Top 10 Best Right Backs in the World – 2025 (Ranked)

There was a time when football evolved around the supremacy of the elite forwards. No one would think to discuss the best right backs in the world, as the position was not something that attracted a young football player. But, over time, the definition of football has changed a lot, and with that, the process of playing the game has evolved around every position.

From the likes of Gary Neville and Dani Alves to the modern-day sensations such as Trent Alexander-Arnold and Achraf Hakimi, the roles of the right backs have transformed rapidly, reflecting the managers’ expectations in the attacking department from full-backs more than their normal responsibility in defense. As the 2024/25 season is on the verge of ending, a question is surfacing on the internet: Who is the best back right now? To answer the question, we tried to list down the 10 best RB in football currently based on ranking factors such as (Goals, Assists, Trophies/Achievements and defensive metrics). In addition to giving a more accurate list of the best RB in the world, we have given weights to these factors.

List of Best Right Backs in the World

After hours of discussions and analyzing many right-backs around the world, we finally created a list of the top 10 best right backs in football. This list is unlike any other ranking list, which is based on public sentiments and is driven by players’ PR. Let’s see who is the best RB in the world, along with the 10 best right back right now.

How we Ranked the Best Right Backs in Football?

In this segment, we have explained our ranking factors for listing down the 10 best right backs in the world. To give more relevance to our list, we gave each factor a dedicated weight so it remains clear which factor we have to focus on. Let’s check out how our ranking factors helped us out in ranking the best right backs in football.

Who is the Best Right Back Right Now?

After reviewing our rankings of the 10 best right backs in football, some readers might question certain rankings. This section is dedicated to passionate fans like you. We have aimed to highlight each player’s season performance to justify their rankings on our list of the best RB in football.

10. Tino Livramento (Age: 22 | Newcastle United)

Tino Livramento is one of the newest discoveries in the English Premier League as the talented young full-back is gradually showing his claws with each passing day. Coming from the youth academy of Chelsea, the 22-year-old right back earned praise when he was at Southampton, resulting in a million-dollar move to Newcastle United in 2024. The first few months with the Black and Whites showed the possibility of Tino Livramento becoming one of the best right backs in the world very soon. And within just one year, the English defender has been an untouchable figure in Eddie Howe’s setup.

What sets Livramento apart from other talented right backs is his adaptability in every possible situation in a game. His aggression in attacking, sprinting power, and player marking strength have made him a great asset for Newcastle United, and no wonder why the English club has secured a UEFA Champions League spot.

9. Marcos Llorente (Age: 30 | Atletico Madrid)

The former Real Madrid product, Marcos Llorente, has gradually reached his career high after joining Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid. Once a central midfielder, the Spaniard now operates as a full-time full-back in the Spanish capital. Llorente has always been a versatile figure for the La Liga outfit for the last six seasons, guarding their left flank with experience and energy. His defensive ability, unbelievable work rate, and speed help him win over the fast-paced forwards like Raphinha, Vinicius Junior, and Kylian Mbappe week in and week out in the Spanish top flight.

However, a trophy-less season has impacted his ranking in our list of the 10 best RB in the world. People talk about the defensive strength of Atletico Madrid in Europe, and there should be no doubt about the fact that Marcos Llorente is one of the best right back right now.

8. Malo Gusto (Age: 22 | Chelsea)

Malo Gusto, alongside Cole Palmer, is probably the best signing Chelsea Football Club has made in recent years, given the English club’s poor track record in the transfer market. In the absence of the English star Reece James, Gusto has proven himself on every occasion he has been thrown into by the Blues’ manager. The young defender from Lyon, who was unknown to elite European football a few years ago, has now become a consistent performer, having brought a sense of relief on the left flank in every competition, thanks to his stamina, physicality, and pace.

Chelsea’s dominant run in the Club World Cup has helped him rank above players like Llorente and Livramento. Speed and agility have always been two traits that have pushed Malo Gusto to the forefront of success in recent years, resulting in him being on the list of the best right backs right now in the world. If he continues to stay in this shape, then he must be in the fray of the best for years to come.

7. Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Age: 31 | Napoli)

If there is any player who has demonstrated resilience and determination in the best possible way, then the name of Giovanni Di Lorenzo will be on top. The Italian full-back is the epitome of the perfect mixture of attacking and defending mentality, as his current performance demonstrates across all competitions. However, it has not been a fairytale journey for the Italian right back as his career saw a straight downfall between 2019 and 2020. He had one of the worst times in the 2024 UEFA Euro Championship as Italy crashed out of the tournament.

But before that, Di Lorenzo showed great intent as the captain of Napoli and led the Italian club to their dream Scudetto in the 2022-23 season, matching Diego Maradona’s record. Under Antonio Conte’s coaching, the 31-year-old full-back has not only managed to claim a legendary status in the Serie A outfit but also has been established as one of the best right backs in the world, demonstrating leadership, attacking, and defensive prowess on the turf.

