Football
Top 10 Best Passers in the History of Football (Updated)
This list contains some of the biggest stars in football history.
Image Credits: LLUIS GENE/AFP via Getty Images
While on paper, making a pass may seem like a very easy job, but when you add in the match pressure, the crowd and opposition players closing you down and trying to win the ball off you any chance they get, it starts to sound a little difficult.
Although every footballer might make a plethora of passes throughout their careers, only a few in history have perfected the precision, weight and timing of the passes.
Goalscorers and goals take the headlines all the time but the pass that set up the goal should be equally respected and cherished. With the intensity of the game increasing day by day, the time footballers get is also reducing day by day, making great passes harder to come by.
Join us as we take a look at the best passers in football history, the best passers currently, the best passers in the top leagues around the world, goalkeepers with the best passing range and more.
Best passers in history
Xavi
Undoubtedly one of the best passers in football history is none other than Barcelona and Spain legend Xavi. Xavi had it all, be it a difficult through ball, switch of play, long-range cross-field pass, a cross or any set play.
Xavi was instrumental in both FC Barcelona’s and Spain’s success throughout his time with both teams, making a total of 767 appearances for the Blaugrana and earning a total of 133 caps for his national side.
Just like many other players mentioned on this list, Xavi has also transitioned to running the game from the sideline as a manager after retiring from his playing career.
Andrea Pirlo
We have all heard the story of how AC Milan let go of Andrea Pirlo because he was “too old”. But Pirlo joined Juventus at 32 and was nominated for the Best Player award in Italy in his first three seasons with the club. The story is absolutely true as Pirlo went on to win four successive Serie A titles with the club.
Pirlo ran the game for his team, controlling the tempo from a deep line position, and just like wine, his passing only got better with age.
Toni Kroos
Toni Kroos with trophies after the LaLiga EA Sports Game//Getty Images
Toni Kroos, at the age of just 34 retired from football. He was still one of the best midfielders in the world but decided to hang up his boots, winning the 2023-24 Champions League in his final match in club football.
Kroos will go down in history as one of the most underrated footballers of all time. The German midfielder has an insane CV, he has won the FIFA World Cup, six UEFA Champions League titles, six FIFA Club World Cup titles, five UEFA Super Cups, four LaLiga titles, three Bundesliga triumphs and a bucket load of other cup titles.
Kroos played near about his entire prime in his old Adidas 11pro football boots, which were released in early 2013. Kroos made the game look simple with his incredible close control, ability to dribble away from the opposition and always finding his teammates with his passes.
Andres Iniesta
Iniesta was one from Spain’s golden generation, who spent most of his career at FC Barcelona playing alongside Xavi and Lionel Messi. Interestingly, the Spanish midfielder retired at the age of 40 years in 2024, with UAE’s Emirates Club being his final club.
Talking about his career, who doesn't remember Andres Iniesta’s famous winning goal of the 2010 FIFA World Cup? But Iniesta is known for way more than just that goals. Iniesta has had a very successful career filled with trophies for both his club and national side. Iniesta was known for his short passes, link-up play and close dribbling skills.
Xabi Alonso
Xabi Alonso is another player on the list who turned into a fine manager after retiring from his playing career. Alonso led Bayer Leverkusen to a historic domestic double during the 2023-24 season, going the whole season unbeaten domestically. Leverkusen suffered just one loss in the entire season which was also in the final of the UEFA Europa League against Atlanta.
If we take the clock back a few years, Alonso was one of the best deep-line midfielders in the world, known for his passing and controlling the match's tempo. He played for some of the biggest clubs in the world like Real Madrid, Liverpool and Bayern Munich, winning the UEFA Champions League twice alongside a number of league and cup triumphs.
Alonso was also a part of Spain’s golden generation that won three international trophies between 2008 and 2012.
Best passers currently
Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi after winning his sixth Ballon D'Or award//Getty Images
Finishing? Dribbling? Passing? Lionel Messi has got it all in his locker. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is one of the greatest ever to play the beautiful game. The Argentine superstar has been flawless for almost all of his career and has won every trophy. Messi, currently holds the record for the most trophies won in football history (45).
Surprisingly, Lionel Messi is the only forward to feature on the list of the best passers in football history, all the remaining names on the list are midfielders. Messi’s link-up play and precision passing have always remained top-notch at both the club and international level throughout his long and illustrious career.
