Top 10 Best Soccer Players in the World

Top 10 Best Soccer Players: There is no one right answer, however the majority of the players on this list were the world’s top players this past season. Yet, because players change frequently, this ranking can be debatable in certain respects. But what would a rating be without a debate?

It’s crucial to note at the outset of this list that the French Ligue 1 did not resume after the forced sabbatical in 2023, despite the majority of leagues doing so. The two Ligue 1 players’ ranking on this list is therefore rather arbitrary and subjective, and it might have been much different if they had still had the remainder of the season to play. This list inevitably becomes more subjective near the bottom due to the vast amount of players who could contend for the title of best player in the world. I made an effort to consider each player’s present form as well as his overall potential when healthy, but rankings will always have an arbitrary element when there are so many individuals involved.

Here are the players I feel to be the best 10 in the world right now based on both form and natural talent when fit, without further ado. Learn more about the best athletes in the sport to get the most out of your next World Cup wagering.

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1. Lionel Messi

La Pulga Atómica (the Atomic Flea), who has topped this list for more than ten years, is still going strong at the age of 33. In reality, he is accustomed to having amazing stats and seasons. With 22 goals so far and three games remaining, Messi is poised to win La Liga top scorer for the seventh time in his career despite missing Barcelona’s opening four games of the season due to injury. Together with those 22 goals, Messi has contributed to 42 goals in 30 league games with his 20 assists, breaking his previous personal best of 18 assists in a season. That is the season of a lifetime for any player. That is just normal business for Lionel Messi.

Messi hopes to lead Barcelona to its first Champions League victory since its treble-winning campaign in the 2014–15 season. Messi has 27 goals and 24 assists across all competitions. Messi, who narrowly edged out Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk by seven points, is also the most recent player to take home the Ballon d’Or award. The Argentine forward has been playing some unstoppable and thrilling football as per usual and just scored his 700th career goal despite Barcelona’s managerial issues and worry regarding the future of the club when Messi leaves.

2. Cristiano Ronaldo

Messi hopes to lead Barcelona to its first Champions League victory since its treble-winning campaign in the 2014–15 season. Messi has 27 goals and 24 assists across all competitions. Messi, who narrowly edged out Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk by seven points, is also the most recent player to take home the Ballon d’Or award. The Argentine forward has been playing some unstoppable and thrilling football as per usual and just scored his 700th career goal despite Barcelona’s managerial issues and worry regarding the future of the club when Messi leaves. When the Champions League begins in August, Ronaldo will try to complete his own treble by winning it with both of his current clubs.

What’s even more amazing is that Ronaldo is scoring one goal per game in the league with less assistance from his teammates than he has in the past. Juventus is currently ranked 16th in terms of crosses made this season among the 20 clubs in Serie A, and 14th in terms of both accurate crosses and assists from crosses. Because Ronaldo has scored more headed goals than any other player in football history, his goal total this season has been significantly reduced. He still falls one short of the top scorer, though.

3. Neymar

Neymar Jr. is third on my ranking despite his injury struggles this season and the fact that he hasn’t played since early March since Ligue 1 decided to end the season early rather than resume play after lockdown. This should demonstrate how amazing the Brazilian winger is when healthy. Neymar only played in 15 league games this season, scoring 13 goals and dishing out 6 assists. These figures climb to 18 goals and 10 assists in 22 games across all competitions. Neymar has not been able to maintain a complete season of fitness in any of his three seasons at Paris Saint-Germain, but his world-class talent is always evident when he is on the pitch. Messi, Ronaldo, and injury are the only factors preventing Neymar from winning the Ballon d’Or. Neymar would be a strong candidate, if not a lock, for the title of greatest player of all time without those three elements.

Neymar wants to lead PSG to the Champions League title as well as the Ballon d’Or. After defeating Borussia Dortmund on aggregate in the Round of 16, Neymar advances to the quarterfinals of the competition, where he will be in shape and ready for the championship.

