You’ll often hear a footballer being described as a ‘complete’ player, but everyone probably has a slightly different understanding of the term. Marco van Basten, for example, was an extremely complete centre-forward, in the sense that he possessed virtually every key attribute expected of a world class centre-forward.
We’re not talking about just complete forwards or complete midfielders here though, but rather, the most complete players, that is to say, players with the most comprehensive and versatile skill sets. A good, albeit not faultless test, is to say how would the player fair in every outfield position. An exceptionally complete footballer would most likely pass that test with flying colours.
It’s worth reiterating, the most complete footballer isn’t necessarily the best footballer. To give a contemporary example, most people would agree – I think – that Neymar is a better footballer than Joshua Kimmich, but the Brazilian has a very specific skill set, whilst Kimmich is more complete, and would look comfortable in just about any position. Conversely, there might be some utility player who played in the third tier for most of their careers and was mediocre in every aspect of their game, but they are not going to make this seven. So completeness does take into account the level of competence with regard to each attribute as well.
Finally, the words ‘of all time’ mean just that, so if you are one of those people with a tendency to complain about anyone pre-2005 featuring in a video, you might as well leave now….
Right, here are my views on the 7 most complete footballers of all time:
7. Didi
Getting us started in seventh place is one of the finest midfielders to have ever lived. Brazilian legend Didi was an incredibly versatile footballer who could play anywhere from holding midfield to just off a centre-forward. In the Brazil team, with whom he won two World Cup’s, he operated in tangent with Zito in a two-man midfield in a 4-2-4 formation, with Zito the more conservative midfield operator and Didi doing the jobs of two midfielders.
A masterful technician, Didi’s finest attribute was quite possibly his vision and range of passing. He was also a tireless midfield runner with a terrific engine, he was smart, sharp in the tackle and seriously prolific. Didi scored 51 goals in 150 games for Fluminense, 40 goals from 64 games for Botafogo and 20 from 68 for Brazil.
The only attributes Didi really lacked were searing pace and real aerial prowess. He is undoubtedly one of the game’s most complete players, one of football’s greatest ever playmakers, and the 1958 World Cup Golden Ball winner takes seventh place here.
6. Mario Coluna
Portuguese soccer player Mario Coluna (1935 – 2014) of SL Benfica browsing through vinyls at a record shop, UK, 14th June 1968.
Another exceptional midfielder but of the generation following Didi’s, Mario Coluna is one of the most underrated players the game has ever seen. He too could play anywhere through the spine of a midfield, and whilst he wasn’t as skilled on the ball or as incisive in the pass as Didi, he was quicker, stronger, better in the air and slightly superior defensively.
A classical box-to-box midfielder, Coluna had iron lungs, quick feet and a brilliant understanding of the game. Born in Mozambique, like his Portugal and Benfica team mate Eusebio, Coluna had that all too rare ability to just glide past players. He could have played in any position, but central midfield was perfect, maximising Coluna’s impact upon a game. He made the World Soccer World XI in 1963, 1964, 1965 and 1966.
5. Valentino Mazzola
All of our first three entrants in this seven have been midfield players, and perhaps that should come as little surprise. Whilst forwards are primarily geared towards attacking duties and defenders towards defending, it is somewhat natural that the most complete footballers in the history of the game have tended to operate in midfield, and particularly the centre of midfield, which requires a much more varied array of talents.
Valentino Mazzola is the most attack-minded player in this seven so far, spending most of his career in attacking midfield and occasionally even playing as a forward. He was renowned for his ability to play in any position though, thanks in no small part to his almost unique footballing intellect, and he did at times play in both defensive midfield and as a full-back.
Quick, good on the ball, brilliant in the air, a force in the tackle, prolific in front of goal and capable of running a game in midfield thanks to his vision and work rate, Mazzola wasn’t a jack of all trades and a master of none, he was a master of all trades. He was the talisman of the all-conquering Grande Torino side that died in the Superga air disaster. Mazzola was 30 at the time.
4. Frank Rijkaard
Ex FC Barcelona trainer Frank Rijkaard during the La Liga match between FC Barcelona v Celta de Vigo at Camp Nou Stadium on December 2, 2017 in Barcelona, Spain.
A number of our honourable mentions are Dutch, but the only man from the Netherlands to make our sevens proper is Frank Rijkaard. A student of the game and a marvellous footballer, Frank Rijkaard would have been one of the best players in the world had he played at right-back or as a centre-forward.
During a 15 year career with Ajax and AC Milan, Rijkaard played predominantly as a defensive midfielder, and he was the best defensive midfielder in the world. At times, he played more advanced, as a box-to-box player or a deep-lying playmaker, and occasionally even in attacking midfield. Later in his career, after returning to Ajax, he dropped even deeper into the role of sweeper, where he acted as the glue that held Ajax’s 1995 Champions League winning side together, Rijkaard’s third triumph in that competition.
Defensively brilliant, Rijkaard was a wonderful athlete and reader of the game, but he was also elegant, a fine technician and a really good passer of the ball. He has to make this seven and we think fourth is just right.
