AS Monaco legends: Top 10 all-time greats for the Monégasques

AS Monaco legends: Top 10 all-time greats for the Monégasques

Ciku Njuguna
updated at August 9, 2023 at 9:30 AM

The Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club SA is almost 98 years old at the time of writing. Throughout its existence, AS Monaco's legends have made a name for themselves playing in the top-tier Ligue 1 club.

Who was the best player in Monaco?
Famous AS Monaco legends include Youri, Mbappe, and Thuram. Photo by Michael Regan - FIFA and Dominique Charriau/Wire image.
Source: Getty Images

The club has become the most successful Ligue 1 football club, with eight league titles won in a row. Detailed summaries of the greatest footballers who used to play for Monaco reveal their skills.

The Monégasques legends

Using the latest publications by Transfermarkt and MonacoNow this detailed account of Monaco's greatest players with pictures and short bios showcase their abilities.

10. Youri Djorkaeff

Starting the list is a French-Armenian retired attacking midfielder who played for the club between November 1990 and July 1995. As the current FIFA Foundation CEO, Youri Djorkaeff's fame and popularity continues to grow.

Exciting feature: Check out news exactly for YOU ➡️ find "Recommended for you" block and enjoy!

Where is Youri Djorkaeff from?
French player Youri Djorkaeff was in action during a European Championships match between France and Romania at St James's Park in June 1996 in Newcastle, England. Photo by Clive Brunskill/Allsport.
Source: Getty Images

Full name

Youri Raffi Djorkaeff

Date of birth

9th March 1968

Age

54 as of August 2022

Position(s)

Attacking midfield, striker, centre-forward

Awards won at the club

1991/92 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup runner-up 1990/91 French Cup

9. Manuel Amoros

Former Monaco players
France's Manuel Amoros (L) challenges West Germany's Pierre Littbarski during the 1982 World Cup Finals for the ball. Photo: Bob Thomas Sports
Source: Getty Images

One of AS Monaco's legendary defenders is Amoros, a retired French right-backer who played for the club between 1980/81 and 1989/90. With 308 appearances at the club, he scored 37 goals with 1 assist.

Full name

Manuel Amoros

Date of birth

1st February 1962

Age

60 as of August 2022

Position(s)

Right and left-Back

Awards won at the club

1984/85 French Cup 1981/82, 1987/88 French Champion

8. Victor Ikpeba

How many goals did Victor Ikpeba scored for Monaco?
Victor Ikpeba was in action during the French Championship against Olympique Marseille in Marseille, France. Photo by Shaun Botterill/Allsport.
Source: Getty Images

In position eight is Victor Ikpeba, one of AS Monaco's legendary players. Would you like to know why Victor Ikpeba is called the Prince of Monaco? Out of 218 appearances with Les Monégasques, Ikpeba scored 19 Ligue 1 goals out of 76 total goals and 4 assists.

Full name

Victor Ikpeba Nosa

Date of birth

12th June 1973

Age

49 as of August 2022

Position(s)

Centre-forward

Awards won at the club

1997 African Footballer of the Year 1996/97 French Champion 1996/97, 1997/98 French Super Cup 1998, 1994 Champions League participant 1997, 1999 UEFA Cup Participant

7. Lilian Thuram

Why is Lilian Thuram famous?
Retired Monaco defender Lilian Thuram attends the "Allons Enfants" Premiere during Festival Cinema For Change at Le Grand Rex in April 2022 in Paris, France. Photo by Laurent Viteur.
Source: Getty Images

Lilian Thuram, popularly known as the Philosopher, is our seventh AS Monaco football legend. To date, he is still the most capped player in the history of the French national football team. In addition, being a FIFA 20 icon makes Thuram one of the legendary football players in the world right now.

Full name

Ruddy Lilian Thuram-Ulien

Date of birth

1st January 1972

Age

50 as of August 2022

Position(s)

Centre-back defender

Awards won at the club

1990/91 French Cup 1991/92 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup runner-up

6. Ludovic Giuly

What was Ludovic Giuly's number at AS Monaco?
Ludovic Giuly during the April 2004 UEFA Champions League semi-final match between AS Monaco and Chelsea at Louis II Stadium in Monaco. Photo by Shaun Botterill.
Source: Getty Images

Giuly played for the Monégasques between 1997/98 to 2004/05 and later between 2011/12 and 2012/13. He also returned to AS Monaco B between 2016/17 to 2017/18 before retiring. During this time, he scored about 67 goals with 13 assists in over 260 appearances.

Full name

Ludovic Vincent Giuly

Date of birth

10th July 1976

Age

46 as of August 2022

Position(s)

Winger, striker

Awards won at the club

1999/00 French Champion 2002/03 French League Cup 2000/01 French Super Cup

5. Claude Puel

Where is Claude Puel now?
Saint Etienne's coach, Claude Puel during a 2019 Ligue 1 match against his former team, AS Monaco at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in Saint-Etienne, France. Photo by Romain Biard/Icon Sport.
Source: Getty Images

Before joining Monaco's coaching team for four years between 1996 and 1999, he held the record for one of the highest numbers of appearances at the club. Since then, Claude Puel has managed clubs such as Saint-Étienne, Southampton FC, OGC Nice, LOSC Lille, Olympique Lyon, and Leicester City.

