The best right-backs of all time

The right-back role has undergone quite the transformation in recent years. A typically unfashionable position on the pitch, the man chosen to guard the right side of defence has often been ridiculed as unambitious, untalented, or simply the best at doing the least important job in football.

Famously, Jamie Carragher even cracked the joke that a full-back is either a "failed winger or a failed centre-back" while "no one wants to grow up and be a Gary Neville" (more on the Manchester United man later). But that disrespect and devaluing of the right-back has plagued the game for decades.

But these guys broke the mould. Some of the greatest players to step foot on a football field all hugged the right touchline, guarding their goalkeeper with their lives, as they did the dirty work that no one else could manage.

And my word, did they do it well. So, 90min has taken a look back at the 20 best right-backs to have ever played our beautiful game, inspiring generations to follow in their untrendy footsteps.

20. Maicon

Maicon arrived in Europe in 2003, joining up with Monaco following a big-money move from Brazil. However, three years later, he would find a home at Inter, enjoying success he never could have anticipated with the Italian giants.

Bombing up and down the flank, the outstanding right-back lifted the Champions League during a six-year stint in Milan, as well as four Serie A titles.

He failed to win silverware with any other club in Europe, but was hugely successful in Brazil, including two Copa America titles with the national team.

19. Kyle Walker

Kyle Walker has never been immune to criticism, but you don't boast the trophy cabinet that he does or earn the trust of Pep Guardiola without being an exceptional footballer.

Since his move to Manchester City, the England star renowned for his electric speed has won everything on offer at club level, including multiple Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup trophies as well as the all-important Champions League.

Showing impressive longevity, Walker deserves far more respect for his on-field achievements.

18. Jorginho

Another in a long list of Brazilian right-backs, Jorginho is one of the finest the country has produced. The highlight of his career came in 1994, helping the national team win the World Cup and placing in the Team of the Tournament for his exquisite displays.

Jorginho played in Brazil, Germany and Japan throughout an illustrious and trophy-laden career, gracing both Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich during his days in Europe.

17. Trent Alexander-Arnold

Those that scoff at Trent Alexander-Arnold's place in a list such as this must remember how the Liverpool star revolutionised his position. His ability to stride down the right flank and execute pinpoint passes is second to none, racking up a ludicrous amount of assist for a defender.

"He’s the full package: he has quality, dribbling skills and pace," legendary full-back Cafu once said of the England international. Praise doesn't come much greater.

16. Dani Carvajal

In no Real Madrid side has Dani Carvajal ever been the most significant player, yet he's always in that team year after year. His tenacity, longevity and intelligence have earned him a spot as one of Real Madrid's most decorated players.

Having now added a European Championship to his array of Champions League and La Liga trophies, there is no doubt that he is one of the most successful and well-respected right-backs in the history of the game.

15. Manuel Amoros

Manuel Amoros may not be a household name any more, but the Frenchman still ranks among the greatest right-backs the world has seen. A Champions League winner with Marseille and a Euros champion in 1984, he has claimed the biggest prizes.

The 82-cap France international also helped France reach the semi-final of the 1986 World Cup, scoring in a third-place play-off victory over Belgium from the penalty spot.

14. Gary Neville

Talk about an ever-present. Gary Neville was the beating heart of Manchester United's most successful era, epitomising everything that Sir Alex Ferguson demanded from his players. The England international was a bubbling cauldron of passion, drive and determination, while also possessing the technical skills needed to survive at the highest level.

Perhaps an underrated figure in that brilliant United side, given the quality which surrounded him, Neville was also an excellent crosser of the ball, and provided the perfect foil to the unstoppable David Beckham.

13. Josimar

Two sensational strikes at the 1986 World Cup wrote Josimar's name into football folklore. The Brazil star notched in the group stage with a stunning long-range effort against Northern Ireland, helping the Selecao into the knockout stages.

In the last 16, Josimar bagged again during a 4-0 demolition of Poland, weaving in and out of opposition defenders before unleashing a sensational rocket into the roof of the net from a tight angle.

Those two strikes summed the defender up perfectly.

12. Manfred Kaltz

One of the Bundesliga's most capped players, Kaltz was a constant in a swashbuckling Hamburg team over an 18-year spell across the 1970's and 1980's. His longevity was impressive, but he was known for his wonderful curled crosses from right-back. His deliveries were even coined 'Bananenflanken', translating to 'banana crosses' in German.

He won the lot during his stint with Hamburg, including two Bundesliga crowns, two DFB-Pokal titles and the European Cup. A 1980 European Championship triumph with Germany was another highlight of a brilliant career.

11. Mauro Tassotti

The 1980 match-fixing scandal actually handed Mauro Tassotti his spot in the Milan squad for the first time. The defender helped the Rossoneri return to Serie A after their demotion to the second tier, and he featured in the side for years to come as he conquered Europe.

