21 Best Football Players In The World Right Now 2023 – Ranked!

There are some amazing football players in the world right now. The ones that we listed are based on their performances over the year. If you don’t agree, comment us below. Since its emergence, soccer has produced some unbelievable players to the elegance of the beautiful game throughout history.

Whether it be Pele, Di Stefano, Garrincha, Puskas in the 1950s, Maradona in the 1980s, or Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldinho, Messi and Ronaldo in the last 20 years, we have been fortunate enough to witness some of the world’s best football players.

Selecting a top 21 is not an easy task since there are a lot of deserving players on the planet right now. Without further hullabaloo, here is a list of the best football players in the world. The ranking of the soccer players is based on their last season’s performance stats.

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Top 21 Best Football Players in the World

There can be no end to debate among football fans over who is the best footballer in the world. There is no end to the love for football. If you are a football fan, you must know about the free football streaming sites on pathofex.

Every soccer fan has their own list, and the hot topic among them always remains who is best? Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo? To end all the debates and fan fights, here’s our list based on stats and performances.

21. Edouard Mendy – Chelsea/Senegal

Edouard Mendy

Bio
  • Date of birth: Mar 1, 1992
  • Place of birth: Montivilliers
  • Height: 1,94 m
  • Position: Goalkeeper
  • Current international: Senegal

This list would not have been completed if we did not place on it at least one goalkeeper, and this is the spot reserved for Edouard Mendy. He was relatively unknown when he joined Chelsea from Rennes, but everyone who follows Premier League football knows about him nowadays.

He was a new entrant when Chelsea won the Champions League recently and was much-needed security for the team when they needed it the most. He has been awarded the Best FIFA Goalkeeper award and will be an essential part of Chelsea’s upcoming 2023/23 campaign as they continue to fight for the title of the best football team in England.

Over the course of years, Mendy was targeted by various critics, and he knew that the best way to silence them was to perform on the pitch. He did just that with the Senegal national team at the Qatar World Cup and performed at a very high level. His team won two games which were enough to get them to the round of 16, where they got eliminated by England.

20. Federico Chiesa – Juventus/Italy

Federico Chiesa

Bio
  • Date of birth: Oct 25, 1997
  • Place of birth: Genova
  • Height: 1,75 m
  • Position: Right Winger
  • Current international: Italy

When Euro 2020 kicked off, Federico was still being introduced to international audiences as “the son of the former Italy striker Enrico Chiesa.” However, Federico turned that narrative upside down during the tournament as he helped Italy win the cup against England in the finals.

His success in Juventus further demonstrated his incredible skill, natural ability, and mental strength, as he continued to deliver fantastic games and became an integral part of the team. He is still only 24 years of age, and it seems that his time is arriving, judging by his recent matches and contributions.

19. Vinicius Junior – Real Madrid/Brazil

Vinicius Junior

Bio
  • Date of birth: Jul 12, 2000
  • Place of birth: São Gonçalo
  • Height: 1,76 m
  • Position: Left Winger
  • Current international: Brazil

Vini was asked recently to explain how he had improved so much from the player who first arrived at Santiago Bernabeu, and he simply replied, “I was 18.” It was an adequate answer as he greatly improved over the last couple of years and was a huge contributor to Real’s Champions League campaign when they won the whole thing.

There were times when he was ridiculed and the theme of a million memes as he missed chances. Nowadays, he is a revered and integral part of Real Madrid’s team under the leadership of Carlo Ancelotti, and since Vinicius is still so very young, there is plenty of room for him to grow even more and take his game to the next level.

Vinicius was also a part of the stacked Brazil team at the World Cup in Qatar. Although he did not get as much play time as he wanted, he still had some significant contributions on the pitch. The team easily advanced to the knockout stage, and in the round of 16 they eliminated South Korea.

However, they got upset in the quarterfinals match by Croatia, where they played a highly competitive game for 90 minutes and went to extra time. The winner could not be decided even after that, so the teams proceeded to the penalties, where Croatians got better off Brazil.