Full name

Claude Jacques Puel

Date of birth

2nd September 1961

Age

60 as of August 2022

Position(s)

Defensive midfield, right-back defender

Awards won at the club

1981/82, 1987/88 French champion 1979/80, 1984/85, 1990/91 French Cup

4. Jean-Luc Ettori

Is Jean-Luc Ettori a former Monaco coach?
Former Monaco goalkeeper Jean-Luc Ettori guards the net during the 1982 FIFA World Cup match between England and France at Estadio San Mames in June 1982 in Bilbao, Spain. Photo by Allsport.
Source: Getty Images

The 67-year-old (at the time of writing) retired goalkeeper played for the club throughout his career after leaving the INF Vichy football academy. Transfermarkt's report on Monégasques record players revealed that he had the highest number of appearances for the squad playing in 569 games. During his stay at the club, he had about 237 clean sheets with 499 goals conceded.

Full name

Jean-Luc Ettori

Date of birth

29th July 1995

Age

27 as of August 2022

Position(s)

Goalkeeper

Awards won at the club

1987/88, 1981/82, 1977/78 French Champion 1990/91, 1984/85, 1979/80 French Cup

3. Cesc Fàbregas

Is Cesc Fabregas still in Monaco?
Cesc Fabregas during the 2021 UEFA Champions League match between Monaco and Sparta Praha at Stade Louis II in August 2021 in Monaco. Photo by Jonathan Moscrop.
Source: Getty Images

Cesc is currently one of the most famous soccer players in the world. Although he is regarded as one of the best football players in the world, the central midfielder left Monaco after uneventful three-and-a-half seasons, with only 4 goals and 9 assists.

Full name

Francesc Fàbregas Soler

Date of birth

4th May 1987

Age

35 as of August 2022

Position(s)

Central, attacking, and defensive midfielder

2. Thierry Henry

How long did Thierry Henry play for Monaco?
AS Monaco's former forward Thierry Henry in action during a UEFA Cup match against Newcastle United at St James' Park in March 1997 in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England. Photo by Stu Forster/Allsport.
Source: Getty Images

In the second position is the biggest AS Monaco legend. In 2022, Thierry Henry was crowned the Premier League's greatest player ever. In addition, AS Monaco's official website named him one of the best French strikers of all time. During his time at the club, he appeared in 139 football matches scoring 28 goals with 2 assists.

Full name

Thierry Daniel Henry

Date of birth

17th August 1977

Age

45 as of August 1977

Position(s)

Centre-forward, winger, striker, midfielder

Awards won at the club

1996/97 French Champion 1998 Champions League participant

1. Kylian Mbappé

How many goals did Mbappe scored in Monaco?
Mbappe celebrates after winning the Ligue 1 title after a match between As Monaco and AS Saint Etienne at Stade Louis II in May 2017 in Monaco. Photo by Pascal Della Zuana/Icon Sport.
Source: Getty Images

At the top of the AS Monaco legends list is one of the fastest footballers in the Premier League right now. He joined Monaco Youth in 2013 and later played with the Under 19, UEFA Under-19, reserve, and senior teams. In addition, the AS Monaco legend is one of the highest-rated FIFA 22 players.

Even after leaving the club, Kylian's performance cements his position as one of AS Monaco's top legends of all time. Please scroll down to find out what Kylian Mbappé won for AS Monaco during the 65 games he appeared in.

Full name

Kylian Mbappé Lottin

Date of birth

20th December 1998

Age

23 as of August 2022

Position(s)

Centre-forward, winger

Awards won at the club

2016/17 French Champion 2015/16 French Youth Cup

Notable mentions

Some of the most famous AS Monaco legends include notable soccer stars such as Yaya Toure, Emmanuel Adebayor, and George Weah. To date, the former Monégasques players still enjoy the admiration of millions of fans worldwide.

What was Yaya Toure's best season at Monaco?
Yaya Toure in action during the World Legends FIFA Arab Cup 2021 match between Arab Legends and World Legends at Al Thumana Stadium in December 2021 in Doha, Qatar. Photo by Matthew Ashton - AMA.
Source: Getty Images

Before playing in the club, numerous footballers, such as Kylian Mbappe, trained in the Monégasques academy. Today, several AS Monaco legends, such as Youri, FIFA Foundation's CEO, still contribute to the sport's growth.

READ ALSO: Olympique de Marseille legends: Top 10 all-time greats for the Les Phocéens

Sportsbrief recently published an article about record-holding players of Olympique de Marseille. Throughout its existence, the club has had players from around the globe.

Find out more about the Marseille legends behind its three Coupes de la Ligue, ten Coupes de France, 11 Ligue 1 championships, and the UEFA Champions League Cup.

Authors
Ciku Njuguna photo
Ciku Njuguna
Ciku Njuguna is a journalist with 3 year’s experience in content creation based in Kenya. She currently covers sports personnel as well as team biographies.