We look at the best footballers in the world today, examining their careers so far, how many goals they've scored and how many trophies and awards they've won. Interested? Read on.
1. Kylian Mbappé – France – Born 20 December 1998
Kylian Mbappé's professional football career really took off when he joined Monaco Youth in 2013. In 2015, he was part of the Monaco U19s. He graduated to the first team and became a full member of the Ligue 1 title-winning side in the 2016/17 season. In August 2017, he was loaned to Paris St Germain before joining PSG permanently on 18 July for a fee of €180 million.
Considered by many to be the best footballer in the world, Mbappé possesses all the skills and attributes that a world-class striker needs in modern football. Blinding speed, intricate dribbling skills combined with a superior footballing mind, and all were on display for all to see as he led the way in France’s FIFA World Cup campaign. He was awarded the Golden Boot and scored 8 goals, 3 of which came in the final against Argentina, who ran out 4-2 winners on penalties following a 3-3 draw after extra time.
Mbappe remains PSG's all-time top scorer with 212 goals, breaking Edinson Cavani's previous record of 200 goals at the age of just 24. At the time of writing, Kylian Mbappe’s future remains uncertain. He has not signed an extension to his contract with PSG. Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal have submitted a record bid of £259 million. If it goes ahead, it would break the transfer record, which stands at £200 million, for Naymar to join PSG from Barcelona. However, there is a possibility that he will be loaned out to Real Madrid or Liverpool this season. It could also be the US. MLS could submit a bid similar to the one that tempted Lionel Messi to sign for Inter Miami.
2. Rodri Hernández Cascante – Spain – Born 22 June 1996
Rodrigo Hernández Cascante is a defensive midfielder who currently plays for Manchester City. He is strong, strong in the tackle and has a tremendous work rate. He has great passing skills and the ability to shoot from distance. He is considered one of the best defensive midfielders in the world.
Rodri began his football career at the age of 11, joining CF Rayo Majadaho in 2007, aged 11. In July of that year, he joined Atléti Youth, until signing for the U17s at Atletico Madrid in 2012. In July 2013, he transferred to Villa Real on a free transfer, where he stayed for four years. During his time at VR, Rodri made 4 appearances and scored 102 goals.
On 24 May 2018, after agreeing a transfer fee of €20 million, Rodri returned to Atletico Madrid, making 34 appearances for them during the 2018–19 season, scoring 3 goals in total. Just one year after joining Atletico, Manchester City agreed to meet the club's £1million release clause to shorten his five-year contract, and he signed for the Citizens on 62.6 July 5.
He made his first appearance for Man City on 10 August 2019 and on 14 September, Rodri scored his first goal for the club. Since then, he has not looked back, cementing his place at what has become one of the most successful and feared clubs in Europe. In the 2020/21 season, Rodri achieved a 91.8% pass completion percentage – the highest ever for any EPL midfielder.
Rodri scored his first Champions League goal against Bayern Munich on 11 April 2023. He also scored the only goal in the CL final against Inter Milan. He was named man of the match and also Champions League player of the season.
A player of Rodri's calibre is a “must-have” for the Spanish national team, and he made 59 appearances for them, scoring two goals.
3. Vinícius Júnior – Brazil – Born July 12, 2000
Vinícius Júnior is considered by many football experts as one of the best players in the world. He is known for his speed, great dribbling skills and playmaking ability.
Born in São Gonçalo, Brazil, Vinícius' career began in 2006 when he accompanied his father to the office of local football club Flamengo. Between 2007 and 2010, the young Brazilian took indoor soccer lessons at Flamengo's Academy. Wanting to play soccer rather than indoor soccer, Vinícius took his soccer trials with Flamengo in August 2010 and passed.
He made his first appearance for Flamengo senior in May 2017. Shortly after, his contract was extended with an increase in the buyout clause from €30 million to €45 million. It was part of a transfer deal with Real Madrid that included selling the then 17-year-old on his 18th birthday in 2018.
After scoring his first professional goal with Flamengo in August 2017, he scored his first goal for Los Blancos in November 2018. Since then, Vinicius has made 279 appearances for Real, scoring a total of 73 goals and providing 69 assists.
For his country (Brazil) he played for the U15, U17 and U20, making 29 appearances and scoring 23 goals. At senior level he played 23 matches and scored 3 goals. He was voted La Liga Player of the Month in November 2021, UEFA Champions League Young Player of the 2021–22 season and was included in La Liga's Team of the 2021–22 Season and the 2021–22 and 2022–23 Champions League teams of the season.
