5 best 'slow' footballers in the world right now

In modern football, pace is often viewed as a primary attribute for playing in a number of positions. However, the fact remains that pace on a football pitch is relative. Intelligent footballers who are not that quick can find a way to circumvent this lack of speed with their movement and positioning.

Of course, being pacy comes with its own perks. Watching players storm forward and leave opposition players on their trail is one of the more satisfying sights on a football ground. Teams always benefit from having quick runners when they are trying to break on a counterattack.

However, there are plenty of intelligent and elite footballers who have proved to us that they can perform at the highest level without being very quick. These players use their superior technical proficiency to sidestep their deficiency in the pace department.

Without further ado, let's take a look at five of the best slow footballers in the world right now.

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#5 Zlatan Ibrahimovic (AC Milan)

AC Milan v Benevento Calcio - Serie A

Let's start by mentioning that Zlatan Ibrahimovic is 40-years-old now. But he continues to be a very dependable striker. The Swede has always been renowned for his incredible athleticism and that's exactly why he continues to keep his levels up, 21 years after he made his senior debut.

Ibrahimovic stands at 195 cms and is one of the most dominant players when it comes to aerial duels. He has never been the quickest striker around but he has always made up for his lack of pace with his exceptional technical ability.

He has scored many worldies in his life and there are things he does on the football pitch that no other footballer can. Naturally, Ibrahimovic has lost a few yards of pace in recent times. But has that affected his goalscoring ability? Not at all.

In the 2020-21 season, he scored 17 goals and provided three assists in 27 appearances across all competitions and was one of AC Milan's best players.

#4 Sergio Busquets (Barcelona)

FC Barcelona v Granada CF - La Liga Santander

Sergio Busquets has proved to us over the last decade that controlling a game from midfield has very little to do with pace. The Barcelona man has never been a quick customer. But he is as tidy as they come and the ball is almost always safe when he is moving around with it.

Busquets is now 33-years-old and his powers have waned in recent times. He is undoubtedly one of the best defensive midfielders in the history of the game. The Spanish international was the perfect partner for the likes of Xavi and Andres Iniesta in midfield for both club and country.

Busquets has had an illustrious career and is likely to hang up his boots at Barcelona, for whom he has made a whopping 644 appearances so far.

#3 Jorginho (Chelsea)

Chelsea FC v Malmo FF: Group H - UEFA Champions League

Chelsea's midfield lynchpin Jorginho has had one of the best summers a footballer could dream of. He won the UEFA Champions League with Chelsea before embarking on a triumphant run at Euro 2020 with Italy.

Jorginho also won the UEFA Super Cup as Chelsea beat Villarreal on penalties. The Italian midfielder was a very divisive figure in his first couple of seasons at Chelsea. Critics were harsh on him and claimed that he couldn't keep up with the intensity or the pace of English football.

However, Jorginho put a lot of work in and kept improving and has now become undroppable from the Chelsea lineup. He is an extremely smart footballer who makes up for his lack of pace with his spatial awareness and tactical intelligence.

Jorginho is firmly in the running for the Ballon d'Or this term and that speaks volumes of the quality he possesses.

#2 Toni Kroos (Real Madrid)

FC Barcelona v Real Madrid CF - La Liga Santander

Toni Kroos is one of the most elegant footballers on the planet. It's a joy to watch him go about his business. Whether it be dropping his shoulder before easing past an opposition player or pinging balls into the feet of his teammates from 50 yards out, he does it all with grace.

Kroos is the midfield metronome for both Real Madrid and Germany and he has never been a pacy presence in the center of the park. The 31-year-old compensates for his lack of pace with his vision and technical abilities.

Kroos is also one of the most intelligent footballers on the planet. He knows which pockets of space to move into in order to create space for his teammates and also possesses an excellent reading of the game.

These attributes make him effective in attack and in defence and he will go down in history as one of the best central midfielders of the modern game.

#1 Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich)

FC Bayern München v Dinamo Kiev: Group E - UEFA Champions League

Thomas Muller traded elegance for effectiveness and no one who has seen him play could complain. A self-styled Raumdeuter or 'space interpreter', Muller is one of the most versatile footballers on the planet.

He can play in any position across the frontline and is easily one of the most intelligent footballers of all time. Muller's positional awareness, coupled with his movement in and around the final third, make him a thorn in the neck of opposition defenders.

Muller is always looking to disrupt the order of the opposition backline. He pops up in pockets of space in and around the final third and his off-the-ball movements help create plenty of space for his teamamtes.

The 32-year-old is not very quick but no player needs to be very quick when they are as smart as Muller is. The ever consistent German international has scored five goals and provided eight assists in 15 appearances across all competitions for Bayern Munich this term.

In the 2020-21 season, he scored 15 goals and provided 24 assists in 46 appearances across all competitions. His numbers show just how effective he is in the final third.