The players are listed 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 20 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 performance stats.
Top 20 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.
20. Edouard Mendy – Chelsea/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 2022/23 campaign as they continue to fight for the title of the best football team in England.
19. Federico Chiesa – Juventus / Italy
When Euro 2020 kicked off, Federico was still being introduced to the 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.
18. Vinicius Junior – Real Madrid/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.
17. Harry Kane – Tottenham Hotspur/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.
16. Ruben Dias – Manchester City/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.
15. Dusan Vlahovic – Juventus/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 2022. Vlahovic is a lethal striker that has extremely high sealing and is expected to get even better in the upcoming years.
14. Bernardo Silva – Manchester City/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.
13. N’Golo Kante – Chelsea/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 2022/23 season will be truly exciting for fans on Stamford Bridge.
12. Jorginho – Chelsea/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.
11. Mohamed Salah — Liverpool FC/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.
10. Erling Haaland — Manchester City/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 2022–21 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 2022, 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.
9. Sadio Mane — FC Bayern Munich/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. Mane signed with Bundesliga giants in 2022, 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.
8. Virgil van Dijk — Liverpool FC/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.
7. Kylian Mbappe — Paris Saint Germain/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.
6. Neymar — Paris Saint-Germain/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.
5. Karim Benzema – Real Madrid/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 2021/2022.
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.
4. Kevin De Bruyne — Manchester City/Belgian
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.
3. Cristiano Ronaldo – Manchester United/Portuguese
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.
2. Lionel Messi — Paris Saint-Germain/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 2022-23 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 2022/2023 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.
1. Robert Lewandowski — Barcelona FC/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 2022, 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.