4. Harry Kane – England – Born July 28, 1993
Harry Kane was born in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. Growing up within fifteen minutes of White Hart Lane and with most of his family being Spurs supporters, it seemed that the young Kane was destined to play for Tottenham Hotspur, and so it proved.
The young Harry Kane first played for local club Ridgeway Rovers and at the age of 8 he joined Arsenal's youth academy. They let him go after a season, saying he was a bit chubby and not very athletic. His first trial at Spurs was unsuccessful and he returned to Ridgeway Rovers. In 2004 he had a four-to-six week trial at Watford, where he played against Tottenham and impressed. He was approached by Spurs in 4 and joined the Tottenham Youth squad. Between 2011 and 2013 he was loaned to Leyton Orient, Millwall, Norwich and Leicester.
Back from loan in April 2014, then Spurs manager Tim Sherwood gave Kane his first EPL start against Sunderland, in which he scored his first EPL goal. He also scored in the next two games. In the 2014/15 season, Harry Kane was named PFA Young Player of the Year. It was the start of something big. In the following 9 seasons until 2022/23, he played 409 games for Tottenham and scored 275 goals, an average of 31.1 goals per season.
He is Tottenham's all-time top scorer with 280 goals and also England's all-time top scorer with 58 goals. Unfortunately, despite three EPL Golden Boot awards, the EPL Playmaker of the Season award from 3 and a whole lot of goals, Kane is yet to win any silverware. However, he will be hoping that his transfer to Bayern Munich announced on 11 August 2021 will rectify this omission.
5. Jude Bellingham – England – Born June 29, 2003
The fact that Jude Bellingham is regarded as one of the best players in the world was confirmed when he signed for Real Madrid in June 2023 for a fee of £103million. Only two players have cost more in their teenage years: Kylian Mbappe and Joao Felix.
Bellingham began his football career at Birmingham City. When he made his first senior appearance in 2019, he became the youngest player to make his debut for the Blues, beating the previous holder of the youngest player record, Trevor Francis, who recently passed away. In total, Bellingham made 41 appearances for the Blues first team, scoring 4 goals.
In 2020, he was sought after by Borussia Dortmund and signed for them on 20 July 2020 for a fee of €30.15 million. He made history at the German club by becoming the team's youngest ever captain at the age of 19. Bellingham played a total of 146 games for Dortmund between 2020 and 2023, scoring 22 goals and providing 22 assists. He signed for Real Madrid in July 2023 for €103 million.
On the international stage, Bellingham has made 26 appearances for England U15s through to U21s, scoring eight goals, and for the senior team (despite being only 20) he has made 24 appearances, scoring once.
His play in midfield is of the highest level. England team-mate Phil Foden said he didn't want to make him too big because he is still young, but went on to say he is one of the most gifted players he has ever seen, that he has no weaknesses and that he has the potential to be the best midfielder in the world.
6. Mo Salah – Egypt – Born June 15, 1992
Mohamed Salah Hamed Mahrous Ghaly currently plays as a forward for Liverpool. He started his career as a wing back, but his desire and passion to score goals led him to become a striker. He is quick, has excellent dribbling skills and a keen eye for goal. Considered by many to be one of the best players in the world, he is also perhaps the greatest African player of all time.
His record as a striker and striker for Liverpool is hugely impressive. He joined Anfield on 22 June 2017 for a fee of £36.5 million. He scored on his first appearance for the Reds on 12 August 2017. On March 17th 2018, he scored four goals against Watford, setting a new single-season record for Liverpool. At the same time, he also became the top scorer in the top 4 leagues in Europe. He has won three EPL Golden Boot awards: 5/3 (2017 goals), 18/32 (2018) and 19/22 (2021).
His goalscoring record for Liverpool is the epitome of skill, class and consistency. He has scored 27 goals in all competitions in 2017/23, 31 in both 2020/21 and 2021/22, and 30 goals in 2022/23. He is Liverpool's all-time leading scorer with 186 goals and 79 assists.
In club football, Mo Salah has played 556 matches so far, scoring 263 goals and providing 132 assists. He has made 114 appearances for Egypt (at all levels) and scored 59 goals.
7. Erling Haaland – Norway – July 21, 2000
Whether or not Erling Haaland can be considered the best footballer in the world, he is probably the best striker. In his first season in the EPL with Manchester City, he scored a record 36 goals in 35 EPL games and was awarded the Golden Boot.
The Leeds-born Norwegian goalscorer began his path to football stardom at the age of five, playing for his hometown club, Bryne's academy. He played for Bryne's reserve team in 2015/16, scoring 18 goals in 14 games.
