Who is the best football player in the world? You’ve probably heard this question being asked a billion times. The problem is that there is no definitive answer. It all depends on who you ask and what criteria they use to measure football best player in the world.
The truth is that no footballer has ever been unanimously recognized as the best player in the world at any given moment. Trying to come up with a short list of names of players who could stake a credible claim to that title would be challenging. So much so that it’s almost become an irrelevant discussion point for many football aficionados.
That being said, this article will look at some of the most talented footballers and help you define the best player in the world. As a result, it will be easier for you to place the right bets!
Table of Contents
Top 10 Best Football Players in the World
Well, we have the question — which is the best football player in the world? Now, let’s take a closer look at the table below with the current rating.
| Player | Team | Ballon d’Or | Club Trophies |
| Lionel Messi | Paris Saint-Germain | 8 | 35 |
| Robert Lewandowski | Barcelona | 0 | 19 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Manchester United | 6 | 32 |
| Neymar | Paris Saint-Germain | 0 | 21 |
| Kevin de Bruyne | Manchester City | 0 | 13 |
| Erling Haaland | Manchester City | 0 | 4 |
| Kylian Mbappe | Paris Saint-Germain | 0 | 5 |
| Sadio Mane | Bayern Munich | 0 | 21 |
| Mohamed Salah | Liverpool | 0 | 29 |
| Karim Benzema | Real Madrid | 0 | 23 |
Who Is Best Football Player in the World?
Now, let’s take a deeper look at the best football player in the world ranking. If you are going to bet on football, you simply can’t pass by this information. So, who is no 1 best football player in the world? Let’s try to define, so keep reading!
Lionel Messi
Born: [June 24, 1987]
Country: [Argentina]
Position: [Forward]
Record: [most goals in La Liga (474), the Supercopa de España (14), the UEFA Super Cup (3)]
Even if you are far from football, it goes without saying that you have already heard the name of this legendary footballer. Lionel Messi is the current best football player in the world. He is a famous Argentine footballer who plays for Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Argentina national team.
He has won countless awards, including FIFA World Player of the Year three times (2009, 2011, and 2015). Lionel Messi was born in Rosario, Argentina, on June 24, 1987. He started playing football when he was five years old. In 1999, at age 12, he joined the Argentinian club Newell’s Old Boys youth academy. After two years with Newell’s Old Boys, he moved to Spain to join Barcelona’s youth system. Later that year, he made his first-team debut for Barcelona. Lionel Messi is known for his incredible speed and technique. He is also a skilled free-kick taker who has scored more than 500 goals in his career.
Robert Lewandowski
Born: [August 21, 1988]
Country: [Poland]
Position: [Forward]
Record: [the most Golden Boot awards (seven) in Bundesliga history]
Robert Lewandowski is one of the most successful Polish football players of all time. He has a long and successful career as a professional footballer and has played in several top clubs, including Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich. He started playing football at eight and later joined the club in his native town of Kraków in 2007. Lewandowski is well known for his strong performances in attack, particularly his ability to score goals with both feet. He is also known for his leadership qualities and ability to inspire teammates.
As a result of his success on the pitch, Lewandowski has earned several honors, including the Golden Boot award at the 2014 World Cup and the Ballon d’Or award in 2015
Cristiano Ronaldo
Born: [February 5, 1985]
Country: [Portugal]
Position: [Forward]
Record: [records for most appearances (183), goals in the European Championship (14), goals (140), international goals (117)]
Cristiano Ronaldo is a Portuguese professional footballer. The latter plays as a forward for the Spanish club Manchester United and the Portugal national team. He has spent his entire career at Real Madrid and is the all-time leading goal scorer for the team in all competitions. Regarded as one of the greatest players in the world, Ronaldo holds five Ballon d’Or awards, including four consecutive wins from 2008 to 2012, and was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world’s greatest living players in 2005. In 2018, he was selected by La Gazzetta Dello Sport as their highest-ever World Cup player.
Neymar
Born: [February 5, 1992]
Country: [Brazil]
Position: [Forward]
Record: [he scored 100 goals for three different clubs, and this made him one of three players to achieve this]
Neymar da Silva Santos, or simply Neymar, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the Brazil national team. He is widely regarded as one of the world’s best players.
In addition to being an excellent footballer, he was also recognized as one of the most marketable athletes in the world by Forbes. He was listed on their 2016 30 under 30 list, and in 2017, he was ranked first on their highest earning athletes list with earnings of $256 million, surpassing basketball player LeBron James. As of January 2019, he is the fifth highest earning athlete in the world, with earnings of $350 million.
Kevin De Bruyne
Born: [June 28, 1991]
Country: [Belgium]
Position: [midfielder]
Record: [most assists in a Premier League season and was awarded Player of the Season (which he won again in 2021–22)]
Kevin De Bruyne is a Belgian footballer who plays for the English club Manchester City and the Belgium national team as a midfielder. De Bruyne started his career at VfL Wolfsburg. In January 2012, he signed for English club Chelsea for an undisclosed fee but was immediately loaned out to Bundesliga side Werder Bremen.
