12 Strongest Players in Football History [Ranked]
No matter the era, the strongest players in football have a way of leaving an indelible mark on the beautiful game. Those able to muscle off an opponent, use their strength to power through on goal or keep strikers at bay with their dominance can often be the difference between winning and losing matches.
From Yaya Toure’s imperious form in the middle of the park for Manchester City to Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s bruising frontman abilities that saw him win titles wherever he went, football’s most physical players have an ability to muscle their way right to the very top. With that in mind, here are 12 of the strongest players in football history.
12
Sol Campbell
Career Span: 1992 – 2011
Arsenal’s Sol Campbell
An absolute colossus of a man, Sol Campbell may be best remembered as being the subject of one of the most controversial football transfers of all time – switching Tottenham Hotspur for Arsenal back in July 2001. But do not let that cloud your judgement of what a superior central defender he was.
England have been blessed over the years with having all manner of unrelenting defenders put on the fabled white of the Three Lions – but none could rival Campbell’s unmatched level of raw strength. A two-time winner of English football’s most sought-after prize, not only was Campbell effortlessly strong but his pace to match made him all the more of a pain to beat in a foot race. Thomas Tuchel would do anything to have a player of his qualities in the current setup, that’s for sure.
Sol Campbell’s Career Statistics
Career appearances. 720
Notable Club(s) Tottenham, Arsenal, Portsmouth, Newcastle
11
Ade Akinbiyi
Career Span: 1993 – 2015
Ade Akinbiyi
If cardio is said to kill your gains, someone certainly forgot to tell Ade Akinbiyi. At his peak, the retired Nigerian international stood at 6ft 1in and weighed 190lbs – about 20lbs heavier than the average footballer in the late 1990s. He bulked up during his time at Sheffield United, where he found himself on the bench after a locker room altercation with a teammate following a loss. With no time on the pitch, he focused on the weight room.
However, his manager at Leicester City later identified his weight training as the reason the strapping centre-forward was struggling to convert his chances. Then, while at Burnley, Steve Cotterill imposed a bodybuilding ban on him in an effort to keep him fit and agile for topflight football. His body really was like an anatomy chart.
Ade Akinbiyi’s Career Statistics
Career appearances. 506
Notable Club(s) Norwich City, Gillingham, Bristol City, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Leicester City, Crystal Palace, Stoke City, Burnely Sheffield United, Houston Dynamo, Notts County
10
Jan Koller
Career Span: 1994-2011
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Such was his sheer size and stature, the 6ft8 Jan Koller was a veritable human lighthouse. Especially for teams like Lokeren, Anderlecht and Borussia Dortmund, the Czech forward was a beacon to aim at for creative wingers and midfielders, and he proved an adept scorer, as much as a forward who could bring others into play.
In a career spanning 587 games, the towering Koller exhibited great composure, physical presence and striking ability to notch 245 times, as well as a record 55 goals in 91 for his country. With an ability to hold off even the strongest defenders, Koller struck fear into countless hearts across the five countries he played in. Due to his sheer size and boisterous style, he was known as Dino for wide spells of his career.
Jan Koller’s Career Statistics
Career appearances. 678
Notable Club(s) Sparta Prague, Lokeren, Anderlecht, Borussia Dortmund, Krylia Sovetov Samara, Cannes
9
Eusebio
Career Span: 1957-1980
Eusebio shoots for Portugal
At his peak, the legendary Eusebio was one of, if not the most, athletic specimens of his time. With a lack of technology and understanding of different countries compared to modern times, the British public couldn’t believe the sheer size and ability of the Mozambique-born striker, when Portugal touched down for the 1966 World Cup.
He was like nothing they had ever seen before, and truly challenged the mould of what a footballer should look like, as well as the perceptions of black athletes of the day. Known for his speed, Eusebio combined direct running and nuanced trickery with sheer power to great effect. He scored 733 goals in 745 matches in his career and became acknowledged, not only as Benfica’s best ever player, but a much-needed sporting figure for post-colonial Mozambique and the African continent in itself.