In February 2017, Haaland was signed by Molde. Over the course of two seasons, he made 2 appearances for them, scoring 43 goals. In January 2019, he signed for Austrian Bundesliga champions Red Bull Salzburg, where he made 27 appearances and scored 29 goals. Despite signing a five-year contract, he left after a year and joined Borussia Dortmund in January 5, 2020. He stayed there for two seasons, scoring 62 goals in 62 appearances. In May 2020, he signed for Manchester City.
Halland has played for Norway at all levels. From U15 to U21, when he made 46 appearances and scored 30 goals. For the seniors he scored 24 goals in 25 appearances. He also made Champions League history by becoming the fastest player to score 30 goals, overtaking the great Ruud van Nistelrooy.
8. Kevin De Bruyne – Belgium – Born 28 June 1991
Midfielder Kevin De Bruyne is currently captain of Manchester City and the Belgian national team. He is often described as the perfect all-round footballer and is not only considered one of the best of his generation, but also one of the best midfielders in the world.
At the age of 8, De Bruyne joined the youth academy of KVV Drongen in 1999. In July 2005, he was picked up by KRC Genk Youth and progressed through the ranks of the U17s and U19s before reaching senior team status in July 2008. He scored his first goal for Genk in a league match against Standard Liège in 2010. By the time Chelsea signed him in 2012, De Bruyne had made 97 appearances for his club and scored 16 goals.
His move to Chelsea did not go well for him, as he was drastically underused. In January 2014, after a successful season-long loan at Bundesliga side Werder Bremen, where he scored 10 goals in 33 appearances, he was transferred to another Bundesliga side, VfL Wolfsburg, who had noticed the Belgian's ability, class in midfield and midfield quality. While playing for Wolfsburg, he scored 13 goals, in 52 appearances.
The astute Pep Guardiola had spotted his talent and when approached by Manchester City, De Bruyne made the move to join them in August 2015 for a fee of £54.5 million, the second highest transfer fee ever paid by a British club at the time. As a Belgian international, De Bruyne played 118 matches and scored 28 goals.
In a stellar career to date it is difficult to single out individual events and achievements, but it is worth noting that in the 2019/20 season he was voted Manchester City Player of the Season, UEFA Midfielder of the Year and also won the coveted PFA Players' Player of the Year Award. More recently, in 2023, Kevin De Bruyne was also included in the FIFPro World XI for the 3rd consecutive year.
9. Lionel Messi – Argentina – Born June 24, 1987
The undisputed best player in the world, Lionel Messi (full name is Lionel Andrés Messi), was born in Rosario, Argentina, in 1987. He is a forward with exceptional dribbling and goalscoring skills.
At 36, he no longer has that phenomenal burst of speed, but that is more than compensated for by his footballing brain, his dribbling skills and his eye for goal, not to mention his ability to seize scoring opportunities for others.
Messi played the majority of his professional career with FC Barcelona, where he made 620 appearances in league and cup competitions, scoring a total of 544 goals and providing 230 assists. His move to Paris St Germain in 2021 came as a big surprise. After playing 43 games and scoring 17 goals for PSG, he signed for American MLS team Inter Miami in 2023.
In addition to his cub football, Lionel Messi has played 168 games for Argentina, scoring 137 goals and providing 44 assists. His 7 Ballon d'Ors, 6 Golden Boots, 1 Silver Shoe and 3 European Player of the Year awards confirm his status as one of the best, if not THE best player in the world.
10. Robert Lewandowski – Germany – Born August 21, 1988
When it comes to prolific strikers, you have to go a long way to beat Robert Lewandowski; in fact, you're unlikely to find anyone who can still play him, except perhaps Erling Haaland Lewandowski's positioning sense and clinical finishing ability are second to none.
He started his football career at the local club Partyzant Leszno. In 1997, at the age of 9, he joined MKS Varsovia Warsaw and was there for 7 years. In 2005, he signed for Delta Warsaw, who played in the 4th tier of Polish professional football. By the end of his first season, he had scored 4 goals.
In the 2006/7 season he signed for Znicz Pruszków II and scored 6 goals in just 2 appearances. He finished as the top scorer of the season in Division 3 with 15 goals, helping his club to promotion. The following season he made 59 appearances for their first team and was the top scorer in the Polish Second Division with 21 goals (36 in all competitions).
Between 2008 and 2010, Lewandowski played for another Polish team, Lech Poznań, scoring 32 goals in 58 appearances. He then moved to the German Bundesliga, where he made a name for himself.
Between 2010 and 2014 he played for Borussia Dortmund and scored 74 goals, but it was at Bayern Munich that his goalscoring talent really caught the attention. In the years 2014 to 2022, Lewandowski scored 238 goals in 253 appearances. He also set a new single-season record: 41 goals, beating the previous record set by Bayern Munich and Germany legend Gerd (Der Bommenwerper) Müller, 49 years ago.