18. Harry Kane – Tottenham Hotspur/England

Harry Kane

Bio
  • Date of birth: Jul 28, 1993
  • Place of birth: London
  • Height: 1,88 m
  • Position: Centre-Forward
  • Current international: England

Harry Kane had an underwhelming start to the season as he barely had any effects in the first part of the last season. However, he made a comeback later on in the season as he ended the campaign with 17 goals in Premier League, which was quite an impressive feat.

There is no doubt regarding Kane’s skill and natural ability, and with Antonio Conte at the helm of Spurs will definitely give his best to compete for the English Premier League title in the upcoming season. Although he was one of the most dominant strikers in the world, he has not been able to convert that into success so far.

Kane was also the English national team’s captain at the World Cup in Qatar. England had a convincing run in the group stage with two wins and one draw. In the round of sixteen, they easily eliminated Senegal national team, but in the quarterfinals, they were stopped by the eventual finalist, France.

France was up 2-1, and Kane had a chance to tie the game after the penalty in the 84th minute. He missed, and his team got eliminated. However, he said that this penalty miss is fueling his desire to win trophies, and stated, “I had a bit of time away after, just to reflect, and it’s made me even more hungry to come back and be successful.”

17. Ruben Dias – Manchester City/Portugal

Ruben Dias

Bio
  • Date of birth: May 14, 1997
  • Place of birth: Amadora
  • Height: 1,87 m
  • Position: Centre-Back
  • Current international: Portugal

Although Manchester City is not shying away from spending big money, they do it after thorough research of a targeted player to ensure that he is the right man for the job. It was no different when they signed Dias for 61.2 million pounds from Benfica, as he quickly became the team’s leader both on and off the pitch.

Dias was also captaining the team, which was a huge success for such a young player at the time. His defending is classy and determined, and he was one of the most important puzzle pieces for the Pep Guardiola team’s championship run the last season.

Dias was also an important part of Portugal’s national team at the World Cup in Qatar. The team got out of the group stage relatively easily and absolutely obliterated the Switzerland team in the round of 16. However, they were stunned by the loss in the quarterfinals by the biggest surprise of the cup, Morocco, the team that eventually ended up fourth after losing to Croatia in the third-place play-off.

16. Dusan Vlahovic – Juventus/Serbia

Dusan Vlahovic

Bio
  • Date of birth: Jan 28, 2000
  • Place of birth: Belgrad
  • Height: 1,90 m
  • Position: Centre-Forward
  • Current international: Serbia

Dusan Vlahovic is a Serbian professional football player who plays at a striker position for Serie A Juventus and for the Serbian national team. He is only 22 years of age and has already made his mark by playing for Fiorentina, where he hardly could stop scoring.

Last season he signed with Juventus with a deal worth a maximum of 80 million euros plus other charges, which made that transfer the biggest of January in 2023. Vlahovic is a lethal striker that has extremely high sealing and is expected to get even better in the upcoming years.

Vlahovic was also part of the Serbian national team at the World Cup in 2022. He scored one goal against Switzerland, but the team had a disappointing run at the tournament, losing to Brazil and Switzerland and drawing with Cameroon, which was not enough to advance to the round of sixteen.

15. Bernardo Silva – Manchester City/Portugal

Bernardo Silva

Bio
  • Date of birth: Aug 10, 1994
  • Place of birth: Lisboa
  • Height: 1,73 m
  • Position: Attacking Midfield
  • Current international: Portugal

It is likely unfair that this Portuguese midfielder is in a relatively low position on this type of list, as he is definitely one of the most skilled players today. It seemed at one point that his best days were behind him when he struggled to ensure his place in the starting lineup.

However, he made most of his opportunities and is nowadays an integral part of Pep Guardiola’s team that won the English Premier League last season. Silva was a huge contributor to this campaign, and his incredible skills and experience were essential in this run. It seems that Manchester City is only getting better, so we wait for the upcoming season with high anticipation.

