Top 5 Football Players From Serbia
The Top Serbian Football Players of All-Time
Serbia’s only been playing football since 2006 - but the nation boasts an incredible list of football legends.
Sports writer Chris Magee counts down the top 5 football players from Serbia, including historic names and modern legends.
Iconic Serbian player Dragan Džajić
A History of Serbian Football
Serbia has competed in football as an independent nation since 2006, following Montenegro’s breakaway. Before this, from 1992, the nation of FR Yugoslavia, later known as Serbia and Montenegro, competed in the UEFA Federation.
Despite experiencing a brief history of independence, Serbia boasts many great football players - and the nation has competed in many football championships, too.
Serbia and Montenegro were both impressive at the 1998 FIFA World Cup, reaching round 16. In the 2000 European Championships, they reached the quarter-finals.
Serbia and Montenegro entered its last major tournament as a nation in 2006, but unfortunately, they left the World Cup in Germany with zero points in the group stage.
In the 2010 World Cup - their first World Cup since the split - Serbia also failed to make it out of the groups.
However, former Liverpool man Milan Jovanovic’s goal was enough to beat Germany on match-day two - a game that became known as the greatest in Serbia’s short history as an independent football nation.
At the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Serbia scored just three points in the group, ensuring their sharp exit. However, Serbia shocked Portugal in their qualifying game for the Qatar World Cup in 2022.
They finished first, ensuring automatic qualification. Another historic moment came in 2023, with Serbia qualifying for Euro 2024.
We take a look at the top 5 football players from Serbia, including footballers who played for FR Yugoslavia and Serbia Montenegro, counting down to the greatest Serbian players ever!
5. Branislav Ivanovic
Caps: 105
Goals: 13
He competed in two World Cups: 2010 and 2018
Branislav Ivanovic played his best with Chelsea. He won nine major titles, including three Premier League titles, as well as the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League.
Ivanovic was an ever-reliable defender who could be deployed anywhere across the back four, and he was invaluable to Chelsea's modern success.
Ivanovic travelled with his national team to two World Cups, in 2010 and 2018.
He was Serbia's captain from 2012 to 2018, and he surpassed compatriot Dejan Stankovic as his nation’s all-time record appearance holder.
4. Vladimir Beara
Caps: 59
Yugoslav League champion seven times
He won a silver medal with the Yugoslavian national team in the 1952 Olympics
Beara might be a surprise inclusion, but he is renowned as one of the top goalkeepers in the history of football.
Beara is without a doubt the greatest Serbian goalkeeper of all-time. Lev Yeshin stated that Beara was superior to himself, and he spoke volumes about his ability.
During his career, Beara was a Yugoslav League champion seven times, and he won a silver medal with the Yugoslavian national team in the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki.
Beara also played at three FIFA World Cups: 1950, 1954 and 1958.
3. Dejan Stankovic
Caps: 103
Goals: 15
He won the Serie A six times and the Italian Cup five times
Stankovic began his career as Red Star's youngest captain ever, at just 19 years old.
Soon after, there was interest from Italy and Stankovic transferred to Lazio SS. This is where his career really took off!
Despite experiencing world-class competition in the form of Pavel Nedved and Argentine Juan Sebastián Verón, he established himself as a regular at Lazio.
In 2004, he transferred to Inter Milan, where he remained up until the end of his career in 2013.
He won Serie A six times and the Italian Cup five times during his stay in Italy. He also won the UEFA Champions League in 2010 and he is Serbia's all-time leading appearance-maker in the competition.
Stankovic ranks high on this list not only for his club contributions but also because he was a leader in the squad. He oversaw the late success of Serbia and Montenegro in the World Cup and Euros.
He also led his country through a new beginning of independence. Stankovic is undoubtedly Serbia’s greatest legend of the modern era!
2. Dragan Džajić
Caps: 85
Goals: 23
Dubbed a “Balkan Miracle” by Pelé
This explosive left winger found the net 144 times in 361 official matches for only two teams, Red Star Belgrade and Bastia of France.
He has an impeccable record for a winger and he provided for his teammates on the field.
Dzajic's incredible dribbling and his ability to find his teammates, as well as his unbelievable finishing style, were remarkable.
The great Pelé labelled Dzajic as a "Balkan Miracle”. Praise doesn’t get better than that!
1. Blagoje Marjanovi Moa
Caps: 58
Goals: 37
802 goals in 804 appearances
Blagoje Marjanovi Moa was Serbia's first professional football player.
Marjanovi was a natural finisher who scored 37 goals for his country in 58 appearances, and he was part of the Yugoslavia outfit that finished third in their first FIFA World Cup, after a contentious semi-final loss to Uruguay.
In his club career, he managed 802 goals in 804 appearances at six different clubs, a record no Serbian footballer has ever beaten.
It is this record that truly sets him apart from any other players from the former Yugoslavia region, not just Serbia.
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