The 11 Best Two-Footed Players of All Time
- Think Football Ideas
- Aug 13
- 5 min read
Whenever a footballer smashes a thunderbolt into the net with one foot and, moments later, caresses a perfect pass with the other, you can’t help but stop and ask: Wait… which one is their strong foot? That mystery is part of the magic.
Over time, watching these players becomes an optical illusion. This is when you start guessing and second-guessing, until you give up trying to figure it out. For defenders, that’s the nightmare: there’s no “weaker side” to show them onto, no predictable pattern to exploit.
These ambidextrous artists treat both feet as equal partners, shaping the game with a rare balance of control, vision, and technique. And in football history, a select few have elevated this skill into pure sorcery.
Below Are The 11 Best Two-Footed Players of All Time
1. Johan Cruyff
Cruyff’s two-footed brilliance wasn’t about raw power, it was about making the pitch his personal chessboard. He could glide past defenders with either foot, often turning them inside out before they knew which way to pivot.
His legendary “Cruyff Turn” worked on both sides, keeping opponents permanently unsettled. To watch Cruyff in motion was to see football’s geometry played out in real time, with his left and right feet working in seamless harmony.
2. Zinedine Zidane
When you think of Zidane, your mind probably flashes to that Champions League final volley he struck sweetly with his left foot. But the French maestro was equally capable of unlocking defences with his right.
Zidane moved with a dancer’s grace, manipulating the ball with either foot to create time, space, and magic where none seemed possible. He made ambidexterity feel like a natural extension of his genius, not a skill he had to force.
3. Santi Cazorla
Cazorla was so balanced on both sides that his teammates sometimes forgot which foot he preferred. Corners, free-kicks, penalties, and through-balls, he’d happily switch between feet mid-game without breaking rhythm.
His secret weapon wasn’t raw speed, but the sheer unpredictability of his delivery. Defenders could only guess, and they were usually wrong. Watching him at his best felt like seeing a painter swap brushes mid-stroke and still create a masterpiece.
4. Kevin De Bruyne
The Belgian playmaker Kevin De Bruyne, the Premier League's second-highest assist provider of all time with 119, can split a defence with a pass from either side, and when he chooses to shoot, it doesn’t matter which boot he uses; the ball is usually destined for the bottom corner.
There’s plenty of evidence for this, including his left-footed hat-trick against Wolves. But in the 2017–18 campaign, when Chelsea hosted the Cityzens, De Bruyne exchanged a crisp one-two with Jesus and then drilled a left-foot rocket past Courtois to seal a 1–0 win for Man City.
In that moment, you could have sworn his left foot was his predominant one. De Bruyne’s two-footed ability isn’t a party trick; it’s woven into every pass, cross, and strike he makes.
5. Sir Bobby Charlton
For Sir Bobby Charlton, ambidexterity was as natural as breathing. Whether driving a shot into the top corner or delivering a precise cross-field pass, both feet carried the same authority.
He's the greatest Man United forward in history, and his thunderous strikes could come from anywhere, forcing keepers to stay alert no matter which way he shaped up. In an era before detailed footedness stats, Charlton’s unpredictability was his greatest advantage.
6. Pedro
Pedro has long been one of football’s understated chameleons. On either flank, he could cut in or go wide, always able to strike or pass with confidence on both sides.
His goals often came from situations where his marker expected him to switch back to his “strong” foot, but Pedro would happily surprise them. It’s a skill set that allowed him to thrive in different leagues and tactical systems.
7. Pelé
Brazil’s “O Rei” was more than a footballer, he was a living symbol of the beautiful game. For all of Pelé’s fame, his two-footed ability is sometimes underappreciated.
Bursting onto the world stage as a 17-year-old in the 1958 World Cup, Pelé went on to claim an unmatched three world titles with Brazil (1958, 1962, 1970).
Whether it was a delicate chip or a driven finish, his left and right worked as equals. Add to that his aerial dominance, and defenders found there was no safe way to mark him.
He was a three-time World Cup winner, and his adaptability in front of goal made him one of the most complete forwards the game has ever seen.
8. Paolo Maldini
Paolo Maldini’s mastery with both feet made him one of the most adaptable defenders in history, equally at home at left-back or centre-back.
Spending all 25 seasons of his career with AC Milan, he amassed 902 appearances, won 26 trophies — including seven Serie A titles and five Champions League crowns — and captained both club and country with composure.
Nicknamed Il Capitano, his two-footed control allowed him to switch play effortlessly and defend from any angle, a key factor in reaching a record eight European Cup/Champions League finals. Even at 39, he claimed UEFA’s Best Defender award, before Milan retired his No. 3 shirt in his honour.
9. George Best
George Best was a nightmare for defenders because he had no weaker side. The Belfast-born Manchester United legend could surge down the right or left, switching feet in stride to create space or unleash a strike.
His dribbling was unpredictable. It was also a blur of balance, feints, and sudden changes of direction, and he could cross or shoot with equal venom from either foot. Forcing him wide or inside was futile; both routes led to trouble.
This ambidextrous brilliance, paired with pace and daring, made Best one of football’s most captivating attackers and a perfect fit for any “two-footed greats” list.
10. Neymar
Show Neymar onto his weaker side, and he’ll punish you anyway. Equally deadly with both feet, he can curl, drill, cross, or dribble either way, leaving defenders guessing.
That ambidexterity fuelled his rise from Santos’ Copa Libertadores triumph in 2011 to the trophy-laden MSN era at Barcelona, then on to PSG, where he became one of their all-time top scorers.
With over 400 goals and 250 assists for club and country, Brazil’s all-time top scorer has delivered on every stage, World Cups, Copa Américas, Olympics, always able to flip an attack in an instant, no matter which foot the ball is played with.
11. Alfredo Di Stéfano
Nicknamed La Saeta Rubia (“The Blond Arrow”), Alfredo Di Stéfano was as lethal with his left as with his right, and as complete a footballer as the game has seen.
He lit up Real Madrid’s golden era, scoring in five straight European Cup finals, including a hat-trick in the legendary 1960 Hampden Park showpiece.
His journey took him from River Plate to Millonarios in Colombia, before becoming Madrid’s heartbeat alongside Ferenc Puskás, netting 216 league goals in 282 games.
He represented Argentina, Colombia, and Spain, won two Ballon d’Ors (1957, 1959), and earned praise from legends like Pelé as “the best ever.” With two feet and an endless brilliance, Di Stéfano made the game his own.