Silva was also an integral part of Portugal’s national team at the World Cup last year. Although he did not score, he was an important piece of the team and was anchoring the middle throughout their entire run. They lost to Morocco in the quarterfinals.

14. N’Golo Kante – Chelsea/France

N’Golo Kante

Bio
  • Date of birth: Mar 29, 1991
  • Place of birth: Paris
  • Height: 1,69 m
  • Position: Defensive Midfield
  • Current international: France

N’Golo Kante is an exceptional midfielder that plays for Chelsea, and he was a huge contributor to their last victory in the Champions League. He helped them overpower both Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid en route to the finals and was a man of the match there when they defeated Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.

The only problem with Kante is that he cannot stay in Chelsea’s midfield enough, as he has struggled to stay fit and healthy since 2019 and has been in and out of the lineup in the upcoming seasons. However, he was ready for Manchester City in the team’s run to the Champions League finals, and the upcoming 2023/23 season will be truly exciting for fans on Stamford Bridge.

When the World Cup in Qatar took place, Kante’s injuries again got the better of him. He has been ruled out of the tournament after undergoing an operation on a hamstring injury and was not able to help France’s national team, which made it to the finals again but failed to repeat the success from 2018 in Russia.

13. Jorginho – Arsenal/Italy

Jorginho - Arsenal Italy

Bio
  • Date of birth: Dec 20, 1991
  • Place of birth: Imbituba
  • Height: 1,78 m
  • Position: Defensive Midfield
  • Current international: Italy

Jorge Luis Frello Filho Cavaliere OMRI, also known as Jorginho, is a professional football player who plays as a midfielder in English Premier League’s Chelsea. Although he was in and out of the team under Frank Lampard’s coaching and had not still shaken off the associations with Sarriball, nowadays, nobody doubts his class and skills.

He took his game to the next level after Thomas Tuchel replaced Frank Lambard as a head coach, and he never looked back after he helped Chelsea win the Champions League. Jorginho was also one of the most important members of Italy’s national team at Euro 2020 and had an amazing game in the finals vs. England.

As of January 2023, Jorginho signed for the current number-one seed in English Premier League, Arsenal. He is on a one-and-a-half-year contract with the option of a further year for a transfer fee of 12 million pounds. This was a surprise move by Arsenal, which has championship appetites this year, and Jorginho is considered a very important addition to the roster.

Like his new teammate Partey, Jorginho is very comfortable anchoring the middle and excels at the distribution of the ball with superb positional sense. It is these qualities that could prove very useful in Arsenal’s title race, and he seems like a perfect match for Arteta’s team that really turned around this season and launched to the very top of one of the strongest leagues in the world.

12. Mohamed Salah — Liverpool FC/Egypt

Mohamed Salah

Bio
  • Date of birth: Jun 15, 1992
  • Place of birth: Nagrig, Basyoun
  • Height: 1,75 m
  • Position: Right Winger
  • Current international: Egypt

The professional Egyptian footballer currently plays for Premier League club Liverpool and the Egypt national team.

Considered one of the best male football players in the world since he moved to Liverpool in 2017. He is known for his calmness, finishing, dribbling, and speed. Salah’s playstyle is rather specific, and it is most effective when the game is fast and dynamic.

Although he does not possess an all-around game as some players from our list do, his contributions on the court are priceless. He is Liverpool’s icon and pride and the king of the Egyptian national team.

Even though he reached the peak of his powers later than some other superstars, he will certainly go down as one of the Premier League greats and stay remembered as one of Liverpool’s best players in the history of the club.

 

11. Sadio Mane — FC Bayern Munich/Senegal

Sadio Mane

Bio
  • Date of birth: Apr 10, 1992
  • Place of birth: Sedhiou
  • Height: 1,74 m
  • Position: Left Winger
  • Current international: Senegal

Mané is a Senegalese professional footballer who plays for Bundesliga club Bayern Munich and the Senegal national team. He has also been considered one of the best footballers in the world and won the 2018-19’s Premier League Golden Boot. 