Eusebio’s Career Statistics
Career appearances. 745
Notable Club(s) Sporting Lourenco Marques, Benfica
8
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Career Span: 1999-2023
Swedish icon Zlatan Ibrahimovic was a trailblazing footballer and personality who curated his own style that partnered grace and elegance with boisterous physicality and aggression. Rewarding fans with some truly spectacular moments, the powerful Zlatan totted up record numbers for Sweden’s national side with 62 goals in 122 games, complimenting a club career with some huge oufits that tallied 511 goals in 866 outings.
A prime example of Zlatan’s strength, arrives in his physical endurance and longevity with AC Milan in his career’s twilight. He was still able to shove off defenders, leap effortlessly above helpless markers and even mix it with Inter’s Romelu Lukaku. At 41 years old, his physical condition and work rate were simply unrelenting. Speaking to GQ about his physical regime in 2023, the veteran forward aptly said:
“Motivation for me is not a problem, because I love to be active. I like to challenge my body – it makes me happy, makes me feel good, makes me feel alive. I take it to extreme levels: I have a thing where I’m never satisfied, I always try to push up the level each time.”
Zlatan Ibramhimovic’s Career Statistics
Career appearances. 988
Notable Club(s) Malmo FF, Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, LA Galaxy
7
Yaya Toure
Career Span: 2001-2019
Where peak Zlatan was an all-round gifted forward, Yaya Toure shared that dexterity in the centre of the park. The Ivorian string-puller could pick the most obscure passes, glide past his markers, and boy, could he shoot. With a dastardly strike on him, this was just a slight hint at his physical ability, which was also noticeable in his strong tackles and tireless stamina.
Such was peak Toure’s superlative midfield form, especially with Manchester City – he was branded a “human train” and a “colossus” by various pundits. He was rightly regarded as one of the world’s best players in his position, and Toure deservedly won four African Footballer of the Year awards. Alongside captaining the Ivory Coast to AFCON victory in 2015, the midfield hero won 17 career honours, including six trophies in a calendar year with Barcelona, and Manchester City’s first league title in 44 years.
Yaya Toure’s Career Statistics
Career appearances. 717
Notable Club(s) Olympiacos, Monaco, Barcelona, Manchester City
6
Adama Traore
Career Span: 2013-Present
Adama Traore vs Kobbie Mainoo
We’re not too sure about Adama Traore’s claims that he doesn’t lift weights. Yet trained or natural, the rapid winger’s physique is one that has been revered ever since he arrived from Spain to British shores and Aston Villa.
Now at Fulham via Wolverhampton Wanderers, the Premier League regular’s aesthetics are of course striking, yet his physical prowess isn’t just in his domineering shoulders and wide biceps. Strong, powerful legs have enabled him to fly past wing-backs across the country and even register speeds of 36.6 km/h, placing him sixth among the fastest players in world football. In words from 2021, Traore spoke about how important pace was for his game:
“I think it is natural. Since I was little, speed was my main thing and I’ve been fast since (then). I’ve said it before but people don’t believe me but I don’t take weights – because if you work with weights it makes you maybe slow in the future.
“If I can be strong in any aspect of the game and work with any part of my body, that will help me.”
Adama Traore’s Career Statistics
Career appearances. 416
Notable Club(s)
Barcelona, Middlesbrough, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Fulham
5
Romelu Lukaku
Career Span: 2009-Present
Romelu Lukaku
Napoli and Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku was a large and physically powerful striker from an early age. Such was his natural presence, he towered over youth football opponents and referees alike, and even had opposition parents questioning his true age. However, once those hurdles were passed, the striker’s eye for goal and sheer physicality made him a force to be reckoned with in the senior game.
Chelsea took an unsuccessful punt on the Anderlecht starlet, yet loans with West Bromwich Albion and Everton highlighted the physical dominance and dynamism that set him on a career that boasts over 300 career goals at the time of writing. His size, strength, physical build and ability to hold-up play with his back to goal have enabled him to cause great defensive issues all over Europe, as well as the international scene, where he remains Belgium’s all-time top-scorer with 85 goals in 119 games.
Romelu Lukaku’s Career Statistics
Career appearances. 790
Notable Club(s)
Anderlecht, Chelsea, West Bromwich Albion, Everton, Manchester United, Inter Milan, Roma, Napoli
4
Danny Shittu
Career Span: 1999-2015
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Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Danny Shittu emigrated to England when he was seven years old and was raised in the “tough area of London’s East End” as one of seven brothers and sisters. His early life was far from routine, yet fuelled him with a determination to succeed, and in fact, he was close to studying computer science at university. However, instead of feeding mental capacity, Shittu developed his love for football and made the most of his own stature to become an imposing defender.