3. Franz Beckenbauer
From Frank to Franz, it’s another man who operated primarily as either a sweeper or defensive midfielder in third. Franz Beckenbauer began his career as a central midfielder, becoming one of the finest midfielders in the world. Incredibly though, he would reach new heights as a sweeper, a role he is often credited with inventing, and certainly a role that hasn’t been played with as much grace, skill or genius since the German legend hung up his boots.
A top 10 player of all time as far as we’re concerned, there was very little Franz Beckenbauer couldn’t do on a football pitch. Although he very rarely played further forward than central midfield, there can be little doubt that Beckenbauer would’ve been brilliant in any position. He was as good a technician as just about any attacking midfielder or forward, he was a world class playmaker and he was a brilliant striker of the ball.
A truly great footballer and the third most complete in the sports history for us.
2. John Charles
13th June 1958: Welsh centre-forward John Charles (left) makes an attack on the Mexican goal during the Wales-Mexico World Cup match in Stockholm. The match ended in a 1-1 draw.
Both the top two and the top three in this seven were always pretty much set in stone, but there could be a debate to be had between the top two. Our runner-up is John Charles, and by this stage of this kind of seven I have just about run out of superlatives. I’d best muster up some for the Gentle Giant though, who is the only man in the sports history to rank as one of the greatest players in two different positions.
To look at John Charles, one might fall into the trap of thinking he was a bit of bruiser. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Although brilliant in the air, it was Charles’ timing and heading technique as much as his size that made him such a dominant header of the ball. Primarily though, John Charles was a first class technician, who always sought to play football the right way.
Having begun his career at centre-back, Leeds United eventually moved the Welshman to centre-forward. Impenetrable at the back and unstoppable going forward, Charles was once elected into a World XI at both centre-half and centre-forward. A giant of a man both off and on the pitch, John Charles was almost the complete footballer. The only attributes where he falls slightly short of some of the others in this seven perhaps is his passing.
0. Honourable Mentions
We will have to be terse here, as is so often the case, since there are simply too many fantastically versatile and well-rounded players to mention them all. We’ll start with a trio of Dutchmen, namely Ruud Gullit, Ruud Krol and Johan Neeskens. From England, we have to mention the great Sir Bobby Charlton and more recently Steven Gerrard, both of whom spent most of their careers in quite attacking box-to-box midfield roles but had a bit of everything. Perhaps England’s most complete footballer though was Duncan Edwards, who was a powerful defensive midfielder but also an excellent technician and passer of the ball, before his death in the tragic Munich air disaster aged only 21.
Going back further we should mention Brazilian great Zizinho, whose defensive attributes weren’t quite strong enough to see him feature, but as either a forward or midfielder he was the complete package. Hungarian legend Josef Bozsik came close to featuring, as did fellow central or holding midfielder Lothar Matthaus.
In more recent times, as well as Steven Gerrard who we’ve already mentioned, we should pay homage to Patrick Vieira and Yaya Toure. Toure in particular went from winning a Champions League final playing as a centre-back at Barcelona, to scoring 24 goals in a single season at Man City. That is quite incredible.
Further honourable mentions go to the likes of Laurent Blanc, Paul Breitner, Michael Essien, Javier Zanetti, Philipp Lahm and many more.
In terms of current players, Roberto Firmino is probably the first name that springs to mind, along with maybe Joshua Kimmich at Bayern, Saul at Atletico Madrid and Radja Nainggolan at Inter Milan, but go ahead and let us know your suggestions in the comments.
Before that though, here is your top spot…
1. Alfredo Di Stefano
25th October 1960: Spanish footballer Alfredo di Stefano, one of the world’s greatest forwards, spinning a ball on one finger during Spain’s team practice at Roehampton in preparation for…
There is a case to be made for John Charles, who was undoubtedly better defensively than Alfredo Di Stefano, but the Argentine genius is still the right choice in my book. Di Stefano began his career as a centre-forward, but he started life in a magnificent River Plate side renowned for their transitions in play and having forwards who could drop off making them impossible for defenders to pick up.
Di Stefano took that to a new extreme, particularly later in his career and after he signed for Real Madrid in 1953. Di Stefano could play anywhere on a football pitch, and we know this because invariably, he did, in every game. At his best, Di Stefano would drop all the way into defensive midfield, sometimes almost into the position of a sweeper, where he could beat players with power, skill or an inch-perfect pass.
He is one of the finest technicians and readers of the game to have ever played the sport, and despite operating so deep for much of his career, he still averaged a goal a game at his best. Finding a weakness in the Real legends game is not easy. Despite not being the tallest, Di Stefano was still good in the air. He was quick, strong, a tireless runner, considered and accurate in the pass, lethal in front of goal, quick to close players down and win the ball back… I could go on. If one was being incredibly panickety, Di Stefano didn’t possess a particularly powerful shot, but that didn’t matter too much when he could find the corner of the net with his weak foot in his sleep.
For our money, the most complete footballer of all time has to be Alfredo Di Stefano.
That’s it for today’s video. My apologies if I sound like I have a cold, that is because I do, but there’s no rest with 150,000 subscribers out there with an appetite for mildly entertaining football content. Thanks for watching, give us a like if you enjoyed the video and please do join those 150,000+ subscribers if you haven’t already.
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