Sadio signed with Bundesliga giants in 2023, and the transfer fee was worth 35 million euros. He certainly made a name for himself while playing for Liverpool, and his absence is felt in the team regardless of some of the incredible young talents that play for the team nowadays.

Mane is famous for his incredible pace, finishing, and control. Throughout his career, he scored some incredible goals that you can find in numerous highlight videos. At 30 years of age, there is still plenty to see from this Senegal player, and given the fact that he joined the ranks of one of Europe’s best football teams, there are huge expectations for this season.

10. Hakim Ziyech – Chelsea/Morocco

Hakim Ziyech

Bio
  • Date of birth: March 19 1993
  • Place of birth: Dronten
  • Height: 1,80 m
  • Position: Midfielder
  • Current international: Morocco

Ziyech is a Chelsea midfielder who is an integral part of his team, as well as the Morocco national team. At the age of 29, he had plenty of success on the international scene, mainly due to his fantastic ball control, versatility, vision, speed, and overall skill, which is among the very top in the world.

As far as the biggest achievements of his career go, he was the winner of the UEFA Champions League in 2020/2021 and UEFA Super Cup in 2021/2022. He was also the winner of the FIFA Club World Cup in 2021. Hakim had an impressive run at the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar.

Morocco’s national team was one of the most pleasant surprises of the tournament, as they managed to reach the semifinals, where they lost to France. In the battle for the third spot, they lost to Croatia 2:1, but it was still an impressive run, and Ziyech was a huge part of that success.

9. Virgil van Dijk — Liverpool FC/Netherlands

Virgil van Dijk

Bio
  • Date of birth: Jul 8, 1991
  • Place of birth: Breda
  • Height: 1,93 m
  • Position: Centre-Back
  • Current international: Netherlands

The Dutch professional footballer, Virgil van Dijk, plays for English Premier League club Liverpool and captains the Netherlands national team.

His contribution for Liverpool to win the Champions League title and the clinch Premier League title helped to lift The Best FIFA Men’s Player. One of the best defenders in the world missed the Ballon d’Or.

He signed for Liverpool coming from Southampton in January of 2018, and this turned out to be one of the best moves the team has made in years. Ever since this transfer, Virgil has become a top-tier Premier League defender and is an anchor of Liverpool’s defense.

In the 2020/21 season in Premier League, van Dijk conceded only 22 goals, kept 20 clean sheets, and had an incredible 74 percent tackle success rate which earned him the title of the Premier League Player of the Year.

During that year, van Dijk led the Liverpool team to the first title in 30 years. Although last season was not as good for him, Virgil still had an incredible year, and Liverpool finished second in Premier League, closely contesting Manchester City throughout the year.  

In the 2022 World Cup, Virgil was the captain of the Netherlands national team. They got out of the group stage with relative ease and knocked out the United States in the round of sixteen. In the quarterfinals, they played a thrilling match against champions-to-be Argentina.

After regular and extra time, the score was 2-2, and Argentina advanced after a better penalty shootout. Despite the elimination, it was one of the most exciting matches at the tournament, and Virgil gave quite a performance in every game he played.

 

8. Neymar — Paris Saint-Germain/Brazil

Neymar

Bio
  • Date of birth: Feb 5, 1992 
  • Place of birth: Mogi das Cruzes
  • Height: 1,75 m
  • Position: Left Winger
  • Current international: Brazil

One of the best players in the world, Neymar currently plays in the Ligue 1 for the club Paris Saint-Germain. Neymar is the second-highest goalscorer for the country, just behind Pelé with 64 goals in 103 matches.

Neymar’s 72nd goal put him in the list of top ten goal scorers in PSG history, his first goal against Angers.

