'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABgf/2gAIAQEAAAAAnQb/xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAC/9oACAECEAAAAH//xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAC/9oACAEDEAAAAF//xAAhEAACAgECBwAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMEBQAGERIiMUFxgf/aAAgBAQABPwDaGHp2aM+RoGUCKFumYkMhKueZSCRxDRHx21azkaWpkd7ZZXIJ++9f/8QAGBEAAgMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIAE2H/2gAIAQIBAT8AZRUp0z//xAAWEQADAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARH/2gAIAQMBAT8ArP/Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Football is a sport where being ambidextrous (two-footed) proves to be highly advantageous. When a player can control the ball with both feet, it makes him a dangerous opponent to go up against. While players like Lionel Messi have dominated the pitch with supreme footwork from just one foot, the list of footballers who could use their feet interchangeably is an exhaustive one.
While footballers do end up scoring from their weaker feet now and then, to be called a truly two-footed player, one has to be fully comfortable with both feet in seamlessly passing, dribbling and scoring goals.
Many highly talented footballers need that one extra touch to get the ball to their preferred foot but in high-stakes competitions, where even taking an extra touch can prove to be detrimental, being two-footed comes in handy.
For this list, we have only considered truly two-footed players and though Cristiano Ronaldo has the most left-footed goals in history, he won't be making it onto our list.
On that note, let's take a look at the five best two-footed players of all time.
Top 5 two-footed players of all time
#5 Glenn Hoddle
When talking about two-footed players, Glenn Hoddle is one of the first Premier League players that comes to mind. The former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder is considered to be one of the most gifted players of his generation and though he lacked pace, his ambidexterity and set-piece prowess made up for it.
Hoddle had a good career at club level but the same cannot be said about his outings with England as it just never worked out. He is believed to be one of the greatest players ever to don the Tottenham Hotspur jersey and being two-footed definitely helped him attain that status.
He said in an interview with FourFourTwo:
"The options that open up for you, all those angles, as a two-footed player are incredible, and I can speak from experience. I was lucky, I was naturally two-footed, but I also put in a lot of practice."
#4 George Best
George Best's incredible dribbling skills and two-footedness that gave him the ability to play anywhere in the final third with ease made him one of the greatest players of his generation.
The Northern Irish footballer was gifted with pace, fineness and, most importantly, was equally comfortable controlling the ball with either foot, which meant he could very easily get past defenders.
The 1968 European Footballer of the Year established his status as a Manchester United legend but off-the-field controversies and struggles with alcoholism caught up with him and as a result he never appeared in a major tournament final with the Northern Ireland national team.
Also See: Top 10 football players with the most fans in the world
#3 Paolo Maldini
The only defender that we can include in our list of all-time top two-footed players in AC Milan legend Paolo Maldini. The one-club man was active until the age of 41 and in his long career won everything there was to win at club level. But a lack of silverware for the national team is one blemish on his rather extraordinary career.
He made a name for himself for his pace, stamina and distribution skills as a full-back and when he later switched to a center-half role, his awareness and reading of the game helped him become one of the all-time greats.
When we talk about two-footed players, we mostly think of attackers and midfielders, basically creative players. But Maldini showed that being two-footed pays off in the defensive third as well.
#2 Zinedine Zidane
For all who were lucky enough to witness Zinedine Zidane in his prime, no other player could ever match his finesse, intricate ball-control and distribution skills. Watching him play was just so easy on the eye and he made everything look effortless.
Zidane developed as a classic No.10 during his spell at Juventus and it was in the Serie A that we came to know of his supreme talents on the ball. One of the reasons he was so great in close control and could wriggle out of tight spaces with ease was his two-footed nature.
He preferred his right foot but for shooting but could dribble equally well with his left and it was always a herculean task for his markers to guess which way the player is going to go or pass the ball. The lengthy list of honors speak for themselves and being two-footed definitely added another dimension to Zidane's playing style.
#1 Johan Cruyff
The concept of Total Football has been in existence since the 1950s but it was Johan Cruyff's incredible talent and the managerial brain of Rinus Michels that helped it reach its peak. He is the final player on our list of legendary two-footed players of all time.
Cruyff, though a centre-forward, was a complete footballer and could play in any position on the pitch. He could be seen clearing the ball behind the defensive line at one point and creating a goalscoring chance just the very next moment.
Cruyff was very highly gifted with pace, acceleration, dribbling skills and vision. All this, combined with his understanding of the pace and two-footed nature, made him a very tricky opponent to defend against. Having the ability to control the ball with both feet helped him perform the now-famous Cruyff Turn in the 1974 World Cup.
Also See: 10 highest paid players in La Liga this season (2020/21)
