Franky van der Elst (born April 30, 1961 in Opwijk, Belgium) is a former football player and now manager. He was named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers in March 2004.

As a player, van der Elst spent most of his time at Club Brugge. He played in four World Cups from 1986 to 1998.