Kevin De Bruyne
Kevin De Bruyne//Getty Images
The Belgium star will go down in history as one of the greatest midfielders in English Premier League history, Despite having a fairly unsuccessful run with Chelsea early on in his career, De Bruyne rebuild his career in the Bundesliga with Wolfsburg, before joining Manchester City in the Premier League in 2015.
Many questioned the massive £55m transfer fee, but De Bruyne has proved his worth and has been worth every single penny the club paid for him. The Belgium international has lifted six Premier League titles, one Champions League and multiple cup trophies with the Cityzens.
Kevin De Bruyne has also established himself as one of the most technical and best passers in the league’s history. Despite making just over 200 appearances in the Premier League, De Bruyne is already 2nd in the all-time assists list, second just to Ryan Giggs.
The Manchester City star has also won the Playmaker award on three separate occasions (2017-18, 2019-20 and 2022-23), further providing evidence of De Bruyne being one of the best passers in football history.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold is often criticised for his lack of defensive qualities. But Trent’s ability on the ball is unmatched and unheard of from right-back ever in history. Alexander-Arnold has it all, be it long-range passing, through balls, crossing or set-piece ability.
The 26-year-old was given his breakthrough in the Liverpool side by former manager Jurgen Klopp. Since then, the right-back has developed a lot and become a key player of the club’s success and one of the best players in the world. The English right-back has registered 59 assists in the Premier League so far.
Bruno Fernandes
While many may consider Bruno Fernandes’ passing and play style a little wasteful, we all have heard the quote “If you don't take risks, you don't get anywhere”. That describes Fernandes’ playstyle quite perfectly, the Manchester United captain likes to take a lot of risks and they almost always pay off.
He has been the centre-piece of Manchester United and Portugal’s squad for quite some time now. His passing range, ability to spot a pass, weight of the pass and hunger for the game is unmatched in the world of football. He is one of the premium players in the English Premier League and looks set to captain Manchester United into a new era.
FAQs
Zinedine Zidane, Rui Costa and Guti are regarded as some of the best passers in history, but are particularly remembered for their pinpoint through-balls. However, Mesut Ozil is often considered the greatest through-ball passer in history. He is also one of the most creative attacking midfielders of all time.
Ozil is known for his vision and his unselfishness as he often looks for his teammates rather than going for the shot. He made a total of 92 appearances for his national side and won the 2014 FIFA World Cup with Germany. Ozil is also known for his pinpoint final passes and exceptional crosses.
The Premier League has been the home to some of the best players in football history. The league has always been filled with technical players and players with great passing range. Be it Manchester United legends David Beckham, and Paul Scholes or modern-day Manchester City legends David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne. Players such as Cesc Fabregas and Trent Alexander-Arnold have also impressed with their passing prowess in recent times.
It is quite difficult to put one player as the best in the Spanish top flight as the likes of Xavi, Andreas Iniesta, Zinedine Zidane, Toni Kroos and Dani Parejo. But fans may argue that Lionel Messi is the greatest footballer of all time and one of the best passers in the Spanish top-flight’s history. Messi also holds the record for the most assists in LaLiga history.
With the rise of sweeper keepers in football, the passing range of any team’s goalkeeper has also become very important and gets tested nearly every match. When talking about the goalkeepers with the best passing ability, only two come to mind: Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer and Manchester City’s Ederson.
Manuel Neuer is often credited as the player who perfected the role of the "sweeper-keeper" in football. Neuer has inspired many generations of goalkeepers with his speed of play, ability to rush off his line and his passing range.
Ederson joined Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in 2017, and he has been nothing short of a revolutionary. He has been in goal for the Cityzens’ most successful period in history. He has helped the club grab their first UEFA Champions League title, six Premier League titles and many other trophies. He has taken Guardiola’s team to the next level with his cool and composed long-range and short-range passing.
He has also registered an incredible four assists in the Premier League so far and has also regularly stepped up to take penalty kicks during penalty shootouts for his club.
With over a decade of experience in sports writing, Hardik Malhotra has built a distinguished career in the internet industry. His expertise spans across various domains including Art Direction, Web Content Writing, and Content Management, all underscored by a high degree of initiative. Hardik’s passion for sports is reflected in his professional journey and personal interests.