Highlights

  • Lionel Messi, despite being considered one of the greatest players of all time, is not on the list of the most two-footed players in history.
  • Adam Lallana may not be as legendary as others on the list, but he is brilliant with both feet and a nightmare to defend against.
  • Several players, such as Paolo Maldini, Pavel Nedved, Neymar, and Cristiano Ronaldo, are known for their ability to use both feet effectively in the game.

Who are the most two-footed players in football history? As kids, we were always told to use our weaker foot as much as possible and it was imperative to be able to use both feet.

While it's an obvious advantage, it's not imperative. Arguably the greatest player of all time, Lionel Messi, is unashamedly one-footed. Okay, he's more than capable of using his right foot but you wouldn't call him two-footed.

He certainly doesn't make our list of the 20 most two-footed players in football history. We've spent a lot of time thinking of the most ambidextrous players in football.

It was a tough task compiling 20 players, let alone putting them in the correct order. There are no doubt players we've missed out and we've no doubt upset you all with the order. If so, be sure to let us know in the Facebook comments section.

But here is our ranking of the 20 most two-footed players ever.

20 Adam Lallana

Adam Lallana celebrates for Brighton

No offence to Lallana but he's lucky to be on this list. Not because he's not two-footed - because he's brilliant with both feet - but because he's not quite as legendary as the other 19 players. To his credit, the Brighton man can go either way and must be a nightmare to defend against.

19 Toni Kroos

Toni Kroos of Real Madrid reacts

Both Kroos and his Real Madrid midfield partner, Luka Modric, were both considered in this list but we've given it to the German. He's capable of splitting a defence - or scoring a goal - with either foot.

18 Paolo Maldini

Paolo Maldini

Maldini was left-footed, wasn't he? Well, according to reports the legendary Italian was actually right-footed. Remarkable. Maldini is one of the best defenders of his generation, making 902 appearances for AC Milan during his illustrious career.

17 Pavel Nedved

Serie A - Livorno V Juventus

Nedved is a forgotten Ballon d'Or winner having claimed the award in 2003. He was naturally right-footed (we think) but was brilliant with either.

16 Neymar

Neymar

Another player who is an absolute nightmare to defend. Will he go right? Will he go left? It doesn't matter to the Brazilian because he'll make you look silly either way.

15 Diogo Jota

Diogo Jota Liverpool goal vs West Ham

It's unfair that Jota is equally capable of scoring with his right foot, his left foot AND his head. If ever there was a player made to score a perfect hat-trick, it's Jota.

Jota explained his skill by saying: “When I was young I was playing in midfield on the left for Gondomar in a 4-3-3. I was always the number eight playing to the left. So I always used my left foot because it was required.

“I don’t know, I just feel that I do certain things better with the left foot With the right, I am more powerful. But I am more accurate with the left."

14 Alfredo Di Stefano

Alfredo Di Stefano with Real Madrid

We can't say we ever actually watched Di Stefano live but he's been described as "the most complete player to have graced the game." Watching clips of him, it's clear the Real Madrid legend was very two-footed.

13 Johan Cruyff

Again, one of the greatest players to have ever played the game - helped by the fact Cruyff was so two-footed. He was two-footed that he turned down the opportunity to cross the ball with his right foot in the 1974 World Cup game against Sweden, instead producing a 'Cruyff turn' to get the ball back onto his left.

12 Wesley Sneijder

Wesley Sneijder thanks the fans

From one Dutch legend to another. Okay, Sneijder may not be in the argument when it comes to the greatest players of all time but he's certainly one of the most two-footed players of all time.

11 Pele

Pele

Many believe Pele is the GOAT. Again, we weren't fortunate enough to witness the legendary Brazilian but a simple YouTube search will show you that he scored goals with both feet.

10 George Best

George Best

We all know the Best was left-footed but he was another legendary player who could use both. The story of how he became so two-footed is a good one. Best first started playing for his local youth club, Cregagh Boys in east Belfast, at the age of 13. The team was run by Bud McFarlane who suggested Best played with his right foot too much. Best listened and concentrated on never touching the ball with his right foot for the following training sessions.

