6 Of The Best-Ever Wingers In Soccer History

Stanley Matthews

Stanley Matthews was a great winger and English soccer player. Matthews played most of his soccer for Blackpool, where he won the FA Cup with the club in 1953. His outstanding dribbling in this FA Cup game went some way to securing the match win, and the cup final became known as the Matthews Final. At the international level, Matthews was a regular player in the England team and played in the 1954 World Cup. Matthews continued playing for England into his 40s and set a record for the oldest player to play for England.

George Best

Best was a great Man Utd player who provided plenty of goals from the wing. He played most of his club soccer with Manchester Utd, where he was a key player in the Utd European Cup-winning team. Here, he scored a couple of goals in the final to help them win the European Cup in 1968. Best was also named European Footballer of the Year. At the national level, Best never played in the World Cup, but few will doubt that he’s the best player to have played for Northern Ireland.

Garrincha (Manuel Francisco dos Santos)

Garrincha is a legend of Brazilian soccer comparable to Pelé, who won the FIFA World Cup for Brazil in 1958 and 1962. He was a winger with extraordinarily unpredictable dribbling prowess, fantastic creativity, and rapid acceleration that made him almost unstoppable on the right flank. When Pelé got injured in 1962, Garrincha rose to the occasion by scoring crucial goals against England and Chile in the quarter-finals and semi-finals.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Although more of a forward for Real Madrid, Ronaldo played as a winger during his earlier years for Sporting CP and Manchester Utd. He won Premier League titles and the European Cup at Manchester Utd and received the Ballon d’Or in 2008 when he was more of a winger. His explosive pace and flamboyant dribbling were the hallmarks of all great wingers. Ronaldo’s finishing and goalscoring prowess were all the more impressive for a winger, so he became a forward at Real Madrid. Ronaldo has scored a phenomenal 964 goals in club and international soccer, a total that continues to increase today.

End Of My Best Wingers In Soccer History Rant

These are six great soccer wingers. Players such as Best, Matthews, Ronaldo, Giggs, Garrincha, and Messi were wingers who could score plenty of goals as well as assist the forwards from the left or right flanks. They were some of the most exciting players to grace the game with dazzling ball skills that enthralled the fans.