Best Wingers/Wide Midfielders

[KumarsS]

For this list, name (and rank if you wish) the best wingers/wide midfielders in the world. To count, they must regularly as a winger OR a wide midfielder for club and/or country.

1. Lionel Messi (Argentina & Barcelona)
2. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal & Manchester United)
3. Ronaldinho (Brazil & Barcelona)
4. Franck Ribery (France & Bayern Munich)
5. Robin van Persie (Holland & Arsenal)
6. Joe Cole (England & Chelsea)
7. Bernd Schneider (Germany & Bayer Leverkusen)
8. Ricardo Quaresma (Portugal & FC Porto)
9. Arjen Robben (Holland & Real Madrid)
10. David Silva (Spain & Valencia)

[Grinners89]

IMO, best wingers

1. Kewell...:D nah id actually have him at #8 and move all others from Ribery up
2. Ronaldo
3. Messi
4. Ronaldinho
5. David Silva
6. Giggs
7. Robben
8. Ribery
9. Robinho
10. J.Cole
11. Quaresma
12. Jesus Navas
13. Nakamura
14. Joaquin
15. Hleb
16. Lennon
17. Mancini
18. Malouda
19. Simao
20. Benayoun
21. Rosicky
22. SWP

[Quaresma]

For this list, name (and rank if you wish) the best wingers/wide midfielders in the world. To count, they must regularly as a winger OR a wide midfielder for club and/or country.

1. Lionel Messi (Argentina & Barcelona)
2. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal & Manchester United)
3. Ronaldinho (Brazil & Barcelona)
4. Franck Ribery (France & Bayern Munich)
5. Robin van Persie (Holland & Arsenal)
6. Joe Cole (England & Chelsea)
7. Bernd Schneider (Germany & Bayer Leverkusen)
8. Ricardo Quaresma (Portugal & FC Porto)
9. Arjen Robben (Holland & Real Madrid)
10. David Silva (Spain & Valencia)


Good list except id have Quaresma and Robben ahead of Joe Cole and Schneider.

[phil80]

in no order:
Messi (when he plays there), Robben, Ribery, Joe Cole, Iniesta (when plays there), Simao, Quaresma, Malouda, david silva, c ronaldo, figo, swp (on his good days)

[Quaresma]

Figo is still one of the best, hes been superb at inter the past seasons.

Vicente has just come back from injury, but i hope he recovers some form, he was brilliant.

[Teso Dos Bichos]

Figo was far from superb last season.

[Grinners89]

Figo was far from superb last season.

I agree...19 games started, 13 games as a sub...2 goals and 5 assists...he wouldnt fit into the top 30 wingers by those efforts

[Dr. Know]

Besides the already mentioned I'll add Vicente, Joaquin, and Maxi Rodriguez.

[Perú FC]

1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal & Manchester United)
2. Lionel Messi (Argentina & Barcelona)
3. Ronaldinho (Brazil & Barcelona)
4. Franck Ribéry (France & Bayern Münich)
5. Ricardo Quaresma (Portugal & FC Porto)
6. Robin van Persie (Holland & Arsenal)
7. Joe Cole (England & Chelsea)
8. Arjen Robben (Holland & Real Madrid)
9. Joaquín (Spain & Valencia)
10. Ryan Giggs (Wales & Manchester United)

[Shen-O]

When was the last time van Persie started as a winger or wide mid for Arsenal?

[Grinners89]

When was the last time van Persie started as a winger or wide mid for Arsenal?

He and Babel start as wingers for Dutch NT...at Arsenal he plays as a SS...he is not a winger, he is just like Babel and they are both SS

[ManchesterUtdFanatic]

C. Ronaldo, Quaresma, Simao, Nani, Figo (All from Portugal suggesting Portugal produce the greatest wingers), Robben, Kewell, Giggs, Cruijff, Robinho, Roberto Carlos, Joaquin, Messi, Malouda.

[Wolfbeatseagle]

IMO, best wingers

1. Kewell...:D nah id actually have him at #8 and move all others from Ribery up
2. Ronaldo
3. Messi
4. Ronaldinho
5. David Silva
6. Giggs
7. Robben
8. Ribery
9. Robinho
10. J.Cole
11. Quaresma
12. Jesus Navas
13. Nakamura
14. Joaquin
15. Hleb
16. Lennon
17. Mancini
18. Malouda
19. Simao
20. Benayoun
21. Rosicky
22. SWP

I think of Messi and Ronaldinho as more of an outside forward than a winger/ outside mid. Winger implies coming back to some extent which doesn't happen with either of them. I disagree with Hleb being so far down the list, he is almost impossible to defend on a pretty consistent basis while Robinho is more stepovers than anything, he's improved, but he still gets more love than he deserves.

[Grinners89]

I think of Messi and Ronaldinho as more of an outside forward than a winger/ outside mid. Winger implies coming back to some extent which doesn't happen with either of them. I disagree with Hleb being so far down the list, he is almost impossible to defend on a pretty consistent basis while Robinho is more stepovers than anything, he's improved, but he still gets more love than he deserves.