4. Robert Lewandowski

World-class frontman for Bayern Munich has just completed his sixth season with the team and ninth season overall in the Bundesliga, helping Bayern win its eighth consecutive championship. Robert Lewandowski had his greatest season to date at the age of 31. Lewandowski scored 34 goals in the 31 games in which he played to win the Bundesliga’s top scorer award for the fifth time. In addition to seven braces and one hat trick, he only failed to score in six games throughout the entire season. In 43 games across all competitions, he also managed 51 goals and 6 assists, including two in Bayern’s recent victory in the DFB Pokal final. Given that Lewandowski has scored in each of his appearances in the Champions League thus far this season, those figures will probably rise when the Champions League resumes in Lisbon in August.

Robert Lewandowski is a strong contender for the 2020 Ballon d’Or after such a fantastic season. In fact, if Lewandowski can maintain his remarkable form and help Bayern Munich win the Champions League and become the second European team to win the continental treble twice, the choice may end up being very straightforward. Given though Bayern Munich is usually regarded as the favourite to win the championship, this appears to be well within the reach of the Polish national. Top 10 Best Soccer Players.

5. Kylian Mbappé

Due to his youth and the fact that he hasn’t played since March, Mbappé only trails Lewandowski on my list. Yet, the French 21-year-old might very well be at the top of this list in a few years given his stats and skill, which are unquestionably and indisputably great. Mbappé’s trophy collection will only continue to grow. He already has a World Cup trophy and a goal in the championship game. Mbappé nevertheless managed to score 18 goals and contribute 7 assists in the 20 league games he played despite being slightly limited by injuries this season. In 33 appearances across all competitions, he managed 47 total goals and assists. These are the Messi figures. These are Ronaldo’s statistics. These are the stats for Mbappé. Top 10 Best Soccer Players.

Regrettably, Mbappé will most likely be an outsider for the 2020 Ballon d’Or due to Ligue 1’s unexpected conclusion. Yet, he could return to the discussion if he and PSG can capture their first Champions League championship in August, naturally with Neymar’s assistance.

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6. Kevin De Bruyne

Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City’s another player who might end up competing for the Ballon d’Or at the end of the year. The midfielder from Belgium is top-notch. His passing skills and vision are unmatched, making him the best midfielder in England without a doubt. With four games remaining, De Bruyne might ultimately surpass Thierry Henry’s Premier League record of 20 assists in a season. De Bruyne has 11 goals and 18 assists in the Premier League this season. Top 10 Best Soccer Players.

The dominant Manchester City team led by Pep Guardiola will want to prove itself when the Champions League resumes in August after losing the Premier League championship to Liverpool this year. Kevin De Bruyne will play a significant role in whether or not City can finally win the trophy that the team has so desperately desired.

7. Virgil van Dijk

The Dutch defender joined Liverpool from Southampton in January 2018 and has since established himself as one of the greatest Premier League defenders of all time. Virgil van Dijk, one of the most essential players on a championship-winning team, finished close behind Lionel Messi in the 2019 Ballon d’Or rankings, almost becoming the first defender to win the award since Italian center-back Fabio Cannavaro in 2006. Nonetheless, he was named UEFA Men’s Player of the Year. Van Dijk was named Premier League Player of the Year last season after conceding only 22 goals, keeping 20 clean sheets, completing 74% of tackles, and completing the second-most passes. Liverpool only suffered one league loss and finished the year with 97 points, one point behind the Manchester City club who defeated them. Liverpool did, however, take home the Champions League title, as well as the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup in the years that followed. Van Dijk was only ever dribbled past once throughout the entire season in all competitions.

Van Dijk has helped Liverpool win the Premier League for the first time in thirty years this season. Even while this season hasn’t been as great as last year’s, he still leads the Premier League in passes and has contributed to Liverpool keeping the most clean sheets thus far. He has unquestionably been the best defender in the world for the past two seasons and is perhaps the most important player to Liverpool’s current success. He fortifies and commands the Liverpool backline. Top 10 Best Soccer Players.

