Top 10 Best Backheel Goals of All Time - Ranked

The Backheel goal is as cool as it sounds. The move needs quick thinking, vision and great skill to put the ball into the net. Unlike normal shots or long rangers, it needs perfect timing and awareness of space, plus a bit of cheekiness! These kinds of goals leave the defenders and goalkeepers in awe and they are left to be the spectators only. Let's see who has mastered the 'street football move' and are eligible to enter our list of the best backheel goals.

Stars like Brazilian legend Pele, Maradona and Zidane started this art. Now players like Ibrahimovic, Suarez and lower division players too make the best backheel goals go viral. Here is a list of the best backheel goals, ranked by skill, impact and boldness.

List of Best Backheel Goals in Football History

Here are the 10 best backheel goals in football history who has shocked the world as well as their opponent.

Which Footballers Have Scored the Best Backheel Goals of All Time?

Here are 10 unforgettable moments when footballers scored stunning backheel goals, leaving fans and viewers amazed. Let’s look at when and where these magical goals were scored.

10. Grafite (vs Bayern Munich | 2009)

We will start our list of best backheel goals ever with Wolfsburg’s (2008/09) Bundesliga winning campaign, Gratife carried the ball to the right of the keeper, jumped over him, and then executed an outrageous back heel that sent three Bayern players the wrong way as the ball rolled into the corner. It’s been 15 years since Grafite did this vs Bayern and it still feels fresh. This goal made the scoreline move to 5-1 and later on, they became the Bundesliga Champions.

Video Credit: YouTube/@mrteflon

9. Cristiano Ronaldo (vs Valencia | 2014)

While we are talking about some of the great backheel goals, how can we keep the most acrobatic striker out of the list? This 90th-minute backheel goal vs Valencia in 2014 is surely, one of CR7’s greatest goals for Real Madrid! Cristiano Ronaldo scored his fair share of goals during his record-breaking nine-year stint with Real Madrid. Let us break this goal for you.

In stoppage time of a 2-2 draw at Bernabeu, Angel Di María crossed low. Ronaldo, marked tightly, spun like a kung-fu master and backheeled it from six yards, the ball twisted past keeper Diego Alves into the corner! Also, it was Ronaldo's 50th goal.

Video Credit: YouTube/@RealMadrid

8. Jeremy Menez (vs Parma | 2014)

The stand-out moment in a nine-goal thriller at Parma’s Stadio Ennio Tardini. After seven goals already, Parma messed up a clearance, the ball rolled loose near the line. Ménez sprinted full speed, no-look, and jabbed a high backheel from a tight angle past keeper Antonio Mirante and it’s difficult to imagine it in any other way as it was clinical had he been facing goal and rifled it with the instep. The above embedded video clearly shows why this backheel goal deserves a place in our list of the best backheel goals ever.

Video Credit: YouTube/@Paku32

7. Thierry Henry (vs Charlton | 2004)

Arsenal's Thierry Henry was pure class in a 4-0 thrashing of Charlton at Highbury. With his back to goal near the post, Henry received a low cross. A defender loomed close, but the French wizard stayed calm, he flicked a clever backheel through the player's legs and past keeper Stephan Andersen from point-blank range!

It was his second goal, making it 3-0. Commentators gasped: "How did he get that in?" Henry's smooth skill and vision shone. It helped Arsenal's "Invincibles" season. A timeless example of why he was the Premier League's king of flair.

Video Credit: YouTube/@TheRomfordpele15

6. Leopoldo Luque ( vs Huracan | 1979)

The River Plate star sent El Monumental into rapture after rounding off this fine scoring movement with a no-look attempt, engineering the perfect finish. Huracan sat still as Luque broke his way into the open, which was nothing short of unique.

The ball flew past the keeper into the net, sending the crowd into rapture. As a 1978 World Cup hero, Luque pioneered this cheeky art. With his unique finishing at the prestigious stage, his back-heeled goal comes at 6th position in our list of best backheel goals of all time.

Video Credit: YouTube/@Bolaosilvio3586

5. Jordan Blondel (vs Avranches | 2016)

This 18-yard Backheel Volley Is The Definition Of Cheeky. The 23-year-old received a long ball over the top of the Consolat Marseille defense to perform this wonderful moment. The French 3rd tier would keep this in their history books for sure. A long ball bounced over the defense right to him at the edge of the box. With the keeper rushing out, Blondel cheekily backheeled a volley from 18 yards.

This one of the best backheel goals of all time, made a statement in the world of football that even lower division matches can entertain the crowd as much as the top flight does.

Video Credit: YouTube/@GoalH3

4. Sadio Mane (vs Watford | 2019)

A spectacular piece of skill was executed by Mane to grab his second of the night converting a poor touch to a back-heel past Ben Foster from more than 10 yards as they went on to win 5-0 against Watford. Here how the scoring opportunity was made - Mane's first touch went loose, but the speedy Senegalese winger Sadio Mane didn't panic he spun mid-stride and backheeled it from 10 yards over diving keeper Ben Foster into the net!

Video Credit: YouTube/@caluushallvideos2375

3. Matty Burrows (vs Portadown | 2010)

​Glentoran Matty Burrows scored a 92nd-minute winner for Glentoran with a perfectly timed jumping back heel volley against Portadown, which earned him a FIFA Puskás Award for the year. This is among the best back heel goals in football history.

Video Credit: YouTube/@GlentoranTV

​2. Alessia Russo (vs Sweden | 2022)

If you are someone who thinks women are bad at trickery and cannot perform the same level of skills or score acrobatic goals, you are still living in the 18th century. At second position Alessia Russo’s 68th-minute back heel goal, securing England’s semi-final victory over Sweden, left the stadium in astonishment and later captured the world’s attention as one of the best back heel goals in football history. Russo's first shot was saved by keeper Hedvig Lindahl from close range.

Video Credit: YouTube/@Hemooooo

1. Luis Suarez (vs Mallorca | 2020)

In a thrilling 5-2 win for Barcelona at Camp Nou, current MLS player Luis Suarez scored one of the most impossible goals ever. Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong dribbled past defenders and slid the ball to Suarez near the box. With his back to goal and a tight angle, Suarez did the unthinkable, he chipped it with a backheel over the diving keeper Manolo Reina.

The ball curved perfectly into the net! Suárez called it the best goal of his career. It showed his crazy skill and cheeky style, fooling everyone. Fans went wild, and it's a top pick for the Puskás Award. Pure magic in La Liga!

Video Credit: YouTube/@FCBarcelona