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A plethora of fine players have graced the game of football over the years. However, only a select few have been two-footed, an attribute that makes these players truly unique.
While many top football players can score off their wrong foot, most do not prefer to do so, simply because they are not proficient enough. An example in this regard is Argentine maestro Lionel Messi, who is renowned for his magical left foot but rarely scores with his other foot.
Ten best active two-footed players
True two-footed players can not only score but can also produce unerring passes, crosses, and make dribbles with either foot, with no discernible difference. It is an attribute that adds to their unpredictability quotient. On that note, let us have a look at the ten best active two-footed players at the moment.
#10 Santi Cazorla
Arsenal and Villareal legend Santi Cazorla is one of the finest two-footed football players still active at the moment.
During an injury-plagued stint at Arsenal, the player was out of action for large swathes of time. But when he was on the field, he mesmerized with his speed and creativity while also impressing with his crossing and shooting prowess with either foot.
In fact, Arsenal's long-standing manager Arsene Wenger once proclaimed that he had no idea which was Cazorla's stronger foot, he was so strong off both.
"Glenn Hoddle was like that — you could not say if he was left or right footed. And Santi Cazorla is similar on that front — I don’t remember anyone else I have worked with who was two-footed as much as those two. Santi is right footed but when you watch him play you don’t know. It shows how important that is in the modern midfield," said Wenger about Cazorla.
On his return to Villareal in 2018, Cazorla dazzled in the colors of his first professional club, producing ten assists apiece in two seasons while scoring 15 goals before leaving the club this summer to try his luck in Qatar.
#9 Ousmane Dembele
Ousmane Dembele has largely failed to live up to his enormous price tag since arriving at Barcelona in the summer of 2017.
Nevertheless, the French winger can play on both wings due to his proficiency with either foot. That coupled with his speed, technical ability and tactical awareness, ensured that great things were expected of Dembele at the Camp Nou, where he has had an injury-riddled stint.
Widely tipped to leave Barcelona this summer, Dembele managed to stay put at the club and has provided Ronald Koeman a glimpse of his ability with the French international already tripling his goals count from last season.
The player's attributes have helped him earn praise from none other than Barcelona captain Lionel Messi, who opined that Dembele has the wherewithal to be one of the best players in the world.
"On the pitch he's a phenomenon. It's up to him where he ends up, he could be one of the best. He's young and he is adapting," said Messi.
#8 Pedro
Pedro burst through the ranks at Barcelona and made his mark as a precocious player under Pep Guardiola as the then-21-year-old became the first player to score in six different competitions in the same season and also the same year.
Renowned for his speed, versatility and two-footedness, Pedro scored a lot of goals and won a plethora of trophies at the Camp Nou before joining Chelsea in 2016, where he proved to be less prolific, though.
Now at AS Roma, his time coaching Pedro is fondly recalled by Guardiola for his lethal goal-scoring prowess near the penalty box.
"I have to thank him, he made me a better manager. Near the box, he's a killer."
#7 Ivan Perisic
Ivan Perisic, one of the key players of Croatia's second 'golden generation', is renowned for his two-footedness and versatility that allows him to be deployed across a bevvy of positions in the attacking third.
Perisic won the continental treble with Bayern Munich last season, scoring in the Round of 16 win against Chelsea and the 7-1 defeat of Barcelona in the quarter-finals.
Inter Milan manager Antonio Conte has praised Perisic, who has returned to the Nerazzurri at the end of last season, for his professionalism and enthusiasm on the field.
"Now he's back, with great determination to play for Inter and help us out, to put himself at the service of the team, and I am happy that he's got this desire. Also, because when you've got this kind of determination, this enthusiasm, this desire, in the end everything gets easier for the coach."
#6 Mason Greenwood
Mason Greenwood may only be a 19-year-old player, but one wouldn't say so if they consider his exploits for Manchester United last season that belied his young age.
Greenwood scored ten Premier League goals last season to help his club finish a creditable third after an indifferent start to the season.
