Wingers play an important role in many positions in football. Players who play in this position usually have blistering pace and remarkable dribbling skills.
Their role involves stretching the pitch and providing cut-backs or crosses from which strikers can score. Wingers are typically used in many attacking formations in football, as they support attacks from the wings.
Wingers who play from the right flank of the pitch are known as right-wingers. Right-wingers in football are usually left-footed, fast, and hardworking.
Gone are the days when wingers were often given the duty of just manning the touchline and whipping in a cross into the box.
There are a lot of talented right-wingers in football today who have distinguished themselves with praiseworthy performances in various competitions. Here are the best right-wingers in the world in 2023.
NOTE: Our list of the best right-wingers in football is in no particular and is based on footballers who mainly featured in a right-wing position.
1. Mohammed Salah
There is no bigger right-winger than Mohamed Salah in world football at the moment; the Egyptian international has made the Premier League his playing ground and Anfield stadium his home.
One of the best right-wingers in the world at the moment, Mohammed Salah, packs everything you want from someone playing in such a position.
With pace, skill, technique, and most important, goals, he’s already an African football legend and among Liverpool’s greatest ever players.
He has been hitting an average of 20 goals and 10 assists in his last five seasons. No wonder Liverpool have been the biggest challengers to Manchester City since 2015.
Even his nineteen goals and twelve assists from 38 games last season fall below his standards.
2. Bukayo Saka
If Mohamed Salah is the most prominent right-winger in football at the moment, then England forward Bukayo Saka is the best young right-winger in world football.
His consistency over the last three seasons has been impressive, and his goal-scoring qualities have improved as well. Last season, he was very crucial in Arsenal’s title drive, and on the days he did not come to the party, they struggled.
His efforts were crowned with nominations in the PFA Player of the Year and the PFA Young Player of the Year awards, winning the latter year. He has also been named the England player of the year for two years in a row, as well as a maiden Ballon d’Or nomination.
The Englishman is not just one of the best right-wingers in football but also one of the best left-footed football players currently.
3. Serge Gnabry
Serge Gnabry’s rise to one of the most potent right-wingers should be studied. In his early days at Arsenal, several loan moves and performances didn’t earn him the trust at the Emirates Stadium.
After spending the last six seasons at Bayern, Germany and Bayern Munich winger Serge Gnabry has become a household name at the Allianz Arena.
He has grown from a young, talented winger to become the first choice for one of the most dangerous attacks for any defense.
Aside from being a speedy winger, Serge Gnabry also uses both feet, causing problems for any defender. No wonder Bayern Munich leaves average teams for dead in the Bundesliga.
His combination with Leroy Sané on the other flank is atomic, and it’s no surprise that he scored fourteen goals and provided 5 assists in 2022/23 season.
4. Rodrygo
Aged just 22, Brazilian forward Rodrygo already has a monstrous winning mentality. He may not be a regular starter, but each time he is called on, especially in a precarious situation where Real Madrid finds it difficult to score goals, he has been phenomenal.
He was instrumental in the 2021/2022 season when Real Madrid needed late goals to get through their UEFA Champions League knockout stages before reaching the final against Liverpool.
Rodrigo shares the right flank with Federico Valverde, but it’s showing now that he would make Real Madrid his own right flank in the next couple of seasons.
5. Ousmane Dembele
Injuries have not been favorable to Ousmane Dembele and his talents, but fortunately, the world knew what he could do right from Borussia Dortmund.
However, the move to Barcelona wasn’t the best for him, but in the last two seasons, the old Ousmane Dembele we used to know has been flashing with 13 assists in the 2021/2022 season and five goals plus seven assists last season.
His passing, dribbling, and speed very much helped Barcelona to the La Liga title with goals and assists. Now that he has moved to PSG, maybe Dembele will become the player we thought he would at Barcelona.
Ousmane Dembele is definitely one of the overall best wingers in the world. He is two-footed, meaning he can play on either flank. However, he prefers to play on the right, and that’s why he is among the best right-wingers in football.
His style of play helps him draw fouls from the opposition as he often drives the ball into tight spaces, looking to create chances
6. Raphinha
Raphinha was brought in as a competition to French forward Ousmane Dembele at Barcelona from Leeds United last season, and he indeed was a huge substitute for the Blaugrana, who needed a strong winger in the absence of Ousmane Dembele.
At the end of the season, he had seven goals and seven assists in 36 La Liga games for Barcelona last season, just a season after helping Leeds United avoid relegation single-handedly in the Premier League.
The Elland Road side eventually dropped into the championship at the end of the 2022/2023 season, probably missing Raphinha.
What makes Raphinha one of the top right-wingers in football is his superb dribbling ability, set-piece taking, and excellent finishing. He is among the best dribblers in football at the moment.
7. Bryan Mbuemo
Cameroonian winger Bryan Mbuemo is one of the most underrated right-wingers in football at the moment. He was crucial to Brentford’s top-10 finish in the Premier League last season alongside Ivan Toney.
They both wreaked havoc on Premier League defenses, and at the end of the season, after 38 games, Mbuemo had eight goals and seven assists.
In the absence of Ivan Toney due to a betting suspension, Mbuemo has been in fine form and is on course to record better statistics this season, as he has already scored four goals in four games in the Premier League this season.
8. Samuel Chukwueze
Samuel Chukwueze and Victor Osimhen ran defenders ragged at the FIFA under-17 World Cup in 2015 as Nigeria went on to win the trophy.
Eight years later, both players continue to do what they know how to do best, albeit for different teams and in different leagues.
Chukwueze is known for his speed and dribbling abilities and, for several years, tormented La Liga big boys Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Last season, he scored a brace at the Santiago Bernabeu with two spectacular individual goals to help Villarreal earn a 3-2 victory over Real Madrid.
It was not surprising that Los Blancos inquired about the player, but they would be delighted now that he has left La Liga for Italy, where he joined AC Milan.
9. Angel Di Maria
Angel di Maria is a classic old-school veteran right-winger. The Argentinian is almost two decades into senior football and has already won everything possible, including the FIFA World Cup, where he wasn’t just a part of the team but played crucial roles in Argentina’s run to the final in Qatar.
Di Maria is known for his devastating speed, dribbling qualities, and ability to score goals out of nothing.
One underrated aspect of Di Maria’s game is is ability to create goals as a playmaker. The 2022 World Cup winner is one of the active players with the most assists in football (261).
He is perhaps one of the best right-wingers to have ever graced football, and at his age, he definitely is one of the best ever to play the game.
10. Miguel Almiron
The best Paraguay footballer at the moment, Miguel Almiron, got into form at the best possible time at Newcastle United when the takeover happened.
Almiron had already proven his worth with his best season at the club and was duly retained while Newcastle United got busy in the transfer market.
He scored 11 goals and 2 assists in 34 Premier League games last season, which is the best tally in the Premier League yet.
