10 Greatest Serbians in Football History [Ranked]

Serbia has a rich and established history when it comes to footballing talents. Formerly competing as Yugoslavia for many years, the break-up of the nation resulted in representation first as Serbia and Montenegro and then, from 2006 onwards, as Serbia.

In spite of various iterations of the national team, one thing has remained the same, the footballing talent which has risen from Serbian-born players. As Yugoslavia and then FR Yugoslavia, the nation reached nine World Cups, finishing in fourth place on two occasions. As Serbia, the nation has continued to be a regular at the finals, turning out in four of the last five competitions. Read on, as GIVEMESPORT delivers a run-down of the greatest Serbian players to have strutted their stuff in the beautiful game.

10 Dusan Tadic

Career span: 2006-current

Former Southampton midfielder Dusan Tadic began his playing career at hometown club A.I.K. Backa Topola but undoubtedly made his name at Dutch club F.C. Twente. During his time at The Reds, Tadic’s attacking prowess was a sight to behold. He scored 32 goals in his two seasons at the club, finishing top goalscorer in the latter campaign. With such consistent and productive performances to his name, Premier League side Southampton secured the Serbian’s services in 2014. After a memorable four-year spell on the south coast of England, Tadic returned to the Netherlands, this time to play for European royalty Ajax.

During his first season in Amsterdam, Tadic scored once and got two assists at the Estadio Bernabeu, where his new side astonishingly knocked out Real Madrid. After the historic victory, Ajax went all the way to the Champions League semi-finals, with Tadic playing a significant role in the forward line. Tadic won the Eredivisie title, the Dutch Cup, and the division’s Golden Boot in the same campaign, scoring 28 goals. After four campaigns leading Ajax, the silky Serbian moved to the Turkish club Fenerbahce, while remaining captain of the Serbian national team.

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9 Nemanja Matic

Career span: 2006-current

At age 20, Nemanja Matic joined Chelsea from Slovakian side Kosice for £1.5 million in 2009. After only making two first-team appearances in two seasons, Matic opted for a loan move to Dutch club Vittese, where he made a significant impact and caught the attention of Benfica. In the summer of 2011, a deal was struck, sending Brazilian defender David Luiz to Chelsea in the other direction. During his time at Benfica, Matic lifted two Taça da Liga, a Portuguese Cup, a Primeira Liga victory and a Player of the Year award, which skyrocketed his stock so much so that his former club, Chelsea, opted to buy him back.

After his £21 million return to Stamford Bridge was confirmed, it took no time for Matic to slot straight into Jose Mourinho‘s side. The Serbian’s bullish, dominating play was adored so much by his manager, Mourinho, that he signed three times. Matic followed the Special One to Manchester United in 2017 and AS Roma in 2022. The two-time Serbian Player of the year now plays at Olympique Lyonnais.

8 Aleksandar Mitrovic

Career span: 2011-current

At the age of 18, Aleksandar Mitrovic was dubbed one of the hottest young prospects in Europe and was on the radar of many top clubs. In 2013, Mitrovic joined Belgian giants Anderlecht, a club known for successfully developing young talent. In his two seasons in Belgium, the Serbian striker scored an impressive 36 goals. However, after a mixed spell at Newcastle United, the Serbian’s reputation undoubtedly had taken a knock. Fulham took a chance on the Serbian on an initial loan deal in 2018. Despite joining the club at the season’s midway point, the Serbian tallied up an outstanding 12 goals in 17 games, helping Fulham achieve promotion.

On the back of his successful spell with the Cottagers, Mitrovic’s move was made permanent. Despite a couple of relegations with Fulham, his goals kept coming, contributing hugely towards two promotion campaigns. His most memorable campaign was the 2021/22 Championship season, where he scored 43 goals in the league. After an unforgettable five years at Fulham, Mitrovic opted to join Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal in the summer of 2023.

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7 Rajko Mitic

Career span: 1940-1958

Highly regarded as one of the greatest footballers in Serbia and Yugoslavia’s history, Rajko Mitic was widely known for his leadership qualities. Shortly after World War II, Mitic was appointed captain of the newly formed Red Star Belgrade, a club today known as one of the biggest clubs in Serbia.

Across 13 years in the red and white of Red Star, Mitic played a massive role, scoring 262 goals in 572 games for the club. During this time, Mitic lifted five Yugoslavian titles, a Serbian title and six domestic cups, creating the beginning of the club’s domestic success. Upon retiring in 1958 at 36, Mitic’s involvement in the club continued, with two spells as the club’s vice president before managing the Yugoslavia national team. Following his death in 2008, Red Star renamed their stadium in his memory.