He played an important role in the victory in the 2011 South American Youth Championship and was the leading goalscorer. He has pocketed many popular and prestigious awards. Although he struggled with some injuries during the past couple of seasons, he managed to pick himself up and keep playing at an elite level.

When in top shape, Neymar can be truly unstoppable and play on a world-class level. Nevertheless, Neymar remains hungry for titles, and although he won multiple French league and cup titles, he still did not get close to winning the Champions League with his current team, Paris Saint Germain.

He is the world’s fourth-most famous athlete and one of the most influential people in the world. He earns huge after transfer to PSG and ranks third among the highest-paid athletes.

Neymar was also an integral part of the Brazil national team in the Qatar World Cup. After a successful group stage, they proceeded to eliminate South Korea but got eliminated in a thriller against Croatia in the quarterfinals after the penalty shootout. Neymar scored two goals at the World Cup.

7. Robert Lewandowski — Barcelona FC/Poland

Robert Lewandowski

Bio
  • Date of birth: Aug 21, 1988
  • Place of birth: Warszawa
  • Height: 1,85 m
  • Position: Centre-Forward
  • Current international: Poland

The Polish professional footballer currently plays for Barcelona and is the captain of the Poland national team. He is popular among fans for his positioning, technique and finishing.

Considered to be one of the best strikers in the world, they claimed the Polish Player of the Year a record eight times. In 2023, he received IFFHS World’s Best Top Goal Scorer Award.

This year, Lewandowski won the Best FIFA Men’s Player Award and the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year Award.He remains one of the most in-form players of the generation, without any doubt. His incredible talent for positioning and scoring made him one of the deadliest scorers in the world and one of the most feared strikers on the planet.

Lewandowski has a well-balanced set of skills when it comes to pace, strength, and technical ability, which certainly earns him the spot among the all-time greats in the history of football.

Lewandowski was the captain of the Polish national team at the World Cup. They got out of the group by the skin of their teeth in a thrilling final match on the stage. However, Poland got eliminated in the round of sixteen by the soon-to-be finalist, France.

6. Erling Haaland — Manchester City/Norway

Erling Haaland

Bio
  • Date of birth: Jul 21, 2000
  • Place of birth: Leeds
  • Height: 1,95 m
  • Position: Centre-Forward
  • Current international: Norway

Manchester City striker is known for his pace, flexibility, and strength. He made everyone fan with his amazing moves on the field. He is one of the best young footballers in the world right now.

Haaland won the Golden Boot with nine goals in a match in the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Erling also scored his first international hat-trick against Romania in the 2023–21 UEFA Nations League.

Erling represents the finest of what the future of football represents. He is a deadly striker with an incredible sense of positioning and the ability to find himself in the right place at the right time. His potential is incredible, and in a couple of years, he may find himself number one on most of the top football players’ lists.

While he was in Borussia Dortmund, Haaland was by far the best scorer in the Bundesliga, scoring 86 goals in 89 games. In 2023, he completed the transfer to Manchester City worth 63 million euros.

At 6’4”, he is wide, long, and strong, and a force that very few defenders in the world can contain. Since Haaland is so very young, every football fan on the planet is watching him with great anticipation to find out just how much more he can develop his game. So far, it looks like he may go down as one of the best that ever stepped on the football field by the end of his career.

Haaland is currently the first scorer of the Premier League with a total of 25 goals. Despite him being the top scorer, Manchester City is still in second place in the Premier League standings, but they are only 6 points behind the leading Arsenal, although they have played one extra match.

Considering how fierce the competition is in this league, it would not come as a surprise if City breaks through to the top seed at some point, as they are in incredible form and are in capable Pep Guardiola’s coaching hands.

 

5. Karim Benzema – Real Madrid/France

Karim Benzema

Bio
  • Date of birth: Dec 19, 1987
  • Place of birth: Lyon
  • Height: 1,85 m
  • Position: Centre-Forward
  • Current international: France

On the football field, Karim Benzema has reached a level that is definitely unreachable for most players out there. The Frenchman has been an anchor and always reliable player for Real Madrid for years, and he ended up with one of the best seasons in his career in 2023/2022.