8. Sadio Mané

Apart from the team’s defensive prowess, Liverpool has recently had one of the most dangerous assaults in the world, and Sadio Mané has been a major factor in that. The Senegalese winger has been outstanding for the reigning English and European champions, scoring 16 goals and dishing out 9 assists so far this season. He also shared the Premier League Golden Boot with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and teammate Mo Salah in the most recent campaign, scoring 22 goals.

Sadio Mané stands out despite Mo Salah’s record-breaking goalscoring performance from two seasons ago or Roberto Firmino’s technical advantage over both wingers. He has scored some fantastic goals for Liverpool in the previous two seasons, including a stunning chip against Bayern Munich in the Champions League last year. His pace, finishing, and control are all of the highest calibre. Mané placed fourth in the 2019 Ballon d’Or voting and appears to be a contender for the prize in 2020. Top 10 Best Soccer Players.

9. Riyad Mahrez

In a team with so much skill up front and on the wings, it is extremely challenging to single out one attacking player, much like Liverpool. This is made much more challenging by the fact that Manchester City’s roster depth compels some of the team’s greatest players to sit on the bench. I chose the former Leicester City player and Algerian international above others like Bernardo Silva, Sergio Agüero, Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus, and even the injured Leroy Sané because I knew I had to include at least one Manchester City attacker.

In the Premier League this year, Riyad Mahrez has 10 goals and 12 assists. He has only started 60% of City’s games, and he has been on the bench for five of them, despite being just the fifth player on Man City to achieve double digits in goals and assists this season (a Premier League record). It’s doubtful that Mahrez wouldn’t start for any other team in the world thanks to his incredible control and first touch. Top 10 Best Soccer Players.

10. Erling Haaland

Erling Haaland is perhaps the best young soccer player in the world and has swiftly established himself as one of the game’s best scorers after only one season in the spotlight. He may only be 19, but his statistics are too absurd for him to not be among the top players in the world right now. During his first 14 league games with RB Salzburg in Austria, Haaland scored 16 goals, managed six assists, and also registered 8 goals and one assist in the Champions League group stage. The Norwegian forward later switched to Borussia Dortmund in the middle of the campaign and kept up his amazing form, scoring 13 goals and dishing out 3 assists in 15 Bundesliga games. Haaland has played 40 games this season and amassed a total of 44 goals and 10 assists; it is these astounding totals that currently place the teenager in the top 10. Top 10 Best Soccer Players.

Haaland has plenty of time to develop and will eventually score more goals and play for larger clubs, but this year is not just a breakthrough one for him. The 19-year-old would unquestionably be a Ballon d’Or contender if he had taken home any awards this year. Although being eliminated by PSG in the round of 16 of the Champions League, Haaland scored twice, including a stunningly potent long-range shot. He and Mbappé appear to be the real deal, along with a few other teenagers who were taken into consideration for this list, and both will probably be towards the top of this list in a few years.

Honorable Mentions

Below is a list of every player I also gave consideration to for the final three spots in the top 10 players in the world right now. There is no set order. Top 10 Best Soccer Players.

• Mohamed Salah
• Bernardo Silva
• Raheem Sterling
• Eden Hazard
• Serge Gnabry
• Sergio Agüero
• Thomas Müller
• Roberto Firmino
• Luis Suárez
• Antoine Griezmann
• Karim Benzema
• David Silva
• Luka Modrić
• Toni Kroos
• Casemiro
• Sergio Busquets
• Frenkie De Jong
• N’Golo Kanté
• Paul Pogba
• Thiago
• Fernandinho
• Fabinho
• Paulo Dybala
• Ángel Di María
• Gareth Bale
• Kalidou Koulibaly
• Sergio Ramos
• Raphaël Varane
• Mathijs De Ligt
• Trent Alexander-Arnold
• Alphonso Davies
• Alisson
• Jan Oblak
• Marc-André Ter Stegen
• Timo Werner
• Kai Havertz
• Jadon Sancho
• Ciro Immobile
• Christian Pulisic
• Bruno Fernandes

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