When he turned up for the next match, he brought only one boot with him, his left one. George put the boot on and wore a plimsoll on his right foot. He scored 12 goals in the game and never once used his right foot to kick the ball.

9 Ivan Perisic

Ivan Perisic of FC Internazionale celebrates

On his Tottenham debut, Perisic wowed fans by taking set pieces with both his right and left foot. Only special two-footed players can do that and the Croatian is certainly special in that sense. He's also scored penalties with both feet during his career.

8 Pedro

Pedro with the CL trophy

The former Barcelona and Chelsea maybe didn't have the power with both feet but he was equally capable of scoring with his left or right. Very ambidextrous.

7 Cristiano Ronaldo

cristiano ronaldo

Ronaldo may not be quite as accurate with his weaker left foot as others on this list but he's certainly got the power. We've seen the Portuguese superstar smash in 30-yarders with his weaker foot before. Not many can do that.

6 Diego Forlan

Atletico Madrid´s Diego Forlan celebrates scoring against Getafe.

After arriving in England with Manchester United, Forlan couldn't score with either foot. But later in his career with the likes of Villarreal and Atletico Madrid - as well as with Uruguay in various tournaments - we realised that Forlan is incredibly two-footed and a fantastic finisher. We're still not actually sure what foot he is...

Forlan once explained how he trained to become both feet when he said: "Even as a kid, I'd kick a tennis ball against a wall with both feet for hours. That was one way to become two-footed."

5 Son Heung-Min

Son Heung-min in action for Tottenham vs Crystal Palace

The amount of times we've seen Son cut in from the right wing and curl one into the top corner with his left foot, it's easy to be forgiven for thinking the South Korean was actually left-footed. It's not until he takes free kicks and penalties with his right that you realise what foot he actually is.

4 Kevin De Bruyne

Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne after being substituted due to injury

Everyone knows that De Bruyne is right-footed but there's probably not a better shooter with his 'weak' foot in the world. If the Belgian is lining up from 20/25 yards with his left foot, you better watch out. He hits with so much power and accuracy it's unreal. He once scored a hat-trick of left-footed strikes for Manchester City against Wolves. The reason he's reportedly so good with his left foot is actually a funny story.

Kristof Terreur, a Belgian journalist, has explained how neighbours banned him from using his right foot. The result? An equally strong left foot. He tweeted: "Kicks with left & right. When De Bruyne was a kid, his neighbour forbid him to use his right foot because he was destroying grass & flowers."

3 Ousmane Dembele

Barcelona's Ousmane Dembele celebrates.

Can we bring your attention to an interview with Dembele when he was at Rennes. It went something like this:

Reporter: "Are you right or left footed?"

Dembele: "Hmmmm left-footed."

Reporter: "Sure? Because you also score with your right foot."

Dembele: "Yeah, I'm more left-footed yeah."

Reporter: "Don't you take penalties with your right foot?"

Dembele: "Hmmm yeah."

Reporter: "Why?"

Dembele: "Because I shoot better with my right foot."

So Dembele is left-footed but shoots stronger with his right foot. Okay then...

2 Zinedine Zidane

Zinedine Zidane in action for France vs Brazil at 2006 World Cup

Zidane deserves to be this high up on the list purely because of THAT left-footed volley in the Champions League final for Real Madrid. The Frenchman was as technically gifted with his left as he was with his right.

1 Santi Cazorla

Arsenal v Hull City - Premier League

One clip alone sums up just how two-footed Cazorla was. He was getting ready to take a corner for Arsenal with his right foot when he was told to produce an inswinger. No need to bring across a left-footed player because Cazorla just switched sides and whipped it in with his 'weaker' foot. What a baller.

Cazorla's ability to use both feet actually came following an injury to his right ankle. “I have always preferred the right foot, ever since I was younger,” he said.” I was a little bit hurt in my right ankle once, and that is when I started to use my left foot a lot more.

“Being able to use both feet is something that came quite naturally to me ever since I started playing. However, it is something I continuously work on in a very strong manner to ensure that my level never gets any lower.

“Everything comes from a base of hard work. After training sessions I would stay an extra half-an-hour and kick the ball against the wall with my weaker foot over and over again to make sure it becomes stronger and better. Players should remember that everything comes from hard work.”