The modern full-back role has evolved into one of the most important positions in football. From Guardiola’s inverted full-backs to Sarri’s overlapping left and right-backs, the role is among the most versatile and tactically-dependent on the pitch. Once seen purely as defenders, the modern full-back is now part playmaker, part winger, part midfield engine. They overlap, invert, press and create.
Here’s the definitive Score 90 list of the 15 left-backs of the 21st century.
15. Filipe Luis
Filipe Luis was Diego Simeone’s left-back of choice at Atlético Madrid for almost a decade – testament to the Brazilian’s consistency and defensive discipline.
During the 2013/14 season, the Atlético backline only conceded 26 goals in 38 league games; Luis started 32 of those games.
Rarely flashy, but always effective. Whilst it was his efficient defensive contributions that earned Luis a place among the elite left-backs, he regularly contributed going forward. By the time Luis retired in 2024, the left-back had scored 27 goals and recorded 49 assists in club football.
14. Marc Cucurella
A European Champion with Spain and a Club World Cup winner with Chelsea; Cucurella has been vital to both successes.
The Spaniard is an energetic and tenacious presence on the left. He’s comfortable in possession and a dependable defensive presence.
With Spain favourites for the 2026 World Cup, a strong showing from Cucurella will catapult him up this list.
13. Theo Hernández
Theo Hernández established himself as one of the most effective attacking full-backs during his time at AC Milan. His explosive pace and marauding overlaps past Rafael Leão thrust AC to Serie A success in 2021/22.
A move to Al Hilal in his prime will likely limit his rise up this list, but this doesn’t take away from the career the younger Hernández brother has already had.
12. Alphonso Davies
The ‘Roadrunner’ nickname is no exaggeration – Davies is among the quickest players in world football. This pace is both a defensive asset and an offensive weapon for the Canadian.
Based on pure ability alone, Davies would rank higher in this list but injuries have disrupted his rhythm. Still only 24, if the left-back can go on an injury-free run for a prolonged period, his potential is unparalleled.
11. Eric Abidal
Some left-backs excel without being flashy; Abidal is prime case in point.
The Frenchman was a consistent presence in Guardiola’s dominant Barcelona team. His defensive discipline and positional intelligence locked down the left of the defence, while his calmness under pressure was ideally suited to a possession-heavy side.
His return to playing after a liver transplant remains one of football’s feel-good stories.
10. Andy Robertson
The left-back with a third lung.
Robertson’s relentless pressing was a cornerstone of Klopp’s heavy metal football. His partnership with Trent Alexander-Arnold on the right remains one of the best full-back combinations of all time; powering Liverpool to two Premier League titles and a Champions League.
9. Bixente Lizarazu
Although Lizarazu’s prime came before the 2000s, his influence still carried through the early years of the new century. Compact, strong and technically sound, he was the perfect balance between defence and attack.
For both Bayern Munich and France, he played with understated elegance. Never reckless, always composed. His positioning allowed him to shut down wingers much bigger or quicker than him, and his delivery into the box was consistently sharp.
If this list started in the late 1990s, he’d be a few spots higher.
8. Patrice Evra
The charismatic Frenchman was a mainstay of Sir Alex Ferguson’s dominant Manchester United side.
Evra was equally adept at bombing forward as he was in locking down his wing, especially strong in one-on-one defending.
Across more than 350 appearances for United, Evra won five Premier League titles and a Champions League.
7. Nuno Mendes
Still only in his early twenties, Mendes has already shown signs of greatness.
On PSG’s iconic run to Champions League success in 2024/25, Mendes kept world class wingers such as Bukayo Saka, Mohamed Salah and Phil Foden quiet with an impressive mix of athleticism, game intelligence and defensive awareness.
If he stays fit and continues this trajectory, he could easily be in the top five within the decade.
6. David Alaba
Alaba is so versatile that it is easy to forget his breakthrough as a left-back.
At Bayern Munich, he brought creativity and intelligence to the role, often stepping into the midfield to launch attacks. Whilst we’ve come to expect inverted full-backs, Alaba was among the first to comfortably perform the role.
His understanding of positioning and timing allowed Bayern to control games from the back. Now at Real Madrid, he’s proven his adaptability once again with his regular performances at centre-back.
5. Jordi Alba
Jordi Alba was the perfect left-back for Barcelona’s dominant tika-taka. His understanding with Lionel Messi was almost telepathic, something that has continued into the pair’s twilight years at Inter Miami.
Alba’s delivery from wide areas was consistently world-class, and his sense of timing made him as much a creator as a defender. While never the most physical, his awareness and acceleration more than compensated.
4. Paolo Maldini
If this list included the 1990s, Maldini would be number one without a shadow of a doubt. After the turn of the millennium, the Italian primarily slotted in at centre-back but whenever deployed on the left he showed his class.
And what list of left-backs would be complete without Maldini?
His reading of the game, positioning and timing in the tackle remain the best to ever grace the position.
3. Ashley Cole
The best defensive left-back of the century.
The Englishman featured in two of the Premier League’s most dominant teams; Arsenal’s invincibles of 2003/04 and Mourinho’s Chelsea.
Cole’s positioning was unmatched. He could time a tackle to perfection and instantly transition into attack. Offensively, he supported play with sharp overlaps and accurate crosses, but it was his defensive mastery that made him special – shutting down stars like Cristiano Ronaldo with ease.
2. Roberto Carlos
The blueprint for the modern attacking full-back.
Roberto Carlos’ overlapping play and thunderous long-range strikes became a core part of Madrid’s infamous Galactico era. Whilst his career showreel features physics-defying free kicks, it was his consistency and dependability across a decade at the top that earned the Brazilian a place among the elite.
1. Marcelo
Brazil have been blessed with attacking left-backs in recent years, none better than Marcelo –
the greatest left-back of the 21st century.
At Real Madrid, Marcelo wasn’t just an attacking full-back. He was an extra playmaker, capable of pulling the strings and dictating the play from the back. His dribbling was smooth, his passing incisive.
Defensively, he had his flaws, but these were outweighed by his attacking contributions and overall control of the game.
Six La Liga titles, countless assists and recognition as the greatest left-back ever to play in the Champions League; Marcelo takes the crown as the definitive left-back of the 21st century.