6 Branislav Ivanovic

Career span: 2002-2021

Branislav Ivanovic began his successful career in his home country before moving to Lokomotiv Moscow. Ivanovic won his first major honours during his two seasons in the Russian capital, winning two Russian Cups. His bright performances in the red and green of Lokomotiv caught the eye of Chelsea, who signed him for £9 million.

Nine years later, Ivanovic tallied numerous accolades, including being named in the PFA Team of the Year twice. The Serbian became known for his tough tackling, reliability and versatility, playing at right back and centre back on occasion. After 377 appearances and ten trophies, Ivanovic left Chelsea in 2017, returning to Russia to join Zenit Saint Petersburg. The Serbian signed for Premier League strugglers West Brom in 2020, but despite his best efforts, the club were relegated. Ivanovic retired upon the expiration of his contract at the Baggies.

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5 Predrag Mijatovic

Career span: 1987-2003

Former Real Madrid star Predrag Mijatovic was widely regarded as one of the greatest strikers in the world. With his incredible goalscoring ability and flawless timing of his runs, Mijatovic was a nightmare for defenders. After three prolific years at Partizan, the Yugoslavian transferred to Valencia.

In his last season for Los Ches, Mijatovic bagged 28 goals in La Liga, finishing second for the Golden Boot. His impressive third season on the Spanish East Coast was enough to gain the interest of Real Madrid, who eventually secured his services. During Mijatović’s time at Los Blancos, he earned second place in the 1997 Ballon d’Or. However, arguably his biggest accolade was scoring the winning goal in the 1998 UEFA Champions League final.

4 Dragan Dzajic

Career span: 1963-1978

Not only is Dragan Dzajic considered one of the greatest Serbian players of all time, but he is also one of the greatest left-wingers to have ever played the game. With five Yugoslavian titles and five cups to his name, Dzajic enjoyed an incredibly successful time at Red Star Belgrade. Known for his blistering pace and exceptionally gifted left foot, Dzajic was a menacing winger for over a decade. Internationally, Dzajic crowning honour came at Euro ’68 when he finished as the competition’s top scorer.

At the age of 17, the then-talented youngster made his first debut for Red Star at left-back before innately drifting upfield due to his dribbling ability and attacking prowess. 12 incredibly victorious seasons later, Dzajic eft his country for the first time in his career, joining French side SC Bastia. After two highly effective campaigns on the French island of Corsica, Dzajic returned to Belgrade, where he played out his last season before retiring in 1978.

3 Nemanja Vidic

Career span: 2000-2016

Widely talked about as one of the greatest defenders to ever grace the Premier League, Nemanja Vidic is undoubtedly a Serbian great. Despite having stints in Serbia and Russia, it was in England where the defender found his best form. During his eight-year spell at Manchester United, the Serbians’ physical presence and leadership aided the Red Devils hugely in the latter years of the Sir Alex Ferguson era.

During this period, Vidic formed a legendary partnership with Englishman Rio Ferdinand, who he eventually played 197 times alongside. Vidic won two Player of the Year awards, a Champions League, five Premier League titles and many domestic cups. He ended his career in 2016 after a two-season spell at Inter.

2 Dragan Stojkovic

Career span: 1981-2001

To a particular generation, Dragan Stojkovic is widely known as the man who leads Serbia as manager, but to another, he was known as one of the best players in Europe. While serving as captain for both Red Star Belgrade and the Yugoslavian national team, Stojkovic grew a reputation as being an incredibly inventive midfielder.

His world-class displays in the 1990 World Cup, which took his nation to the quarter-final stage, were the final nail in the coffin for French giants Olympique Marseille, who recruited Stojkovic soon after the tournament. During his time in France, Stojkovic failed to play his best football. Despite this, he achieved a Ligue 1 title and a UEFA Champions League crown.

1 Dejan Stankovic

Career span: 1995-2013

Two-time Serbian player of the year, Dejan Stankovic is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders of his generation. After winning several domestic titles in his home country with Red Star, Lazio swooped in and secured the Serbian for £10.5 million. Stankovic won one UEFA Super Cup, one Serie A and four domestic cups while at Lazio.

After four seasons, Stankovic moved to Inter where, in nine years, he won 15 trophies. His most notable achievement was being a part of the UEFA Champions League winning team of the 2009/10 season. Since retirement in 2013, Stankovic embarked on a career in management, where he currently coaches Spartak Moscow.

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All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt, correct as of 03.07.24.