He did not make it to our list just because of his 27 goals in 32 La Liga games during last season; he also delivered four back-to-back seasons in which he scored 20 goals and stacked numerous assists. All of this is a testament to his work ethic and devotion to his craft, and we excitingly wait for his upcoming season.

Benzema has retired from international football after he had to sit out France’s run to the World Cup final due to injury. He won the Ballon d’Or in October, which was one of his latest career successes, but he announced his decision to end his career with Les Bleus on his 35th birthday.

He suffered a thigh injury, which was the reason for his absence from the team. Throughout his career in national jersey, Benzema scored 37 goals in 97 games. Although his international career was marked by a long period of absence, he still found various ways to contribute by wearing French national colors.

4. Kevin De Bruyne — Manchester City/Belgian

Kevin De Bruyne

Bio
  • Date of birth: Jun 28, 1991
  • Place of birth: Drongen
  • Height: 1,81 m
  • Position: Attacking Midfield
  • Current international: Belgium

The Belgian footballer impressed everyone in the Premier League playing for the club Manchester City. He is considered one of the best players in the world with all the abilities to be the best midfielder.

He has been awarded some popular awards such as IFFHS Men’s World Team, the UEFA Team of the Year, the UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season, and the ESM Team.

He has been featured in the IFFHS World’s Best Playmaker, Premier League Playmaker of the Season, the UEFA Champions League Midfielder of the Season, the Bundesliga Player of the Year and the Footballer of the Year.

De Bruyne is an absolute world-class in terms of talent, football intelligence, and physical ability. He is easily the best midfielder in English Premier League right now and a force to be reckoned with.

Kevin made a name for himself for his incredible vision and passing ability, which are off the charts. He also has an accurate and powerful shot, so he is always a threat to score the goal from longer distances, whether it is from a free kick or in the middle of the attack sequence.

Being such a huge factor for the Manchester City team, he was an irreplaceable piece to the team that won this year’s Premier League title, and the team continues to go strong coming into the new season, with championship aspirations as always.

De Bruyne also played for Belgium’s national team at the World Cup in Qatar, but the team’s run ended up being one of the biggest disappointments of the entire tournament. They ended up with one win, one loss, and one draw, which ultimately was not enough for the team to advance to the round of sixteen.

3. Kylian Mbappe — Paris Saint Germain/France

Kylian Mbappe

Bio
  • Date of birth: Dec 20, 1998
  • Place of birth: Bondy
  • Height: 1,78 m
  • Position: Centre-Forward
  • Current international: France

The French professional footballer is currently for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the France national team.

He is known for his finishing, dribbling, and speed. He played 100 matches for PSG with over 100 goals and just missed to become the top goalscorer in Europe. Being only 23 years of age, there is a lot of potential and hope for this young Frenchman to become one of the all-time greats. His stats and both physical and mental ability are on a very high level and objectively on the top-tier level.

He is already a World Cup winner with France national team and a four-time Ligue 1 winner, and given that he is still very young, his trophy room will surely expand in the future years of his career. With his incredible speed, strength, and football know-how, he will certainly remain among the top players on the planet in the years to come.

Mbappe is one of the fastest players in the world right now, which he proved in the 2023 World Cup by reaching a top speed of 35kms/hour (22 miles/hour).

Mbappe cemented his position among the very best in the world’s football at the World Cup in Qatar. He scored a total of 8 goals at the tournament, along with 2 assists. He saved the best for last, as he managed to score a hat-trick in the finals match against Argentina, which many consider one of the greatest finals in the history of the game.

However, it was not enough to overcome the determined Argentina team led by Lionel Messi, and they lost the match after the penalty shootout. Nevertheless, Mbappe showed poise and incredible, god-given ability at the tournament, signalizing that the best days of his career are coming.

