The best football duos

The best things often come in twos. Salt and pepper, Mario and Luigi, Jamie Carragher and comical own goals.

Naturally, there have been some incredible double acts in football over the years, ranging from prolific striking partnerships to formidable defensive pairings. Within a team game, some work better inside an even smaller team.

Forming a telepathic relationship on the football pitch is no simple feat, with the most successful duos dovetailing in perfect harmony on the grandest stages.

Without further ado, here are some of the best duos in football history - and no trios allowed.

Johan Cruyff and Johan Neeskens

Johan Cruyff, one of the chief pioneers of Total Football in the 1970s, saw his genius facilitated by one of his most favoured teammates, Johan Neeskens. The duo worked together closely across the decade, blossoming hand-in-hand at Ajax, Barcelona and the Dutch national team.

Neeskens adopted a central midfield role to support Cruyff's remarkable creativity and the pair forged an incredible relationship as they dazzled for club and country. Neeskens provided the grit and determination in the engine room that enabled Cruyff to inspire audiences worldwide with his brilliance.

Paolo Maldini and Marco Baresi

Paolo Maldini + Franco Baresi = immovable force.

Few are offered a greater mentorship than Maldini was at AC Milan, learning his trade alongside legendary Italian centre-half Baresi. The latter was a titan in his own right but quickly prospered lining up next to his less experienced but more athletic compatriot.

The duo were almost impenetrable for club and country, conceding just 23 times in 196 matches together. Simply insane.

Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton

It feels a long, long time since Blackburn Rovers were crowned Premier League champions, with the prolific partnership of Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton key to the Lancashire outfit's remarkable triumph.

Dubbed 'SAS', they produced 49 goals between them during the 1994/95 Premier League campaign, both boasting fierce physical profiles and exquisite finishing ability. They combined 13 times over the course of the season and have etched their name into English football history as a formidable double act.

Kevin Phillips and Niall Quinn

English football has embraced 'little and large' partnerships over the years but few have proven more fruitful than Kevin Phillips (little) and Niall Quinn (large). The pair blossomed at Sunderland and hit their peak in 1999/00, netting 44 times between them across the campaign.

Quinn naturally had a keen eye for goal but often acted as facilitator to Phillips, who produced 30 strikes en route to winning the Premier League's Golden Boot and the European Golden Shoe.

Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole

Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole teamed up on three separate occasions. Their first and most successful stint together came at Manchester United, where they immediately hit it off as the Red Devils secured the treble in 1998/99. They bagged a combined 53 goals between them.

Hailed for their innate connection in the final third, Yorke and Cole continued to thrive alongside one another at Old Trafford before eventually reuniting at Blackburn at the turn of the century, although success wasn't quite as forthcoming at Ewood Park.

However, the pair still managed to rub shoulders one final time at Sunderland in the latter stages of their careers.

Robert Pires and Thierry Henry

On an individual level, both Robert Pires and Thierry Henry were maestros. However, when combining for Arsenal during a trophy-laden period around the millennium, they proved that teamwork does indeed make the dream work.

Henry often hogged the headlines for his era-defining performances and sensational strikes, but his French teammate regularly picked him out and helped his natural genius shine through. They combined for 29 goals in the Premier League, the third most of any twosome.

Alessandro Del Piero and David Trezeguet

Alessandro Del Piero had already made a name for himself at Juventus before the arrival of David Trezeguet in 2000. However, the Frenchman's entrance only improved Del Piero's exceptional performances.

Del Piero's nimbleness complemented Trezeguet's power perfectly and the duo spent a decade together working in harmony in Turin. Together they won plenty, including multiple Serie A titles - and even Serie B following the Calciopoli scandal.

Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba

Two of Chelsea's all-time greats shared the pitch for almost a decade and were a formidable force in the final third in west London. Frank Lampard was the perfect foil for Didier Drogba, with the former knitting play together in attacking midfield and the latter leading the line with power and consistency.

They combined for 36 goals in the Premier League - the second most of any duo in the competition's history - and brought unprecedented success to Stamford Bridge alongside an array of exceptional supporting actors.

Peter Crouch and Jermaine Defoe

Peter Crouch and Jermaine Defoe were the heirs to Quinn and Phillips' throne, forging the perfect big man and little man partnership during impressive spells at Portsmouth and Tottenham Hotspur. The 6'7 frame of Crouch allowed the diminutive Defoe to thrive, the latter waiting for knock-downs and darting in behind the opposition backline.

The pair also teamed up on international duty semi-regularly, although neither were considered main characters for the Three Lions.

You don't see double acts like this anymore, much to our frustration.

Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres

Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres didn't spend awfully long together at Anfield but they made their time side-by-side count. In the latter half of the noughties, the duo combined weekly under the guidance of Rafael Benitez, with Gerrard often serving Torres with the perfect pass.

The long-haired Spaniard never performed better than when Gerrard was bouncing box-to-box behind him and the two superstars almost combined for Liverpool's first Premier League title in 2008/09 as they scored 30 goals between them.

Sergio Ramos and Pepe

Partnerships have seldom been feared more than when Sergio Ramos and Pepe took to the field as a central defensive duo. Not just because they were exceptional centre-backs but due to their knack for kicking lumps out of opposition forwards.

The pair guarded Real Madrid's defence for a decade and helped Los Blancos add to their overflowing trophy cabinet. Three Champions League titles, three La Liga crowns and two FIFA Club World Cups is a pretty eye-catching haul.

Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci

Speaking of awe-inspiring and combative defensive double acts, step up Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci (with a nod to Andrea Barzagli, too). Filling the shoes of Maldini and Baresi, the Italian duo enjoyed incredible success for Juventus and Italy.

Key to the Azzurri's Euro 2020 triumph, a brief break-up in 2017/18 as Bonucci spent a year with Milan didn't dent their legacy or their connection when they reunited. They didn't have speed or athleticism, but they understood the game - and one another - like few other centre-backs.

Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez

Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge's time together was short but incredibly sweet. The pair quickly formed a prolific partnership while leading Liverpool's line, producing their most fruitful campaign in 2013/14 as the Reds nearly scooped a first Premier League title.

They scored 52 goals between them in the league alone across the season and both offered breathtaking performances on the biggest stage. Suarez shone particularly bright but the sensational left foot of Sturridge more than played its part in a deadly partnership.

Arjen Robbery and Franck Ribery

Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery are not a traditional double act. Playing on opposite flanks, they didn't spend much time in close proximity on the pitch, but they were an unstoppable duo as Bayern Munich dominated German football - and sometimes European football - in the 2010s.

Both were renowned for cutting inside and taking aim at goal, scoring a staggering number in a formidable Bayern side. Despite forming a different kind of dynamic, they have earned their place in this list.

Harry Kane and Son Heung-min

No combination has set one another up more frequently in the Premier League than Harry Kane and Son Heung-min did at Tottenham. The prolific Englishman and indefatigable South Korean combined for 47 goals across their Spurs careers.

Kane's ability to score, hold the ball up and knit play together in a deeper role allowed Son to flourish on the left flank, with the pair earning their status as Tottenham legends. Unfortunately for Son, Kane's move to Bayern ended their on-field friendship.

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