Top 10 Fastest Soccer Players in History | Ranked

Speed is one of the most important tools to succeed in soccer. Throughout the journey of this beautiful game, it has been blessed with some of the fastest soccer players, who have fascinated everyone. The game has witnessed a certain number of players demonstrating lightning pace and exceptional skills over the years to go past their opponents in every match.

Players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Kylian Mbappe, or Thierry Henry have been incredibly fast in the game. This list has been prepared on the basis of the top speeds the soccer players achieved during a match.

List of Fastest Soccer Players in the World

Player Name	Speed (km/h)
Thierry Henry	39.2
Micky van de Ven	37.38
Kyle Walker	37.31
Arjen Robben	37
Chiedozie Ogbene	36.94
Gareth Bale	36.9
Pedro Neto	36.86
Dominik Szoboszlai	36.75
Dara O’Shea	36.73
Antonio Rudiger	36.72

10. Antonio Rudiger (36.72 km/h)

The tall defender from Germany has been an immovable force in Los Blancos defense for the last two-three years. His acceleration and pace have helped him to serve his purpose at the back. Rudiger clocked the top speed of 36.72 kilometers per hour and established himself as one of the fastest soccer players in history.

9. Dara O’Shea (36.73 km/h)

Dara O’Shea is another defender on the list of the fastest soccer players in the world. The Premier League star, who plays for Burnley, is one of those players, who has graced the game with strength, pace, and art of defense. To stay up with the talented forwards in the Premier League, O’Shea has worked on his speed and acceleration. The best example of that is his top speed of 36.73 kilometers per hour that he achieved in an English top flight match.

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8. Dominik Szoboszlai (36.75 km/h)

Midfielders are not known for their speed. They are masters of soccer art. Dominik Szoboszlai is an attacking midfielder who generally plays the role of a box-to-box midfielder. The Liverpool midfielder, who is the captain of Hungary National Football Team, has achieved an incredible feat after showing his blistering pace in soccer. It is very difficult for midfielders, who usually prefer to tear apart opponents through beautiful passing and positioning, to produce a top speed of 36.75 kilometers per hour. He has exactly done that with grace and strength.

7. Pedro Neto (36.86 km/h)

Pedro Neto is a surprising name on the list of fastest soccer players ever. He, widely known for his trickery and a vast array of skills, currently plays for Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League. However, besides his incredible skillful displays, he has demonstrated his astonishing speed on several occasions. Neto reached a speed of 36.86 km per hour.

6. Gareth Bale (36.9 km/h)

Gareth Bale attracted Real Madrid‘s eyes for his exceptional speed and exquisite dribbling skills. He is another player on the list of the fastest soccer players as he reached a remarkable top speed of 36.9 km per hour.

His pace and acceleration worked like a nightmare against his opponents. Speed was basically his trademark. He has scored numerous goals through making orchestrating daring runs with lightning pace.

5. Chiedozie Ogbene (36.94 km/h)

Chiedozie Ogbene, a young player from Ireland, has written his name in the history book of soccer by becoming one of the fastest players in the world. He is currently plying trade with Luton Town in the EFL Championship.

The 27-year-old clocked the 36.94 km/h speed when he was playing against Fulham in the Premier League last year in September.

4. Arjen Robben (37 km/h)

One of the most legendary soccer players in history, Arjen Robben was not only a skillful player, but also a fast-paced player. The former Chelsea and Real Madrid star had to take the speedy path to beat the defenders and help in creating goal-scoring chances.

During the 5-1 thrashing of Spain, the then Netherlands winger showed an incredible speedy display to reach a speed of 37 km/h and run riot in the Spanish defense. He is the fourth player in soccer history to reach the 37-kilometer mark.

3. Kyle Walker (37.31 km/h)

Kyle Walker has been terrorizing Manchester City‘s opponents for the last few years. The 33-year-old right-back has been blessed with incredible pace, which helps him to contribute to his team’s defense and attack. He is the second player from the Premier League who has been able to hit the 37 km/h mark.

In the 2022/23 calendar year, the English defender achieved 37.31 km/h in an important match. Through this, he has been one of the fastest soccer players in the world.

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2. Micky van de Ven (37.38 km/h)

If you ask about the fastest soccer player in 2024, then it is Micky van de Ven. The 22-year-old defender has also become the fastest-ever soccer player in Premier League history after reaching an incredible top speed of 37.38 km/h in an English top-flight match.

In the 2023/24 season, during the match between Tottenham Hotspur and Brentford, van der Ven showed an incredible pace to reach the top speed, helping his side win 3-2 in the match.

1. Thierry Henry (39.2 km/h)

Thierry Henry is one of the most successful soccer players in the history of Barcelona and Arsenal. When he was in the English Premier League, he was on top of his career, assisted by his blistering pace and incredible skills. The former warrior of Arsene Wenger’s “Invincibles” recorded the fastest speed in any major soccer league in the world, clocking 39.2 km/h in 1998.

The French forward used to go past the defenders with ease through his incredible speed and flexibility. His exceptional dribbling skills also helped him increase his pace quickly.

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