6. Jurrien Timber (Age: 24 | Arsenal)

Jurrien Timber is another young machine who has been in the form of his life recently for Arsenal. Mikel Arteta has been using him in his attacking department after Ben White left a void in the full-back and center-back positions due to a severe ankle injury. His boots have been perfectly filled by the Dutch prodigy Jurrien Timber, a player who is a magician in producing perfect crosses and winning important duel on the flanks. His main forte is his quick feet, which have made it difficult for opponents to beat him during attacks. Timber is a perfect player to implement Arteta’s counter-attacking tactics.

The Dutchman is a complete right-back who can also operate on the left if necessary. Timber’s most important trait lies in his aggressive excellence and adaptability. His strong mentality to win the ball by tracking back has made him one of the best right backs currently.

5. Jeremie Frimpong (Age: 24 |Liverpool)

Jeremie Frimpong is what a right back in modern-day football must be. The Dutchman is more focused on carrying the ball forward down the wing, rather than sitting back to defend, and this is what the managers want from their full-backs nowadays. Under the stewardship of Xabi Alonso, Frimpong has risen from the gloomiest phase to become one of the best right backs in the world, who operates as an extra man in the attack, giving the forwards a free hand to go deep into the box. His attacking prowess came into the limelight when he recorded 14 goals in the Bundesliga last season despite being deployed as a full-back.

When he is with the ball, it becomes very difficult for his opponents to catch up due to his bursting pace and quick-passing skills. Alonso’s fluid football has given him the licence to venture unchallenged without the worries of defending, which has made him more ferocious on the pitch. A new challenge awaits the Dutch footballer in the Premier League, where a real test of his endurance, skill and IQ will be taken on.

4. Trent Alexander-Arnold (Age: 26 | Real Madrid)

Trent Alexander-Arnold is probably the most creative right-back in the world, given his skills with the ball and goal-scoring ability. Aided by a wide array of passing, attacking prowess, anda keen eye to find teammates with through passes, the English full-back has been a star in Liverpool’s rejuvenated line-up that has claimed several major trophies in the last few years.

Amidst the rumour of him already signing a contract with the La Liga champions Real Madrid, Alexander-Arnold is operated with the best use of his technical ability under the new Liverpool coach, Arne Slot, and won his 2nd Premier League trophy with Liverpool. His new manager and club have high expectations of the English right back going into the new season.

3. Denzel Dumfries (Age: 29 |Inter Milan)

Another right back coming from the rich defensive unit of the Italian top flight is Dumfries. The talented full-back from the Netherlands could not find his rhythm until he took a bold decision to move to PSV Eindhoven in 2018, and his career has taken a positive u-turn ever since. The elite right-back found his groove when he came to Inter and was thrown into a defensive setup, perfect for Dumfries to improve his defensive ability.

The 28-year-old full-back has been a monumental figure in Inter Milan’s recent domestic success and European exploits. Dumfries has gradually been on the right track to become one of the best right backs in modern-day football with the help of his attacking tenacity and stamina that have helped him thrive in the middle in a commonly used 3-5-2 formation of Inter Milan. His performance against FC Barcelona in the Semi-Final of the UEFA Champions League was enough to show worl the potential he holds in him as RB.

2. Jules Kounde (Age: 26 | FC Barcelona)

Another French player who features on the list of the best right backs in the world currently is Jules Kounde. Primarily a center-back, the defender with a small stature began his career in the middle of the backline before going through a transition to become a right back for a perfect cause that has been beneficial for not only Barcelona, but also for his country.

Kounde offers a platform for his teammates to go with the ball higher up on the pitch, positioning himself in an area that connects the defense with attack subtly. The Frenchman is a perfect right back who can live up to the expectations of a modern-day manager: running with pace to win the ball in defensive areas and setting the forwards out in the open with through balls. His work rate and intelligence had fueled Barcelona’s domestic treble 2024-25 season.

1. Achraf Hakimi (Age: 26 | PSG)

Achraf Hakimi has been a bona fide figure in the full-back position for quite a few years now, and he is the best right back in the world currently. After spending years of improvement in Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, and Inter Milan, the Moroccan superstar has found his footing in the Ligue 1 club, Paris Saint-Germain.

In the last few years, PSG’s right line has been securely operated by Hakimi, who has been rock solid in both defense and attack, helping his team in a smooth transition from defense to attack in the blink of an eye with his pace and defense-tearing passes. The energetic full-back has recently signed a new contract in the French capital that will keep him in Ligue 1 until 2029. His quadruple with PSG in the 2024/25 season left us with no choice but to put this perfect full-back at the top of our list of the best right backs in the world.