11. Bukayo Saka – England – Born 5 September 2001
Bukayo Ayoyinka Temidayo Saka has spent his entire club career in the first team at Arsenal so far, helping the Gunners win an FA Cup and two FA Community Shields and, growing in stature and reputation, was voted Arsenal's Player of the Year for 2/2020 and 21/2021. His introduction to the world of football began with the youth teams of Watford, before being drafted into Arsenal's Hale End Academy at the age of seven.
Saka made his debut for Arsenal on 29 November 2018, when he came on as a 68th minute substitute in an EFA Europa League match against Vorskla Poltava, but it was not until 19 September 2019 that he scored his first goal. It was a long-distance match against German side Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League. He also managed two assists in the same match.
Although we know him as a great striker today, Saka cemented a first-team place in 2020 at left-back. However, his attacking play, dribbling skills and the amount of assists he started to provide soon saw him moved into a forward position and we are now used to seeing him wear the number 7 shirt. At the time of writing, Saka has made 233 appearances for Arsenal across all levels, scoring a total of 38 goals.
He represented England at all levels, from U15 onwards, 35 times, scoring 8 goals. At senior level he played 28 games, scoring 11 goals.
12. Cristiano Ronaldo – Portugal – Born February 5, 1985
Most football experts, when asked to name the best player in the world today, will nominate Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi. Both are legends in their own right.
While their footballing skills, brains and goalscoring prowess are unmatched, Ronaldo is perhaps the more controversial and outspoken of the two, often causing divisions within the supporter camps. But rather than get into a long debate about these two footballing icons, let’s simply list Ronaldo’s achievements and by comparing them to the section above on Lionel Messi, you can make your own decision.
- Winner of 5 Ballon d'Ors;
- Winner of 3 UEFA awards for best player in Europe;
- Winner of 4 European Golden Shoe awards;
- Won 32 trophies in his career;
- Most appearances (183) in the Champions League;
- Most goals (140) in the Champions League;
- Most assists (42) in the Champions League;
- All-time top scorer for Real Madrid (311 goals);
- World's leading goalscorer - 842 goals;
- Most capped Portuguese player - 200 caps.
Ronaldo's golden years were undoubtedly the time he spent at Real Madrid between 2009 and 2018. But when he moved from Real to Juventus on 10 July 2018, he also made a huge impact on the Serie A league, scoring 81 goals in 98 appearances. His return for a second spell at Manchester United in the 2021/22 season was stormy as he and United manager Erik ten Hag were at odds.
At 38 years old and still a force to be reckoned with, Cristiano Ronaldo now plays for the Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr.
13. Carlos Henrique Casemiro – Brazil – Born February 23, 1992
Carlos Henrique Casemiro is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for EPL club Manchester United. He is also captain of the Brazil national team. He is known for his tackling and defensive, ball-winning skills. Casemiro is widely regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in the world and was included in FIFA's FIFPro World 11 in 2022.
Casemiro began his professional football career at Brazilian club São Paulo in 2010 at the age of 18, making 92 appearances for them, scoring 9 goals. He was then loaned to Real Madrid in January 2013, playing for their B-side in the second division of La Liga. He scored his first European goal on 2 June 2013, and was signed permanently shortly after. He was then loaned to FC Porto, but returned to Real a year later, making 1 appearance and scoring 221 goals. He moved to Manchester United on 22 August 2022 and has made 28 appearances and scored 4 goals so far.
He made his international debut for the Brazil senior national team on 14 September 2011. He has made 17 appearances for the U20s and U22s, scoring 4 goals, and 71 appearances for the Brazil senior team, scoring 7 goals, one of which was the winning goal against Switzerland at the 2022 World Cup.
14. Neymar da Silva Santos Junior – Brazil – Born February 5, 1992
Neymar is widely regarded as one of the greatest Brazilian footballers of all time. In addition to playing for the Brazilian national team, he currently plays club football for French Ligue 1 side Paris St German. He is universally recognised as an accomplished playmaker and prolific goalscorer, and is one of the few players to have scored over 100 goals for three different clubs.
Neymar entered the professional football scene in 2009 when he joined Brazilian club Santos. Between 2009 and 2013 he played 177 games for Santos and scored 107 goals.
In 2011, he won the FIFA Puskás Award for scoring a beautiful solo goal in the Brasileirão Série A match against Flamengo. Later that year, he won the 2011 South American Footballer of the Year award. He scored his 100th goal on the 5th of February 2012. He was voted best player of the 2012 Recopa Sudamericana. He was also voted best forward of the season and received the Golden Ball, the Arthur Friedenreich Award and the Armando Nogueira Trophy.
