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The true purpose of any winger in a football is to beat defenders at will and get to the goal line and whip in a beautiful curling cross into the penalty area.
But essentially, their true goal is to play beautiful football by hugging the touchline, something that is lost in most modern day wingers. Although the current formations don't require the use of wingers, the position has given birth to some of the world's greatest players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Eden Hazard and much more.
However, this list focuses on players who defined the position with their incredible pace, great dribbling skills, superb crossing abilities and chipping in with important goals in a match.
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#11 Franck Ribery
Purely in terms of talent, Franck Ribery is one of the greatest wingers that France has ever produced. The Frenchman has had many critics who call him overrated, but at club level, the 38-year-old has won everything that he could have won. After spells in France with over five clubs and a brief stint with Galatasaray in Turkey, he became a key figure in the Bayern Munich side winning six Bundesliga titles, five DFB Pokals, and one Champions League trophy.
However, his best performance was during the 2012/2013 season, helping Bayern Munich to win an unprecedented five trophies, which included the Champions League trophy and the Bundesliga.
Ribery registered an incredible 17 goals and 25 assists for Bayern Munich during the season, winning Bundesliga Player of the year and finishing behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the Ballon d’Or.
In his prime, the Frenchman had the ability to be a menace throughout the game with his pace, excellent dribbling skills, and great control with the ball at his feet.
However, Ribery wasn’t just known for his attacking abilities as he would often track back and put in a defensive shift whenever his team required it.
#10 Luis Figo
Luis Figo was one of the greatest wingers in the world during his time at Real Madrid. He was a right winger who, despite his lack of pace, more than made up for it with his remarkable dribbling, pinpoint passing ability and incredible skill to create assists out of nothing.
In a rather illustrious career, Figo won four La Liga titles, two Copa Del Reys, four Serie A titles and an Italian cup among others, during his time with Barcelona, Real Madrid and Inter Milan.
He was also a part of Portugal’s “Golden Generation Team” which consisted of Paulo Sousa, Rui Costa, and João Pinto, who were known for their beautiful style of play in the midfield.
Figo’s greatest assets were his powerful freekicks, a knack for scoring vital goals and the skill to beat players at will. But what made him infamous in Spain was his transfer from Barcelona to Real Madrid.
The Catalans were spellbound by the Portuguese winger for five years, which saw them lift successive La Liga titles, among other honours. However, Real Madrid swooped in and stole their star, and the rest, as they say, is history.
#9 Francisco Gento
Easily one of the most successful footballing individuals ever, Gento was one of the greatest left-sided midfielders ever to grace a football pitch. His supreme speed – he could run the 100m in under 11 seconds while dribbling a ball – combined with his talent to dance past defenders and goalscoring prowess, are the reasons he gained an unmatched record of European cups.
Explaining why the Spaniard makes this list requires only one number and two words: 6 European cups.
But on the other hand, explaining his brilliance would take up a lot of pages. The Spaniard was the third man alongside Alfredo Di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas during Real Madrid’s golden age and was a major part of one of the best-attacking trios to ever grace the pitch.
Known as the “Storm of the Cantabrian,” Gento, in his prime, had the pace to rival the Bale and Ronaldo, the dribbling ability to put the great Messi to shame (or so they say) and the crossing vision as good as any footballer to walk the pitch.
#8 Robert Pires
Donning David Rocastle’s No.7 shirt on the day “Rocky” died was a 6’ tall Frenchman, who until that point had failed to flatter anyone in his opening few months as part of the Gunners. However, all that was about to change and Robert Pires announced his arrival against Tottenham – Arsenal’s arch-rival.
The Frenchman was a typical winger and possessed equal amounts of pace and trickery to work his way into Arsene Wenger’s starting eleven.
With impeccable technique, the Frenchman was able to pinpoint a pass and also scored some truly amazing goals during his time across Europe. However, it was his time at Arsenal that made him a revelation, and his unusual running style was as deceptive as the man himself. While the Premier League has seen its fair share of great wingers, it was the impact that Pires had in England that changed things.
The Frenchman in his prime, was a playmaker, a poacher, and a player with flair and a consistent end product, something that became essential especially when he won the FIFA World Cup and two Premier League titles, which included the 'Invincibles' season with the Gunners.
#7 Sir Stanley Matthews
Pele once called Stanley Matthews, “the man who taught us the way football should be played.” This speaks volumes of the impact that the England international had on the game, and more importantly on the role of the modern day winger.
What Matthews could do with a ball at his feet in a career spanning thirty years is best described by the variety of titles given to him, which includes “The Wizard of Dribble” and “The Magician.”
Matthews was the definition of a conventional winger, his most memorable match being the 1953 FA Cup final. With Blackpool trailing 3-1 in the final, Matthews became the catalyst for a sensational fightback, setting up two goals as they lifted the trophy. Although Stan Mortensen scored the only FA Cup final hat-trick ever, it was the right-winger who was the gamechanger despite being the oldest player on the pitch.
The England international only retired in 1965, aged 50 after making nearly 700 league appearances for Stoke City and Blackpool, twelve years after his FA Cup heroics for the latter.
#6 Ryan Giggs
Some say that Ryan Giggs is Manchester United. A wonderfully talented player, the Welshman made the United left wing his own from his debut in 1991 until his retirement in 2014.
