed players of all time
Right-footed players are the majority in the world of football. Most teams have more players who prefer to use their right foot than those who prefer their left. Despite being a bit of a minority, two left-footed players, Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi, are considered to be two of the greatest of all time.
Take those two away and the rest of the list is majorly dominated by right-footed players. Even today, most of the elite players in the world are right-footed players. So it is difficult for them to stand out among the crowd and it takes something special for them to be distinguished.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five of the best right-footed players of all time.
#5 Andres Iniesta
While names like Michel Platini, Franz Beckenbauer, Paolo Maldini and even Gerd Muller are difficult to overlook, Andres Iniesta deserves to be on this list a little bit more. Iniesta was poetry in motion on the football pitch.
Arguably the most complete central midfielder of his generation, Iniesta was the midfield lynchpin for Spain and Barcelona during their dominant days. The diminutive midfielder was the perfect foil for Xavi.
He could run rings around defenders thanks to his incredible dribbling ability teeming with deft touches and body feints. Iniesta was part of the dominant Spain side that won the 2010 FIFA World Cup. In fact, he scored Spain's winner in the final against the Netherlands.
Iniesta also played a starring role in Spain's triumph at the Euros in 2008 and 2012. He was a vital cog in Pep Guardiola's Barcelona side that won two Champions League titles and a continental treble.
It is nearly impossible to shake Iniesta off the ball. His intelligence, agility, vision, balance and technical ability made him a world-class player. Iniesta is often referred to as the greatest player to have never won the Ballon d'Or. He finished second in 2010 and third in 2012.
In his illustrious club career, Iniesta has won nine La Liga titles, four Champions League titles, six Copa Del Reys, six Supercopa de Espana and three FIFA Club World Cups.
#OTD in 2002, Andrés Iniesta made his Barça debut. The rest is history. 🏆🏆🏆
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#4 Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane is perhaps the most elegant footballer of all time. The Frenchman won the Ballon d'Or in 1998 after winning the World Cup with France that year. He scored two goals in the final against odds-on favourite Brazil and was just 26-years-old at the time as he became a national icon.
Zidane made football look too easy at times. He was a playmaker who stood out for his vision, elegance and technical ability. In addition to winning the Ballon d'Or in 1998, Zidane was also named FIFA World Player of the Year in 1998, 2000, and 2003.
Save for his bizarre headbutt on Marco Materazzi which earned him a red card in the 2006 World Cup final, Zidane relished the big occasions. Real Madrid made him the most expensive footballer at the time when they signed him in 2001 for a staggering €77 million.
He won two Serie A titles, one La Liga title, one Champions League title, one World Cup and one European championship in his career.
Zinedene Zidane, the most elegant footballer of all-time.
Sublime.
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