Pace is one of the most important attributes a footballer can possess. It is essential for every position as it can help to thwart attackers, beat defenders and aid midfielders in getting across the pitch. When a player lacks pace, it can be dramatically exposed, as opponents target them and constantly run in behind them to make their life a misery, and when a player has a lot of pace, their team will look to capitalise on this by making them challenge their opponents all game.
Some players in history have been exceptionally quick, almost on par with Olympic sprinters, which made this list almost impossible to decide. The likes of Thierry Henry and Ronaldo were two of the quickest of their generation, while 2025 is the year of the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Alphonso Davies and Achraf Hakimi among others. With this in mind, here are the 20 fastest footballers of all time.
Ranking Factors
- Statistics
- How fast they look to the eye
- Any available data that has measured their speed
20
Quincy Owusu-Abeyie
Notable Clubs Played For: Arsenal
After spending his youth career with Ajax, Quincy Owusu-Abeyie made the move to Arsenal at the age of just 16, and he quickly proved why he was such a talent. In the 2002/2003 season, he scored a remarkable 17 goals in just 20 games for the U17s, including scoring a double hat-trick against Wolves in a 7-1 win. Supremely quick, Quincy had somewhat of a journeyman career, but his best moment no doubt came in an Arsenal shirt when he netted his first ever goal for the club against Everton in the League Cup in the 2004/2005 season.
19
Karim Adeyemi
Notable Clubs Played For: Borussia Dortmund
The modern-day speedster, Karim Adeyemi has long been one of the most explosive players in the world ever since he broke onto the scene. Making a name for himself at RB Salzburg, the German then made the high-profile move to Borussia Dortmund and he quickly established himself as one of the Bundesliga’s most electric players. Indeed, in a match against Freiburg on February 2023, he became the league’s fastest ever player after registering a top speed of 36.7km/h.
18
Aaron Lennon
Notable Clubs Played For: Leeds United, Tottenham
Despite his diminiutive size, Aaron Lennon was always one of the most difficult wingers to handle in the Premier League given his sheer pace. It seemed like the former England international only had one trick in the locker, with his trademark knocking it past a full-back on the outside, getting to the byline and then either clipping a ball in to the likes of Peter Crouch or pulling the ball back to an onrushing midfielder. Either way, Lennon made a successful career out of using the most out of his pace.
17
DaMarcus Beasley
Notable Clubs Played For: PSV, Rangers
The USA international who so much was expected of after he broke onto the scene as one of the world’s most exciting teenagers following a stunning series of performances at the U17 FIFA World Cup in 1999, DaMarcus Beasley somewhat flattered to deceive thereafter. The versatile left-back who could play further forward as a left winger shone at MLS side Chicago Fire, but a move later to the Premier League to English football to join Manchester City proved to be a step too far for the fleet-footed wideman.
16
George Best
Notable Clubs Played For: Man United
One of the greatest footballers of all time, George Best could do it all. The winner of the 1968 Ballon d’Or, the Northern Irish winger was an exceptional dribbler, who could glide past opponents with ease, carrying the ball the length of the pitch without a challenge. Possessed with so many great attributes, and being a player ahead of his time, the former Man United man was exceptionally fast to match.
Famed for his off-the-pitch antics as much as his on-the-pitch ones, the winger was an outstanding talent, that every team in the world would have loved to have had. His pace aided him in becoming the best player on the planet, and he used it, alongside his balance, technique and great football brain, to embarrass opponents on his way to scoring a vast number of goals.
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15
Hector Bellerin
Notable Clubs Played For: Arsenal, Barcelona
Hector Bellerin was so synonymous with Arsenal despite being a part of the La Masia academy, that he even saw his accent change into making him a distinct Londoner. Bellerin took to the Premier League like a duck to water, and when he did break into the first-team under Arsene Wenger, he made a real name for himself as one of the fastest players in the world. At the end of the 2015/2016 season, Bellerin was even voted into the PFA Team of the Year, but his footballing career took a sharp left turn after he suffered a heartbreaking ACL injury at home to Chelsea just a couple of seasons later.
14
Arjen Robben
Notable Clubs Played For: Chelsea, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich
Best known for his ability to cut in from the right-hand side and whip a shot into the far corner, Arjen Robben was one of the game’s best wingers. Playing for some of Europe’s best clubs, the Dutchman was elite, and had so many fantastic attributes, including his pace.
Bursting down the line, leaving opponents for dead, Robben had a glistening career at the highest level, winning a great number of trophies. Even after retiring, the legendary winger has continued to display his pace, most recently completing the Rotterdam marathon in the summer of 2024, with a very impressive time of 2:58:33. Continuing to show his athleticism and fantastic pace, Robben has been known to set some of the best times in a variety of races since he retired, which is nothing different to his great footballing career.
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13
Cristiano Ronaldo
Notable Clubs Played For: Man United, Real Madrid, Juventus
Undoubtedly one of the greatest footballers of all-time, Cristiano Ronaldo is simply out of this world. A deadly finisher, silky dribbler, and with determination like no other, there is little that hasn’t already been said about this Portuguese machine. As he has aged, his pace has left him, and he has had to adapt his game to suit his attributes, rarely moving away from goalscoring positions, where he can utilise his supreme finishing. However, in his younger years, especially with Sporting Lisbon and Man United, he had remarkable pace.
Bursting past opponents with a combination of skill and raw pace, he was astonishing. Opponents didn’t know how to stop him, and this was a theme throughout his career. Going on to achieve everything, and win the Ballon d’Or five times, Ronaldo has been a phenomenon.
12
Gareth Bale
Notable Clubs Played For: Tottenham, Real Madrid
One of Britain’s best-ever players, Gareth Bale, took Wales from a very underwhelming, small footballing nation, to the semi-finals of the European Championships. With all the attributes a player could want, Bale stood out in every team he played for, which earned him a world-record move to Real Madrid in 2013. Continuing to shine in a team full of stars, the Welshman showcased his talent on a number of occasions, and his pace was best shown in 2014, in the Copa del Rey final.
Out on the left-hand side, Bale flicked the ball past Marc Bartra, who in turn pushed him off the pitch, however, Bale continued to run, beating Bartra to the ball, going on to score, in one of the greatest displays of pace on a pitch of all-time. A sensational athlete who was hampered by injuries, Bale had it all, and his pace was on another level.
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11
Kyle Walker
Notable Clubs Played For: Tottenham, Man City
When modern Premier League wingers are asked who their hardest-ever opponent has been, the answer is often one man, Kyle Walker. The England full-back was a key part of the Man City side that won four consecutive Premier League titles, with his pace and physicality being a major reason for their defensive strength.
With some of the greatest recovery speed in football history, Walker often nips back in out of nowhere to deny attackers, demonstrating speed like no other. Whether it is in attack or defence, the former Spurs man is able to burst into action, with opponents having no answer for it.
Winning numerous trophies with Man City, he is one of the best right-backs in Premier League history, and his pace is a major reason for this. His on-the-ball ability is sometimes in question, but his pace has never been.
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