2. Cristiano Ronaldo – Al-Nassr FC/Portuguese

Cristiano Ronaldo

Bio
  • Date of birth: Feb 5, 1985
  • Place of birth: Funchal
  • Height: 1,87 m
  • Position: Centre-Forward
  • Current international: Portugal

The only player to compete with Messi over the last decade, the Ballon d’Or this year, the goal-machine, the beauty, yep it’s him – Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese, forward for Premier League club Manchester United, ex-Juventus and Real Madrid. Currently, he is considered even better than his rival by some experts, and that’s impressive.

This phenomenal player is a combination of electrifying pace, imposing physic, incredibly quick in feet, and one of the best finishers to the spectator’s expectation.

Two seasons ago, he bagged Scudetto and Serie A’s MVP prize and Nations League trophy. Ronaldo has certainly secured his spot as one of the all-time greats in the history of the game with his incredible pace, physical ability, and unrivaled football intelligence.

His devotion to the game was never questioned, as he remains in top shape even as a 37-year-old. His all-around game and incredible ability are definitely the reasons why all football experts on the planet considered him a top-tier player for most of his career. Once he retires, the game will certainly miss him.

Also, he is considered to be one of the hottest players on and off the football field.

Ronaldo also played at the Qatar World Cup for team Portugal, where he scored one goal. He left the World Cup in tears as his chances to win this prestigious tournament for the first time in his career were shattered by one of the biggest surprises of the cup, Morocco. Ronaldo repeatedly stated that winning the World Cup was “the biggest and most ambitious dream” of his career.

It is likely that this was Ronaldo’s final appearance at the World Cup and probably the last appearance in the national jersey. After the fallout with Manchester United, he signed with Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr on a two-year contract.

He left United after an explosive television interview in which he said he felt betrayed by the Old Trafford club and did not respect their Dutch manager Erik ten Hag. Given the fact that Ronaldo is 37 years of age, it is likely that he will end his career in Saudi Arabia. He signed a contract worth 200 million euros, which will take him to June 2025.

 

1. Lionel Messi — Paris Saint-Germain/Argentina

Lionel Messi

Bio
  • Date of birth: Jun 24, 1987
  • Place of birth: Rosario
  • Height: 1,70 m
  • Position: Right Winger
  • Current international: Argentina

 

This Argentine striker of PSG is often considered as one of the greatest players of all time. The lone player in history to possess five Ballon d’Ors. This 5’9″ is probably the finest dribblers of all time. His capacity of playmaking, quality of passing, finishing and scoring capacity is a joy to watch with a bowl of popcorn.

Considered to be one of the best football players in the world, he has failed to lead his team Argentina to claim the Copa America’16 title, but that can not mud his quality.

GOAT is now officially ex-Barcelona, and we have to wait to see where Messi will play the 2023-23 season, but no doubt that the football legend held the well-deserved title of best footballer for a decade. At the age of 35, Leo keeps going strong and is still considered by many the best that ever stepped on the football field.

What is even more impressive is that he influenced so many young players around the globe with his impressive vision, resourcefulness, and overall ability, which was an unresolved enigma for countless defenders worldwide.

Although he had a rocky start at Paris Saint Germain, Messi picked up the pace last season and has started the 2023/2023 season by scoring three goals and passing two assists in three games, which are a sign that he still has a lot to prove in the G.O.A.T. debate.

The end of 2022 brought Messi one of the biggest, if not the biggest, success of his rich and prominent career. He finally added the trophy he wanted to win throughout his whole career to his jam-packed shelf by captaining Argentina national team to the Qatar World Cup triumph.

Leo scored 7 goals at the tournament and became the first player in the history of the game to score a goal in every stage of the World Cup – group, the round of sixteen, quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals. He also added two assists on top of that, and after emotional and thrilling finals against France, he raised the trophy for Argentina, which was the third overall this national team has won.

The winner of the finals was decided after penalties, and Argentina fans sighed in relief and joy after Messi and his teammates overcame the obstacles to the trophy after the finals drama. With this trophy added to his collection, it seems like Messi ended the G.O.A.T. discussion, at least according to many football analysts across the world.