Although he had to write to over 92 clubs at the start of his career, Shittu found his feet at Charlton Athletic before eventually seeing a career span 16 years. Synonymous with boisterous spells at Queens Park Rangers, Watford and Millwall, he even represented the Nigeria national team 32 times. A great example of Shittu’s strength once saw Bolton’s Darren Pratley bounce simply off him in 2014 as he calmly dribbled the ball out of defence. The commentators of the day laughed along with the midfielder:
“Darren Pratley’s laughing! He tried to go shoulder-to-shoulder with Danny Shittu and ended up laying on his backside!”
Danny Shittu’s Career Statistics
Career appearances. 407
Notable Club(s)
Queens Park Rangers, Watford, Millwall
3
Hulk
Career Span: 2004-Present
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You have to be quite the unit to pick up the nickname ‘Hulk’, yet for Givanildo Vieira de Sousa, it makes complete sense. Strongly built for a footballer, the Brazilian acquired his nickname due to his likeness to actor Lou Ferrigno, who played the Incredible Hulk on the tv show in the 1970s and boasted of ridiculous physical prowess to bully defences around Japan, Portugal, Russia, China, and Brazil.
Described by FIFA’s official website as “a direct powerhouse of a centre – or wide-forward who knows his way around the box”, Hulk has smashed in more than 400 career goals. Gifted with a superb strike, Hulk once silenced some racist Benfica fans with a superb ripper into the top right-corner. That one registered at an incredible 108km/h (67mph) in 2021. At 38, he’s shown that he can still do the business, as he scored two free-kicks in one game for Atletico Mineiro – the second one registered an alleged 119 km/h (around 74 mph).
Hulk’s Career Statistics
Career appearances. 847
Notable Club(s)
Consadole Sapporo, Tokyo Verdy, Porto, Zenit Saint Petersburg, Shanghai SIPG, Atletico Mineiro
2
George Elokobi
Career Span: 2002-2022
With recent years showing him as a kind-hearted gentle giant as manager of FA Cup sweethearts, Maidstone United, George Elokobi cut a very different figure on the pitch compared to his time in the dugout. Playing with the likes of Colchester United, Maidstone and Wolverhampton Wanderers, Elokobi’s career as a muscle-bound defender saw plenty of challenges along the way. However, sublime perseverance and hard work saw him win promotion four times and score in every division from the Premier League to National League South.
Although not the tallest centre-back, the Cameroonian stopper used his strength to his advantage, and once famously stated something similar to our earlier feature, Adama Traore. Elokobi once revealed to the Daily Mail:
“I don’t do any extra weights. I’m just strong. This is natural me. I don’t do any weights – no strength work at all. If I don’t do anything for the next two years, I’ll still look like this. I can fine-tune them. But I don’t need to be killing myself in the gym.”
George Elokobi’s Career Statistics
Career appearances. 361
Notable Club(s)
Wolverhampton Wanderers, Colchester United, Maidstone United
1
Adebayo Akinfenwa
Career Span: 2001-2022
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Topping this list is a man who looks more akin to a bodybuilder than that of a goal-grabbing striker. Adebayo Aknifenwa, also known as ‘the Beast’, was a target man of immense build and Football League infamy, as he scored some important goals for the likes of Torquay, Swansea, Northampton, Gillingham, Wimbledon and Wycombe. His career tally of 234 is highly reputable, yet it’s his strength and physique that has won him particular cult appeal.
After YouTuber KSI’s fondness for the striker’s in-form card on FIFA 12 Ultimate Team, Akinfenwa was enabled to play into his ‘Beast’ persona even more, and became synonymous with strength for a generation, being the video game’s strongest player on numerous occasions. Famous for trying to shift the narrative around footballers, the highly-personable Akinfenwa has challenged stereotypes and been fuelled by this ‘Too big to play football’ outlook of years gone by.
Adebayo Akinfenwa’s Career Statistics
Career appearances. 797
Notable Club(s)
Torquay United, Swansea City, Northampton Town, Gillingham, AFC Wimbledon, Wycombe Wanderers
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt and correct as of 03/02/25