In August 2016, De Bruyne made his first appearance for Manchester City in a 2016 FA Community Shield match against Arsenal. In De Bruyne’s first season with the Premier League club, he made 41 appearances in all competitions, scoring 10 goals and assisting 12 others as the club won its first league title. The following season, De Bruyne scored once in 32 games across all competitions as City finished second, again winning the league title. De Bruyne has earned over 90 caps for Belgium since making his debut in 2014. He represented them at UEFA Euro 2016 and 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifications.
Erling Haaland
Born: [July 21, 2000]
Country: [Norway]
Position: [striker]
Record: [two league titles and two major cup competitions]
When answering the question of who is the best football player in the world, we couldn’t pass by this footballer. This man is a talented Norwegian football player who currently plays for Manchester City and the Norway National Team. He is also considered the best football skill player in the world thanks to his athleticism and speed. In the 2019-20 season, he became the first teenager who managed to score in five UEFA Champion League matches. In 2020, he won the legendary Golden Boy award and was named Bundesliga Player of the Season.
Kylian Mbappe
Born: [December 20, 1998]
Country: [France]
Position: [forward]
Record: [the youngest player to score 100 goals for a single team]
This man is also one of the best football players in the world. He is a professional French footballer who plays for Paris Saint-Germain and the French national team. Beyond this, he is also the best earning football player in the world. Fans appreciate Kylian for his exceptional speed, dribbling abilities, and talent. He started his football career in 2015 and managed to win the first Ligue 1 title. In 2017, he transferred to Paris Saint-Germain for €180 million. As a result, he was named the second most expensive teenage footballer. Beyond this, he also became the youngest French player to score at a World Cup.
Sadio Mane
Born: [April 10, 1992]
Country: [Senegal]
Position: [forward/winger]
Record: [the youngest player to score 100 goals for a single team]
Surely, this man is also worth your attention. He is a legendary Senegalese footballer who plays for Bayern Munich and the Senegal National team. When talking about the best African players, he is the best footballer, known for his speed and pressing.
He started his career at 19 in Ligue 2 Club Metz. Later, he joined the Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg and Southampton. On top of that, he set the new Premier League record for the fastest hat-trick. He scored in 176 seconds in a 6-7 over Aston Villa. He was also ranked fifth in the Best FIFA Men’s Player in 2019.
Mohamed Salah
Born: [June 15, 1992]
Country: [Egypt]
Position: [winger]
Record:
The Egyptian professional footballer plays for the Egyptian national team and the Premier League club, Liverpool. He is among the world’s top male footballers based on his performances for Liverpool since 2017. He is recognized for his composure, finishing, dribbling, and speed.
Even though he does not have an all-around game as some of the other players here do, his contributions are invaluable on the field. As Liverpool’s pride and Egypt’s national team king, Salah was one of the team’s finest players. He will be remembered as one of Liverpool’s greatest players despite reaching his peak later than other superstars.
Karim Benzema
Born: [December 19, 1987]
Country: [France]
Position: [forward]
Record: [23 trophies with Real Madrid, including four La Liga, two Copa del Rey, and five Champions League titles.]
Benzema has risen to the top of the list again as he continues to enjoy an Indian summer after nearly two decades in the game. Madrid has recently opted for Galactico-style big-money names, but they always turn to the reliable Frenchman who had one of his best seasons in 2021/22. He has made this list due to his 27 goals in 32 La Liga games last season, as well as four consecutive 20-goal seasons, with many assists that convey his hard work, selflessness, and influence on Madrid’s success.
Best Football Player in the World of All Time
Who is the best football player in the world ever? Of course, it’s Lionel Messi. This man is the all time best football player in the world.
He is an Argentine professional footballer who currently plays as a forward for Paris Saint-Germain and the Argentina national team. Messi has been acknowledged as the best player in the world and one of the greatest footballers of all time. He has broken almost every single record in football. Today, he has seven Ballon d’Or awards, six European Golden Shoes, and the Ballon d”Or Dream Team title.
He has won every single award available in the world of football. He has been awarded 4 times as the best player in the world. He has won every single title with Barcelona and, therefore, is considered the Barcelona best football player in the world. This guy is a machine. There is no one better than him. He is the Michael Jordan of football.
FAQ
Who is the best football player in the world?
Lionel Messi is considered the greatest football player in the world.
Who is the best football player in the world right now?
Lionel Messi is the best football player in the world. He has won almost every possible award and is widely regarded as the greatest player of all time. In fact, many experts consider him to be the greatest athlete of all time.
Who is the best player in the world in football?
Lionel Messi remains the king of football. He is the best in everything that he does on the pitch and he has been proving that for the last decade. No player in the world has ever scored more goals than Messi, and he has done that while playing in a league that is not as competitive as many of the European leagues.
Who is the best dribbling football player in the world?
Lionel Messi is considered the king of dribbling football. With every goal he scores, he climbs up a bit higher on this list, becoming the best at football.
Who is the best football player in the world ever?
Statistically, Lionel Messi is considered the best football player in the world.
Conclusion
Football is a fantastic sport, but if you are going to bet on this game, you need to learn more about the teams and players. Otherwise, you won’t be able to place winning bets. At Parimatch, we cover all football events, so you can join Parimatch and place your bets immediately!
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