So, who is the best football player in the world?
This is the question that has been roaming around for the last century. But, who is it, actually? How can someone decide whether this player or that player is the best player? There was Pele, who won three World Cups, there was Maradona, who gave Argentina their second World Cup, there was Eusebio, who was another GOAT, who took Portugal to the semifinals and got third place in the 1966 World Cup.
In this article, we will talk about football players who haven’t taken retirement and currently playing professionally. We will talk about some players who have shown that they are great, some players who have yet to achieve the title G.O.A.T, and there will be players who have done so many things, but still, there are things that they seek.
Let’s start.
Who Is The Best Football Player In The World?
So, who is the #1 footballer? In this list, you will find players with World Cup and seven Ballon d’Or, players with 800+ professional goals, and players who have the potential to be the next G.O.A.T. I hope you will find this list interesting.
So, let’s start.
| Players | Country | Current Club | Career Appearances (As of March 02, 2023) | Career Goals (As of March 02, 2023) |
| Lionel Messi | Argentina | Paris Saint-Germain F.C. | 1012 | 798 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | Al-Nassr FC | 1151 | 827 |
| Neymar Jr. | Brazil | Paris Saint-Germain F.C. | 708 | 436 |
| Karim Benzema | France | Real Madrid CF | 895 | 444 |
| Luca Modric | Croatia | Real Madrid CF | 864 | 119 |
| Zlatan Ibrahimovic | Sweden | A.C. Milan | 937 | 647 |
| Robert Lewandowski | Poland | FC Barcelona | 878 | 629 |
| Luis Suarez | Uruguay | Gremio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense | 859 | 518 |
| Kevin De Bruyne | Belgium | Manchester City F.C. | 665 | 163 |
| Thomas Muller | Germany | FC Bayern Munich | 586 | 201 |
| Mohamed Salah | Egypt | Liverpool F.C. | 628 | 302 |
| Sadio Mane | Senegal | FC Bayern Munich | 458 | 186 |
| Harry Kane | England | Tottenham Hotspur F.C. | 440 | 268 |
| Kylian Mbappe | France | Paris Saint-Germain F.C. | 372 | 263 |
| Erling Haaland | Norway | Manchester City F.C. | 203 | 161 |
1. Lionel Messi
So, who is the god of football? Right now, there is no one who can compete with this legend, he is none other than Lionel Messi. After achieving seven Ballon d’Or, he didn’t stop there, and currently, he got the FIFA Best Player of the Year. And the point is certain that his name is already in the history of football, the current World Cup champion.
However, I missed those El Clasico nights where it was all about Messi vs Ronaldo, and the rest twenty men used to fight till their death. During his career, Barcelona drank every drop of the juice that Messi used to produce for them. And right now, it’s time for PSG. Let’s see whether he will be able to defeat Bayern Munich and win the Champions League with PSG or not.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo
If dedication were a person, the person’s name would be Cristiano Ronaldo. From scoring goals in tap-ins to jumping 2.63 meters for a header, there is nothing that this man can not do while he is on the pitch. Right now, he is at the top with the highest number of international goals, and the number 2 is Lionel Messi, who needs a couple of more matches to reach that milestone.
Other than achieving five Ballon d’Or, there is a huge list of trophies that Ronaldo has. Also, he is the only player to score 100+ goals in three different leagues, which are Premier League, La Lia, and Serie A.
3. Neymar Jr.
Here comes the bad boy, who loves to dance on the pitch with a ball. There is no doubt that after Pele, Ronaldo, and other Brazilian legends, Neymar is well aware of his position. And he successfully goes with the trademark of Brazilian football, where skill is one of the most critical components.
Right now, he is playing for PSG, the team where his subordinates are Messi and Mbappe. After the unsuccessful World Cup, Neymar is fully focused on winning the Champions League, where his team is 1-0 down in the first league. Let’s see if he can achieve that.
4. Karim Benzema
The recent Ballon d’Or winner, French goal machine after Thierry Henry. Benzema is currently the skipper of Real Madrid, where he has been showing a tremendous performance by scoring and assisting a huge amount of goals. After surviving for three years, Real Madrid again came to the top, where Benzema’s contribution was massive.
The dedication of Benzema can be shown by his activity, where he has been playing with a broken finger for the last one and a half years. If he goes through the surgery, he has to be out of the pitch for three months, which he doesn’t want. Let’s see whether he can win the Champions League again for Real Madrid. Last month, he took retirement from international football.
5. Luca Modric
Here comes the boy who was raised in a refugee camp due to war, where he started playing football. At the beginning of his career, there were so many clubs that refused to buy this young lad because he was underweight. But Modric didn’t give up, he showed what he was capable of in England. And after the transfer to Real Madrid, Modric went to another level.
First of all, he won Ballon d’Or, and this was rare when a midfielder took this trophy. Other than this, Modric is an engine. There is a say that wherever the ball is on the pitch, you will see Modric around the ball. With his massive contribution and leadership, Croatia was able to reach the semifinals in 2018 and won third place in the World Cup 2022.
6. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, I don’t think there is any other introduction needed for this beast. He is one of the bad boys of football, and he is famous for his aggressiveness and narcissistic nature. Zlatan is a tremendous goal machine which showed his performance and skills around every corner in Europe and North America. Wherever he goes, he shows his capability.
But, unfortunately, he is one of the players who hasn’t achieved a major trophy, whether it is a Champions League, Euro Cup, or World Cup. He played for Barcelona, Inter Milan, Ajax, Manchester United, and so many other clubs. But most of his contribution is measured by the number of his goals.
