Best Right Backs of All Time — Ranked by Card
Philipp Lahm and Lilian Thuram top this list at 92 — one the most intelligent full-back of the modern era, the other the most physically complete. Cafu follows at 91 with two World Cup winner’s medals, and Dani Alves at 90 with more trophies than any footballer in history. Here’s the top twelve and the reasoning behind each number.
The top twelve right backs
| Score | Legend | Pool | Era |
|---|---|---|---|
| 92 | Philipp Lahm | Germany | 2004–2014 |
| 92 | Lilian Thuram | France | 1994–2008 |
| 91 | Cafu | Brazil | 1990–2006 |
| 90 | Dani Alves | Barcelona | 2008–2016 |
| 89 | Carlos Alberto | Brazil | 1964–1977 |
| 88 | Djalma Santos | Brazil | 1952–1968 |
| 87 | Achraf Hakimi | PSG | 2021–present |
| 87 | Dani Carvajal | Real Madrid | 2013–present |
| 86 | Gary Neville | Man United | 1992–2011 |
| 85 | Berti Vogts | Germany | 1967–1978 |
| 84 | Manuel Amoros | Marseille | 1987–1991 |
| 84 | Lee Dixon | Arsenal | 1988–2002 |
Thuram appears here and in the defenders ranking because he played half his career at centre-back — including the 1998 World Cup semi-final, where he scored the only two international goals of his 142 caps.
How full backs are rated
Vikto’s DEF position covers every outfield defender, so a right back is rated against centre-backs on the same scale. That sounds unfair and isn’t, because the impact component is position-normalised: a full back is measured on the attacking output the role demands as well as the defending, which is why Dani Alves and Cafu rate as highly as some centre-halves.
Honours are worth 40 points, weighted by difficulty. Impact is 40. Global recognition is 20 — and it’s the component that separates Carlos Alberto, remembered for one goal in one final, from technically comparable contemporaries.
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Why Lahm leads
Because he was the best player on the pitch in two positions in the same tournament run. Lahm captained Germany to the 2014 World Cup, won the 2013 Champions League with Bayern, and spent his last seasons being moved into central midfield by Guardiola — who called him the most intelligent player he ever coached.
Thuram’s 92 is built differently: 142 caps, more than any French player, a World Cup and a Euro, and the versatility to be first choice at right back and centre-back for a decade.
Cafu at 91 has the achievement neither of them does — a World Cup winner in 1994 and 2002, captain in the second, and the only player to appear in three consecutive finals.
Who is missing
The list covers eleven pools. The absent ones are heavily Italian and Dutch, which for this position means more than usual.
No Italy or Milan pool means no Giuseppe Bergomi, no Gianluca Zambrotta and no Mauro Tassotti. No Netherlands means no Wim Suurbier. Liverpool would add Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose card would rank inside the top six on creative output alone.
Bidding on a full back
Defensive matches are the flattest in the game — this list runs from 92 to 84, where the attacking pools run from 99 to the mid-70s. That changes the maths completely.
When the best card in the deck is worth eight points more than the twelfth, paying double for it is a clear error, and the player who spreads a $250M budget usually leaves with the better squad. Remember that the moment you own three cards, everything left goes to your opponent — so the disciplined bidder in a defensive match is very hard to beat.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the best right back of all time?
Vikto rates Philipp Lahm and Lilian Thuram level at 92. Cafu’s two World Cup wins make him the strongest challenger at 91.
Where does Dani Alves rank?
Fourth, at 90 — the most decorated footballer in history by trophy count, with a rating held down by how much of it came inside dominant teams.
Are full backs rated against centre-backs?
Yes. Vikto uses three positions, and impact is normalised so attacking output counts for a full back the way clean sheets do for a centre-half.
Why isn’t Trent Alexander-Arnold on the list?
Liverpool isn’t a pool yet. He’d rank inside the top six when it lands.
Can I pick a right back specifically?
Not directly — a defensive match draws six cards from a pool’s twelve defenders, full backs and centre-backs together.
More rankings: best left backs of all time, best defenders of all time, best soccer players of all time. Every pool on the legends hub.
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