Really...well in Barca's system they play as wingers. When Abidal/Zambrotta push forward, they push infield and further back. If you watch Barca you will know that they play as wingers.

Hleb has had 2 years of crap games...he needs to perform in more big games to be further up on the list. Robinho isnt just stepovers anymore...hes actually Madrids main attacking threat now has scored 5 goals in last 4 games

[phil80]

IMO, best wingers

1. Kewell...:D nah id actually have him at #8 and move all others from Ribery up
2. Ronaldo
3. Messi
4. Ronaldinho
5. David Silva
6. Giggs
7. Robben
8. Ribery
9. Robinho
10. J.Cole
11. Quaresma
12. Jesus Navas
13. Nakamura
14. Joaquin
15. Hleb
16. Lennon
17. Mancini
18. Malouda
19. Simao
20. Benayoun
21. Rosicky
22. SWP
Benayoun over Rosicky and SWP?? Now, I know you're a Liverpool supporter but you dont seriously believe that do you?

[Wolfbeatseagle]

Really...well in Barca's system they play as wingers. When Abidal/Zambrotta push forward, they push infield and further back. If you watch Barca you will know that they play as wingers.

Hleb has had 2 years of crap games...he needs to perform in more big games to be further up on the list. Robinho isnt just stepovers anymore...hes actually Madrids main attacking threat now has scored 5 goals in last 4 games

Haha, evidently your definition of defending and the actual definition vary because both have been widely criticized by their lack of defense, and winger still implies going back and forth with the play down the wings, not tracking back when someone hasn't gotten back fast enough. Robinho has improved, but he's still not better at wing play than Joaquin, Malouda, Simao, and Quaresma. How has Hleb had two years of crap games? I'll give you his first year, but Hleb played just as well as the rest of the gunners last year and served as a shoulder to lean on in tough situations in many instances.

I will commend you on your recognition of a player who is way under the radar in world football, David Silva, he's top notch.

[ForeverRed]

Really...well in Barca's system they play as wingers. When Abidal/Zambrotta push forward, they push infield and further back. If you watch Barca you will know that they play as wingers.

Hleb has had 2 years of crap games...he needs to perform in more big games to be further up on the list. Robinho isnt just stepovers anymore...hes actually Madrids main attacking threat now has scored 5 goals in last 4 games

2 years of crap games? He was vital in getting Arsenal to the CL final, he was arguably their best player in that second half of the season. This season so far he has been almost unstoppable.

Its about time he gets the accolades he deserves, a tremendous talent that has been underrated for a very long time now.

[Grinners89]

Benayoun over Rosicky and SWP?? Now, I know you're a Liverpool supporter but you dont seriously believe that do you?

Of course im a liverpool supporter...thats why 'arry was at the top (accidently)
a
Tell me one attribute apart from pace that SWP has over Benayoun. Crossing (NO), shooting (NO), ability on the ball (NO) anything else (NO). Just cause Benayoun played for a smaller club (West Ham) and not Arsenal doesnt mean hes worse than Rosicky...and just cause his value was about 4 or 5 million and not more doesnt mean Rosicky is better. I dont know how you can rate SWP...if Beckham starts over him in the game against Croatia then you know SWP is struggling.

[Grinners89]

Haha, evidently your definition of defending and the actual definition vary because both have been widely criticized by their lack of defense, and winger still implies going back and forth with the play down the wings, not tracking back when someone hasn't gotten back fast enough. Robinho has improved, but he's still not better at wing play than Joaquin, Malouda, Simao, and Quaresma. How has Hleb had two years of crap games? I'll give you his first year, but Hleb played just as well as the rest of the gunners last year and served as a shoulder to lean on in tough situations in many instances.

I will commend you on your recognition of a player who is way under the radar in world football, David Silva, he's top notch.

They are not english 4-4-2 wingers...nor are the Mourinho's 4-5-1 wingers. They play in spain where the game is slow enough so that they dont really need to track back and havent been asked to...whoever plays as the CF for Barca, his role is to track back further than the wide players (Ronaldinho, Messi). You will only see Ronaldinho and Messi go to the half way line and thats probably their limit. They are wingers in their system at Barca and have played that way since Rijkaard and Neeskens came in.

[phil80]

Of course im a liverpool supporter...thats why 'arry was at the top (accidently)
a
Tell me one attribute apart from pace that SWP has over Benayoun. Crossing (NO), shooting (NO), ability on the ball (NO) anything else (NO). Just cause Benayoun played for a smaller club (West Ham) and not Arsenal doesnt mean hes worse than Rosicky...and just cause his value was about 4 or 5 million and not more doesnt mean Rosicky is better. I dont know how you can rate SWP...if Beckham starts over him in the game against Croatia then you know SWP is struggling.
SWP is better than Benayoun on the ball. He might not have the same vision or passing skills, but he surpasses him in every other facet of the game, and to claim otherwise is just baffling. He is without a doubt a much more effective winger than Benayoun. You apparently havent seen the potential of SWP when he played for Man C or his games earlier this season. As for Rosicky, his true position is more central, but he too is much more talented than him. People are too quick to overrate Benayoun now after he scored the easiest hat-trick i've ever seen.