7. Robert Lewandowski
Starting a career as a defender and ended up being one of the greatest goal scorers of all time, here is Robert Lewandowski. Rober Lewandowski started his career as a defender and was then promoted to play in the striker position. His career graph never disappoints his fans as he was able to show his brilliant performance everywhere.
In the 2011-12 season, he showed some football that the world was yet to see, and at that time, he used to play for Borussia Dortmund. Then he was brought to Bayern Munich, where he started to be a machine who could score unstoppably. Right now, he is playing for Barcelona, where he wants to achieve the same things but with a different team.
8. Luis Suarez
There have been many people who know this person for his biting habits, but they have yet to know how tremendous he used to be while at Ajax, Liverpool, and Barcelona. Luis Suarez came to Uruguay, where football is played differently. He has always been famous for his activities on the pitch, where he can contribute as much as possible. At Liverpool, he used to be a beast.
His career took a huge curve when he landed in Barcelona, where his teammates were Messi and Neymar. At the time he used to play for Barcelona, the team showed a brilliant performance not only in the Spanish League but in the European stage as well. Right now, he is playing in the Brazilian League, but people will remember him as of the best strikers.
9. Kevin De Bruyne
Now, it is time for the Belgium magician who will find anyone with his feet while he is holding the ball. Kevin De Bruyne used to be an ordinary player while he was at Wolfsburg and Chelsea. But, his career went to its peak when he arrived at Manchester City, where he wears the armband.
His other record was when the Belgium team got third place in the 2018 World Cup. Right now, he is searching for a Champions League with Manchester City. At the international level, people compare him with Modric, but their roles are far different from each other. Although he hasn’t got any major trophies which is an irony, he is one of the best midfielders of his time.
10. Thomas Muller
Now, its showtime for the man who doesn’t get old at all. This German engine started playing football at an early age. And from that, he used to be in the senior team. And right now, when players like Musiala play for Bayern Munich and Germany, Thomas Muller is still there representing his club and country.
Thomas Muller has won Bundesliga several times, he won the World Cup in 2014, and he has two Champions League trophies as well. Right now, I don’t know what he focuses on, but he has the hunger to be at the top. Also, he is the second-highest goal scorer in the World Cup.
11. Mohamed Salah
Here comes another man who is more famous in his country than the president. Mohamed Salah came from a country where there was no history of football and was only famous for Pyramids. Salah has been showing his greatness from Italy to England. He also received so much respect for his country because of his contributions.
Right now, Mohamed Salah is facing some difficulties with his form, but he was able to win Premier League and Champions League with Liverpool, and these were his best two achievements so far. A man comes from nowhere and goes to the top, it is not easy.
12. Sadio Mane
Now a man, who comes from a little village in Senegal, has achieved a lot of things for himself as well as for his country. Let me introduce him with an example where he was seen with a broken phone. And when he was asked about it, he replied that he came from a background where there was no food to eat, and it was a luxury to buy a new phone after his phone broke.
Sadio Mane was an extraordinary player who showed his talent from a young age. There have been so many years before he came to the spotlight. During the time when he used to play for Liverpool, he started to reach his career best. If he had taken birth in a European country, he would definitely have come to the spotlight a lot of years ago.
13. Harry Kane
The man already broke a couple of records in his entire career, and he is aiming to search for a trophy that he has been seeking since the day when he started to play for the Spurs. Harry Kane scored 200+ goals for his club and broke the record last week. Harry Kane also showed excellent performance in international football.
His career stats for England is one of the best, and after Wayne Rooney, he is one of the best England strikers who can destroy a team single-handedly. In the 2021 Euro Cup, England reached the finals but lost to Italy. And again, Harry Kane started to wait for a single trophy.
14. Kylian Mbappe
Here comes the Usain Bolt of football, Kylian Mbappe. He is only 24 years old, and he has already won the World Cup, where he scored the most number of goals. After showing great potential in Monacco, he was brought to PSG, and from that, he started becoming a GOAT. Who knows, after Messi and Rolando, Mbappe might finish his career as one of the GOATs.
Mbappe is so fast with the ball that tackling him might turn into a yellow card because it will be late. Currently, his focus is to win the Champions League with PSG, where he has to face Bayern Munich in the second league, where they are already 1-0 down. After showing a great performance in the 2018 World Cup, Mbappe again showed what he is capable of in the World Cup 2022. Where he scored three goals in the finals, but unfortunately, France lost.
15. Erling Haaland
If there is any Norweighan God that exists, that might be Erling Haaland. He is only 22 years old right now, and see his stats. If he has the ball inside the 18-yard box, Haaland is going to score for sure. He has a height of 6 feet 3 inches and has both legs work like same. Other than this, he is brilliant at scoring goals with his head.
It is his first PL season, and he has already broken several records, such as the most hat-tricks (4), and scoring the most goals for Manchester City he is on the verge of breaking the record for scoring the most goals in a PL season.
Final Thoughts
So, what do you think is the best player in the world?
See, there are players whom you will not find a massive career stat, but when it comes to playing for their club and country, they have shown a tremendous amount of dedication, effort, and, most importantly, their football. And this is how we made a list. Sometimes it’s scoring goals, and sometimes it is the involvement that the players give. I hope you find this list interesting.
If you ask me who is my favorite football player, the answer will always be Cristiano Ronaldo.
Thank You.
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