He is not yet done, as he continues the season in Paris Saint Germain in full force, and perhaps, with extra motive and relief, after he finally wins the trophy he always dreamed of.

That was the list of the best 21 football players on the planet. Take a look at the following infographic and how many goals and assists some of them have by now:

top 5 football players in the world infographic

Now that you saw which are the best players in the world, it’s time to go to the other side and find out who are the worst footballers of all time!

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who won the Ballon d’Or in 2022?

Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema won the 2022 Ballon d’Or by the second-biggest margin ever. He was in front of Sadio Mane by 356 votes, while Cristiano Ronaldo failed to get a single vote.

2. What are the criteria for the Ballon d’Or voting?

The voting criteria were updated this year to eliminate consideration for overall career performance, and instead, they were focused on three main factors – individual performance in the previous season, team success during the previous season, player behavior and fair play during a season in consideration.

3. Who is considered the G.O.A.T. of football nowadays?

This is a debatable topic, and the answer varies from analyst to analyst. After certain numbers were crunched, the final 10 for this flattery title were Christiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Pele, Diego Maradona, Marco van Basten, Johan Cruyff, Ferenc Puskas, Alfredo Di Stefano, Ronaldo, and Michel Platini.

4. Who was the best free-kick taker of all time?

Although Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are considered the best free-kick takers in modern-day football, it is Juninho Pernambucano who scored the most goals by taking free kicks in the history of the game.

5. Who is the all-time scoring leader in the history of football?

The current all-time scoring leader is Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored 816 goals in 1133 games played, and he will look to update his resume in the upcoming season with Manchester United.

6. Who won the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar?

Argentina won the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar. According to many analysts and fans, it was one of the most exciting finals in the history of the game. Argentina defeated France after a penalty shootout, and this was the third time in the history of the competition that Gauchos won the trophy.

7. Who was the top scorer at the Qatar World Cup?

The top scorer at the World Cup in Qatar was Frenchman Kylian Mbappe. He won the Golden Boot award, courtesy of his hat trick in the final, and ended the competition with eight goals. The runner-up was Lionel Messi with seven goals.

8. Who had the most assists at the FIFA World Cup in 2022?

Five players tied for the most assists at the 2022 FIFA World Cup – Argentina’s Lionel Messi, Portugal’s Bruno Fernandes, France’s Antoine Griezman, England’s Harry Kane, and Croatia’s Ivan Perisic with a total of three each.

9. Has Messi ended the G.O.A.T. debate after winning the 2022 World Cup?

This is a topic that is still highly debatable in football circles. However, numerous experts and analysts agree that the World Cup trophy was the one thing missing on Messi’s resume to be considered the greatest football player that ever stepped on the pitch.

Being top 2 in the goals scored and tied with the most assists at the tournament, he was one of the most impactful players in the tournament. He also became the first player in the history of the World Cup to score a goal in the group stage, round of sixteen, quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals.

Looking at Messi’s resume, talent, and career achievements, it is safe to say that he has a very strong case and that he might be considered the greatest footballer ever when he finally hangs his cleats and retires.

10. Who was the best young player of the 2022 World Cup?

Argentina’s Enzo Fernandez is handed the trophy for the Best Young Player at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He was an integral part of the team and had priceless contributions to the team’s success.

Final Words

Although there are numerous lists of the best football players in the world right now, there are certain parameters that can determine which player is ranked where. We judged by the players’ successes over the last couple of seasons, and we believe our list to be pretty accurate.

We hope you enjoyed our article and that you find it informative. Our team updates sports news and articles on a daily basis, so drop by again, as this list will likely bring some new names to it in the upcoming season, about which the world of football fans is highly excited.

 

If you disagree with our list of the best footballers, that’s ok. You can comment down below your version of the world’s best 21 players, we would love to know what you think.

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