Football has a short memory. Whilst a lot of footballers are forgotten over the course of time, their impact and contribution to the game can never cease to exist.
Underrated footballers are ones whose work and achievements have largely gone unnoticed. Despite the prominent role they executed, the glamour and the spotlight often fell on the protagonistic players of the media.
- Angel Di Maria
A player who proved to be an “Angel” in the true sense for the two of the greatest footballers of our generation, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Di Maria played an essential role in Real Madrid’s “La Decima” quest and earned the MVP award for the final in 2014, but his contributions were overlooked by the monstrous performance of Cristiano Ronaldo who scored 17 goals in the UCL season.
Similar was his case with the Argentine national team with near misses every time he stepped on the field. After repeated failures, he scored goals in the World Cup Final and Copa America Final, which immortalised his name in Argentina history. Yet again it was time for his counterpart Lionel Messi to shine bright. Scoring 235 goals and providing 313 assists speak volumes of his on field presence. Angel was key in Kylian Mbappe and Neymar’s career in the French capital as well.
2. Thomas Muller
A dynamic forward line player who immortalised his name among German and Bayern Munchen fans. When asked about his playing position, the German termed himself as a “Raumdeuter” also known as space interpreter in his language. He’s neither a striker or winger, nor is he a midfielder. He is a player that finds spaces and cracks within the opposition’s lineup and breaks through it to score goals.
Calling him “underrated” would be a crime given the prominence he held in the German and Bayern team. He was often overlooked amongst renowned talents such as Neuer, Ribery, Robben, Lewandowski, Kroos, Kane, across his teams. Winning the Golden Boot at the 2010 FIFA World Cup is evidence of his goalscoring abilities. His dynamism helped him achieve 13 Bundesliga titles and 2 UCLs with Bayern Munchen, with the 2014 World Cup trophy as a cherry on the cake.
3. Pedro
How many players in the European football circuit can say that they managed to lay their hands on every possible trophy in football? Pedro is one such player. A serial winner who achieved silverware everywhere he went.
He has won both the FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euros with Spain. His club accolades include- La Liga, Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, FIFA Club World Cup and the list can go on for a while.
Most individuals would think that he might have been a benchwarmer and just been lucky to be a part of squads. But this dynamic forward has over 100 goals and multiple assists and was a key factor in FC Barcelona’s 2011 UCL win. He formed a world class trio along with David Villa and Lionel Messi. At the age of 38 after achieving multiple accolades, the player is a regular starter for Lazio in Serie A.
4. Keylor Navas
Most people tend to forget Navas when it comes to the 3-peat Real Madrid squad of 2018. Players like Ronaldo, Ramos, Bale, Marcelo, Modric and Kroos walk away with their due respect, but often forget about Navas’ contribution. A player with more than 150 appearances for Los Blancos, created history by winning multiple UCLs and FIFA Club World Cup titles. In 2018, after the club’s historic run, Keylor was replaced by the best goalkeeper of the summer World Cup, Thibaut Courtois.
This forced him a move to PSG, where he was key in the club’s first ever UCL final appearance in 2020. He helped the club reach the semi finals the following season by having remarkable performances against the likes of Bayern Munich and FC Barcelona including a penalty save off Lionel Messi. Unfortunately he was again replaced next season, this time by the best goalkeeper of the Euros, Gianluigi Donnarumma.
His performances with Costa Rica are impressive in their own way. Having his country drawn into the “Group of Death” along with Uruguay, Italy and England, Navas provided performances that not only helped his country top the group, but managed to carry them to the quarter finals, cementing his legacy as one of the greats of the generation.
5. Marco Verratti
An essential cog in PSG’s midfield, never got the recognition he deserved. Due to PSG’s large spending on megastars, the name Verratti got lost in the shine of their performances. A player who was vital in the club’s best UCL runs and winning multiple league titles was always one to watch out for.
He was also vital in Italy’s Euro 2020 win after failing to qualify for the World Cup a few years prior. Marco dictated the terms of the game and controlled the pace of players on both sides with his moves.
After a decade of silverware, the player silently moved to Al Arabi in 2023. As of 2025 he plays for Al Duhail in Qatar.
Aadi's Sports Corner 
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