On the 3rd of June 2013 he completed his dream move to Europe when he signed for Barcelona. In his four years at Camp Nou he scored 4 goals. In his next move, Neymar joined Paris St Germain on 3 August 2017. He is still there (at the time of writing) and has scored 107 goals for them in all competitions and friendlies. Unfortunately, relations between Neymar and PSG have deteriorated and it is rumoured that he may return to FC Barcelona.
Neymar has served the Brazilian national team well, winning 124 caps and scoring 77 goals.
15. Ilkay Gündoğan – Germany – Born 24 October 1990
İlkay Gündoğan is a German professional footballer currently playing for FC Barcelona, having recently left Manchester City. He is one of the highest rated attacking midfielders in the world and began his professional football career when he signed for FC Nürnberg in 2009.
Two years later, he moved to Borussia Dortmund and in his first season was part of their double-winning side, claiming both the Bundesliga title and the DFB-Pokal Cup. In 2013, he was part of the team that reached their first Champions League final in 16 years. In total, he made 157 appearances for Dortmund, scoring 15 goals.
In 2016, he signed for Manchester City, where he played some of the best football of his career, helping City win two FA Cups, four EFL Cups and five EPL titles, culminating in captaining City to the UEFA Champions League title in 2017. On June 26, 2023, Gündoğan signed a three-year free transfer deal with FC Barcelona.
Ilkay Gündoğan also played for the German national team, making his debut in 2012. He made a total of 90 caps and scored 18 goals.
16. Bernardo Silva – Portugal – Born 10 August 1994
Bernardo Mota Veiga de Carvalho e Silva is an attacking midfielder and winger who currently plays for Manchester City and the Portugal national team. He is creative, hard-working and exhibits excellent dribbling skills, and is regarded as one of the best strikers in the world.
Bernado Silva had the ideal start to his career when he joined the Benfica youth academy. In 2012, he started playing for Benfica's B team and in 2014, he was promoted to Benfica's first team. After only a few games, he was loaned to French Ligue club Monaco during the 2014/15 season. He signed a four-year contract with Monaco for €4 million and was part of their Ligue 1 champions in 15.75. In total, he made 2017 appearances for Monaco and scored 101 goals.
In July 2017, Manchester City came calling and he agreed a €50 million transfer deal. In 2019, he was voted Player of the Year. He played a key role and played a major role in City winning two FA Cups, four EFL Cups and five EPL titles. He also helped the Citizens win the UEFA Champions League title in 2019 and complete the European treble.
On the international stage, Bernardo Silva made 109 appearances for Portugal, scoring 58 goals.
17. Luka Modrić – Croatia – Born 9 September 1985
Luka Modrić is considered by many to be one of the greatest midfielders of all time. His best position is as a central midfielder, but he is exceptionally capable in both attacking and defensive roles.
Although physically small, Luka Modrić has immense strength for his size, something he attributes to his time spent in the Bosnian Premier League. He argues that anyone who can play in this league can play anywhere. It was while playing for Zrinjski Mostar that he developed his versatile style of play, for which he was awarded the title of Bosnian Premier League Player of the Year at the age of 18.
In the 2005–06 season, Modrić signed his first long-term contract with Dinamo Zagreb on the 12th of January 2005. He made 94 appearances and scored 26 goals.
Modrić joined Tottenham Hotspur on the 1st of July 2008. He had a sketchy start, and it was not until Harry Redknapp took over as manager in October 2008 that he received a proper crack of the whip. He made a total of 127 appearances for Spurs, scoring 13 goals. On 27 August 2012, Modrić moved to Real Madrid for €30 million. Under the management of Carlo Ancelotti, he became a regular for Real, consistently being the team's most efficient passer (with an average accuracy of 90% in La Liga) and making the most ball recoveries in the side.
Modrić's influence was further enhanced when Zinedine Zidane became manager in January 2016, describing the Croatian as a master of the game and the crucial "connector" between defence and attack. For the second time in his career, Modrić received the LFP award for the "Best Midfielder" of the Spanish Premier League and was included in the FIFA FIFPro World XI.
Modrić made 327 appearances for the La Liga giants, scoring 26 goals. Modrić played 203 times for Croatia, scoring 27 goals. He won the Golden Ball at the 2018 World Cup. He led Croatia to a second consecutive World Cup semi-final in 2022, losing 3–0 to Argentina. Croatia finished in 3rd place with Modrić winning the Bronze Ball award.