Cristiano Ronaldo, Ruud Guillet, Ronald Koemann

The 12 Most Complete Football Players of All Time – Ranked

August 4, 2025 Rasmus Kristensen

In football history, only a few players have shown the rare combination of technical brilliance, tactical intelligence, physical dominance, and positional versatility. These players could control games from multiple areas of the pitch — and some could even do it all. Here are the 12 most complete footballers the game has ever seen.

12. Duncan Edwards

A true legend in the making, Duncan Edwards was only 21 when he tragically died in the 1958 Munich air disaster. Known for his immense strength, technical skill, and tactical awareness, Edwards could play anywhere on the field. Even at 17, Sir Matt Busby called him the most complete player he'd ever seen.

11. Frank Rijkaard

Rijkaard was more than just a defensive midfielder — he was a commanding presence with intelligence, physical power, and technical class. His ability to defend, dictate tempo, and even score goals made him a rare all-rounder. He played key roles at both Ajax and AC Milan.

10. Zinedine Zidane

Zidane made the game look effortless with his elegance and supreme technique. He controlled matches with his brain as much as with his feet, combining vision, calmness, and leadership. Few could match his mix of creativity and poise under pressure.

9. Clarence Seedorf

The only player to win the Champions League with three different clubs, Seedorf could do it all in midfield. He had intelligence, power, passing range, and a rocket of a shot. His ability to dominate games both defensively and offensively made him an elite all-around force.

8. Franz Beckenbauer

Beckenbauer revolutionized the role of the modern defender. Operating as a sweeper, he combined composure on the ball with sharp defensive instincts. He could start attacks from deep positions and is the only defender to win the Ballon d’Or twice.

7. Wayne Rooney

Rooney was a powerhouse forward who later evolved into a creative midfielder. Blessed with aggression, vision, technical ability, and scoring instinct, he was Manchester United’s heartbeat for over a decade. Few English players have matched his completeness across multiple roles.

6. Lionel Messi

While best known for his attacking brilliance, Messi is a complete footballer in every sense. He has unmatched dribbling, vision, goal-scoring, and passing ability. Despite lacking aerial strength, his intelligence, movement, and technical precision more than made up for it.

5. Johan Cruyff

Cruyff was the brain behind Total Football. A versatile forward with exquisite technique and tactical genius, he could glide past players, create space, and read the game like no other. His influence extended far beyond his playing days, shaping modern football.

4. Steven Gerrard

Gerrard embodied the complete midfielder: a leader, a tackler, a passer, and a goal threat. Known for his thunderous long-range strikes and incredible work rate, he could control games from deep or break into the box at the right moment. His 2005 Champions League heroics remain iconic.

3. Cristiano Ronaldo

One of the most physically dominant and skillful forwards ever, Ronaldo evolved from a flashy winger to a goal-scoring machine. With elite finishing, speed, aerial ability, and mental toughness, he has excelled in every major league and on the biggest international stages.

2. Ruud Gullit

Gullit could literally play anywhere — center-back, midfield, or attack — and excelled with elegance and power. Standing tall at 6'3", he combined physical dominance with sharp passing and technical finesse. His versatility made him impossible to predict or contain.

1. Ronald Koeman

Photo: Piotr Piatrouski / Shutterstock.com

Koeman was the ultimate all-around footballer. Though primarily a defender, he scored over 250 goals thanks to his deadly free kicks, vision, and tactical sense. He could build play from the back, lead a team, and change games with both brain and foot. The most complete of them all.