In an era where players switch allegiances fairly quickly, Giggs is a perfect example of what football should be about. He evolved during his career, going from being a typical winger to fill in as a playmaker thanks to his enormous talent.
Both Giggs and Beckham became the mainstay of Ferguson’s Manchester United, especially in the build-up to attacks. The Welshman had the presence of mind to outwit his opponents with dazzling tricks before sending a pinpoint cross to the centre forward. Dwight Yorke, Andy Cole and Ruud van Nistelrooy were among the many strikers who had a major share of their goals served up by Giggs.
He made over 963 appearances for Manchester United and in the process won 13 Premier League titles, four FA Cups, two Champions League trophies, one FIFA Club World Cup and was also named PFA Young Player of the Year twice.
#5 Cristiano Ronaldo
While Ronaldo may not have the sheer number of team accolades as those ranked below or even above him, it’s his sheer desire to win, incredible individual ability, and unparalleled goalscoring record that sets the Portuguese winger apart.
Signed for a then-world record of £80 million from Manchester United, few could have guessed the monumental impact that he would have and the number of individual honours he would go on to win. Although Ronaldo spent six memorable years at Old Trafford winning three Premier League titles and a Ballon d’Or, it’s his consistency at Real Madrid that set him apart.
With no stability whatsoever, whether it comes to teammates or even managers, Ronaldo went on to put up the most consistent numbers in Los Blancos’ history –while at the same time, winning titles and keeping Real Madrid at par with Barcelona.
He did this all the while dazzling the world and the Bernabeu faithful from the edge of the left wing, with his darting runs, incredible goal tally and brilliant free-kicks.
Although his pace and trickery are slowly deserting him as he gets older, the Portuguese star is still considered to be one of the best in the world.
#4 George Best
Pele named George Best as one of the greatest players of all time. A great dribbler and goalscorer, Best was one of the first superstar footballers in England and one of the greatest stars in a Manchester United team, which included Bobby Charlton and Denis Law.
His abilities were on show in the European Cup in 1966 and he inspired the side to win it two years on.
Two-footed, the Irishman could play on either wing and loved to switch sides constantly, working very hard for his club. Had his career not ended so early, Best would probably be at the top of many lists around the world. Despite his premature end, the Irishman still had a massive impact on the game.
His pace and goalscoring instincts were always on show every time he stepped on the pitch for either Manchester United or Northern Ireland, but it was his dribbling that made him so good.
Like so many on this list, Best had the ability to glide past defenders and toying with them as he swept them aside on his way to scoring 181 goals for the club in the process.
#3 Jairzinho
The second ex-Botafogo player to make this list, Jairzinho has made over 400 league appearances for the club. The natural successor to Garrincha on both Brazil and Botafogo’s right wing, Jairzinho was one of the most successful and important members of Seleção’s great 1970 side and became one of three players to have scored in every game of the tournament.
That edition was the second of three successive World Cups in which Jairzinho featured for Brazil, winning 81 caps in the progress and scoring 33 goals. Playing for what is often considered the finest team in the tournament’s history actually diminishes the winger’s standing. He fought for the limelight with teammates like Pele, Gerson, and Rivellino, in a star-packed Brazilian national team.
His playing style was beautiful to watch, as it was filled with devastating bursts of speed combined with lethal shooting and superb vision.
The Brazilian’s six goals in Mexico were delivered via a wide range of finishes, from a delicate chip that came after a surging run to a drilled shot that left Gordon Banks grasping the air. Jairzinho’s scintillating runs turned defences inside out and cemented his place on this list.
#2 Roberto Rivellino
A Corinthians and Fluminense icon, Roberto Rivelino has long been regarded as one of the finest creative midfielders to have ever graced a football pitch. Known by his impeccably kept mustache and curly hair, Rivellino was the creative heartbeat of Brazil’s 1970 World Cup team, which included players like Pele, Carlos Alberto and Jairzinho.
He was never a popular name in Brazil, with their lack of stand-out wingers, but the Brazilian was one of the best in his position.
His skill and pace were one of the reasons Brazil lifted the 1970 World Cup, thanks to his superb wing play and elegance on the ball, which was a feature of all the teams he was an essential part of.
However, it was Rivellino’s flair and ingenuity that made him famous and loved in equal measure by players, fans and even critics.
The creation or his perfection of the Elastico, a trick that has been used by the likes of Ronaldinho and Cristiano Ronaldo, ensured that the Brazilian great left a lasting legacy in the game.
#1 Garrincha
They call football the beautiful game and it’s a simple one with 22 people running across the length and breadth of a beautiful rectangular canvas, which the greatest performers of the world use to paint their picture. One of those performers is Manuel Franciso dos Santos, popularly known as Garrincha.
What sets him apart from all the others on this list is his sheer skill with the ball. His birth defects made no difference to the Brazilian, as he played on, toying with defenders game after game.
He is considered to be one of the greatest dribblers with the ball. While most of the players on the list are known for the number of goals they’ve scored, the diminutive winger will be remembered for his sublime dribbling skills.
Garrincha loved having the ball at his feet and in turn, the ball loved being at his feet and together the damage they did to player’s egos and defences was unimaginable. He could do things with the ball that players today do in their dreams and the confidence he had all the while was incredible.
Garrincha played most of his career at Botafogo, but he produced some of his best performances in a Brazil shirt where he made 50 appearances, scoring 12 goals.