Having since been inducted into the Milan Hall of Fame, Tassotti won three Champions League titles and five Serie A crowns. The versatile right-back was part of one of the world's greatest defences alongside Franco Baresi and Filippo Galli.

10. Berti Vogts

One-club men don't come much more impressive than Berti Vogts, who spent his entire career with Borussia Monchengladbach. The right-back won five Bundesliga titles during the most successful period in the club's history, earning the nickname 'Der Terrier' for his tenacity in retrieving possession.

His success wasn't limited to Monchengladbach, with the defender lifting the World Cup and Euros with West Germany. The attack-minded full-back was a regular provider of goals and assists.

9. Gianluca Zambrotta

Reliability and consistency may be two of the most boring traits to assign to a footballer, but they also win you trophies. Just ask Gianluca Zambrotta. The former Italy international may not have been a flashy, tricky defender, but he was a man who did his job - and did it extremely competently.

He did also possess the characteristics needed to get forward and cause problems, though. Zambrotta was incredibly two-footed, meaning he could bamboozle his marker by cutting in or pulling wide to deliver excellent crosses.

Defensively, he was tenacious and resilient, culminating in him being honoured in the 2006 World Cup team of the tournament, following Italy's dramatic success over France in the final.

8. Giuseppe Bergomi

Giuseppe Bergomi was a natural-born winner, and his tunnel-vision mentality made him one of the most ruthless footballers to play the game.

The Italian star spent his entire career at Serie A giants Inter, making over 750 appearances for the Nerazzurri and lifting a whole host of silverware.

His famous moustache was given the chop as his career progressed, but those wild eyes could never be tamed. What a legend.

7. Djalma Santos

You don't win two World Cups with an average defender in your side. Luckily for Brazil, they boasted Djalma Santos in their right-back slot throughout the 1950's and early 1960's, which they dominated in glorious fashion.

Santos only appeared in the final of the 1958 success, but his performance was so good that he was named in the Best XI of the tournament. That display sealed his spot as Brazil's permanent right-back for the foreseeable future, and he starred again four years later, with the Selecao triumphing over Czechoslovakia in the final.

A solid defender and a very good dribbler of the ball, Santos just oozed Brazilian class.

6. Javier Zanetti

Less thrills surrounding this full-back, but that takes nothing away from the genius that is Javier Zanetti. The Argentine was the king of longevity, producing a career that spanned over 22 years - and at the highest level of the sport, too.

Zanetti marshalled the Inter defence for almost two decades, making over 850 appearances for the Nerazzurri, and becoming the most iconic captain in the club's history. A consistent, reliable presence at the back, he will forever be remembered as a football icon.

5. Lilian Thuram

A steam train of a full-back, Lilian Thuram was one of the best in the business. The Frenchman is a classic 90's defender from Serie A, celebrated for his incredible displays at Parma and then Juventus. Physically, tactically and technically, there were few better than him during his domination of the right-flank.

On the international stage, Thuram took to the field 142 times for France, scoring only two goals for Les Bleus. Those two goals incredibly came in the form of a brace in the 1998 World Cup semi-final, a tournament France would go on to win.

4. Carlos Alberto

Another captain of a World Cup-winning Brazil side, Carlos Alberto walks straight into this list of right-back legends. Known for his technical ability as well as his defensive resoluteness, Alberto was as complete as they come.

He is also remembered as the scorer of one of the greatest goals in World Cup history, rounding off a wonderful team move by rattling home a stunning drive in the cup final. A man for the big occasion, you could always rely on Alberto to deliver the goods.

3. Dani Alves

Dani Alves is one of football's most decorated players, winning 23 titles with Barcelona alone. It was in Catalonia that the attack-minded right-back was most successful, but he also featured for Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain.

However, the Brazil international's reputation has been tainted after he was charged for sexual assault and sentenced to prison in 2024.

2. Philipp Lahm

One of the most versatile players on this list, Philipp Lahm could operate at right-back, left-back or holding midfield, making him the most utilised star in an always-victorious Bayern side. A manager's dream.

Lahm's tactical awareness and forensic understanding of the game meant he could outsmart any forward, who perhaps edged the German in pace, strength or any other physical attribute. His ability with the ball at his feet made him such a graceful joy to watch, but he never shied away from the gritty side of the game, either.

Oh, and he is a World Cup winning captain, too.

1. Cafu

Elegance. Dynamism. Grace. Cafu was the very best of his era. The Brazilian managed to make the right-back role fashionable, and demonstrated that you can possess silky skills and a bag of tricks even if you don't occupy the opposition's final third.

Cafu confirmed his place among football royalty by captaining Brazil to World Cup glory in 2002, and cemented his status as the most GIF-able full-back in history with a triple sombrero over Pavel Nedved during his time at AS Roma. A winner and an entertainer.

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