The player has no weaker foot, is versatile and has a knack for scoring goals, which has helped him earn high praise from his manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
“Mason is different class in and around the box. He's a special goalscoring talent, a special kid that we're going to see lots more of in the years to come. It’s just so natural for him. If you open your legs, he shoots through you. If you close your legs, he shoots round you. He can go on his right or left," eulogised Solskjaer about the prodigy.
#5 Cristiano Ronaldo
Perhaps, it could surprise many to find Cristiano Ronaldo, arguably one of the greatest players of all time, in fifth place on this list.
The Portugal captain, who has scored goals and won trophies galore, is renowned for his metronomic scoring ability with either foot and is still going strong at Juventus despite celebrating his 35th birthday earlier this year.
Ronaldo has had a stop-start 2020-21 campaign, missing a few games for Juventus after testing positive for COVID-19. Nevertheless, he racked up 100 international goals for Portugal this season and has already scored six Serie A goals in 2020-21 as he looks forward to winning the Copacannoniere that has eluded him the last two seasons.
New Juventus manager Andrea Pirlo understands the importance of Ronaldo in his team and said as much in a recent interview.
"Ronaldo is a key player not only for us but for all the teams he has played for."
#4 Kevin De Bruyne
In a Manchester City team brimming with talent in all positions, Kevin De Bruyne is the tireless midfield dynamo that keeps the City engine purring.
Renowned for his incredible passing ability, two-footedness, dribbling, goal-creating and goal-scoring prowess, the Belgian player is indispensable to Pep Guardiola's first team.
Unsurprisingly, Guardiola had nothing but high praise for the crown jewel in his star-studded team when he recently talked about De Bruyne.
"He is a masterclass player, one of the best players I have ever trained in my life," said Guardiola in a new documentary about De Bruyne's career, 'Made in Belgium' by City TV.
#3 Neymar
Undoubtedly one of the finest players on the planet, Neymar may have seen his stock plummet since leaving Barcelona but remains a key player for club and country.
The PSG and Brazil striker rose through the ranks at Brazilian club Santos before dazzling in Barcelona colors, forming one of the most fearsome attacking triumvirates in world football with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.
Renowned for his pace, goal-scoring and goal-creating ability with either foot and set-piece prowess, Neymar hasn't scored goals by the truckloads since arriving at PSG but has played an integral part in the club's recent successes.
PSG manager Thomas Tuchel recently spoke about Neymar's positive impact at the club.
"There are a lot of words to describe Neymar. But the best way of describing him is to watch the games. He is very decisive for us, he closes spaces, he defends. He is the leader we hoped for and it's a really good time for him. The challenge is to keep going, to employ the same effort, the way of working and the mindset."
#2 Son Heung-Min
Son Heung-Min is widely regarded as one of the best wide players in the world at the moment.
The first Asian player to score 50 goals in the Premier League has been in blistering form for Tottenham Hotspur this season, scoring eight goals in as many games while striking up a devastating partnership with club captain Harry Kane up front.
Min, who is renowned for his powerful and accurate shooting off either foot, explosive pace and immaculate positional awareness, has blossomed under the tutelage of Jose Mourinho, who is impressed by the South Korean international's attributes and work ethic.
"Everybody at the club is totally in love with this player and this boy and is trying also to make him feel part of the furniture. He cannot do more than what he does. Season after season after season, Sonny is showing how good he is," said Mourinho about Son Heung-Min.
#1 Diogo Jota
Diogo Jota has undoubtedly been one of the hottest players in the fledgling 2020-21 season.
Jota has hit the ground running at reigning Premier League champions Liverpool, already endearing himself to the club faithful by scoring seven goals in all competitions.
The Portuguese winger, who has also been prolific for his country this season, recently entered the history books by becoming one of few players to have scored hat-tricks in both the Europa League and the Champions League.
Diogo Jota is renowned for his versatility and lack of a weaker foot, attributes that allow him to flourish in a plethora of positions in the attacking third.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is impressed with his new signing and tipped him to accomplish great things at the club when he said that Jota could take Liverpool to the next level.
"We think we can help him (Jota) reach the level, like he can help us reach the next level because of his quality."
