Football, along with the NBA, NHL, and NFL, is one of the most popular games in the world. Every football fan has an opinion about the best football stars in the world, but almost everyone agrees on the greatness and caliber of a few pro football players.
Some of these players play for the elite football teams, including Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Manchester. A few others who are already legends include Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and De Bruyne.
Here is a list of the best football players in the world.
1- Lionel Messi
Messi is one of the best and great players of all time. He has won six Ballon d’Or awards and six times European Golden Shoes.
Messi has won a club-record 33 trophies, including 10 La Liga titles, four UEFA Champions League titles, and six Copas del Rey in his entire professional career with Barcelona. He is a brilliant goal scorer and playmaker. He holds the records for scoring 444 goals in La Liga, 50 in the European league season, 33 hat tricks in La Liga and, eight in the UEFA Champions League. His total senior career goals for club and country is more than 700.
2- Robert Lewandowski
Lewandowski is one of the best players and strikers in the world. He is famous for his positioning, finishing, and technique. Lewandowski has earned more than 110 caps. He is an all-time top scorer for Poland with 61 international goals. He was named as Polish Sports Personality of the Year in 2015 and was voted eight times as the Polish Player of the Year.
In 2020, Lewandowski scored a goal in a 3-0 win against Chelsea and equaled Cristiano Ronaldo’s record of nine away goals in a season in Europe’s top club competition.
3- Cristiano Ronaldo
Ronaldo is known for his abilities to score goals from different angles and beat players for skills and speed. He has won 30 major leagues in his entire career, including five UEFA Champions Leagues, one UEFA European Championship, seven league titles, and one UEFA Nations League title. He has also won five Ballons d’Or and four European Golden Shoes.
Ronaldo holds the record for scoring 130 goals and 40 assists in the history of the UEFA Champions League.
4- De Bruyne
Bruyne plays as a midfielder for the Belgian national team and Premier League club Manchester City. He is famous for his passing, shooting, and dribbling ability.
In 2017 to 18, he played a crucial role in Manchester City’s record in becoming the only Premier League team to attain 100 points in a single season. In 2019–20, he won the Player of the Season award and held the record for most assists in a Premier League season.
5- Thiago Alcantara
Thiago Alcantara is the central midfielder for Premier League club Liverpool and the Spain national team. He has proved himself as the serial winner in Germany.
Since 2013, Thiago has won seven successive Bundesliga titles and four German Cups. He won 16 trophies, including the Bundesliga seven times, and the UEFA Champions League in Germany.
Recently, Liverpool announced the signing of Thiago on a long-term contract for £20 million, with the potential for a further £5m in add-ons.
6- Sergio Ramos
Ramos is one of the most famous defenders in the world who is known for his passing and goal-scoring abilities.
Since he joined Real Madrid in 2005, he has accumulated 21 main trophies for Los Blancos, won a historical three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles, three Club World Cups as well as a La Liga title in 2017.
Early this year in the Supercopa de España final Ramos for the first time in his career, scored a winning penalty in a shoot-out. The 2020 Super Copa title was Ramos’ 21st trophy with Real Madrid.
7- Virgil Van Dijk
Virgil Van Dijk is a center-back player for Premier League club Liverpool and is the captain of the Netherlands national team. He is famous for his strength, leadership, and aerial ability. He is the only defender to win UEFA Men’s Player of the Year and was the runner-up for the Ballon d’Or and Best FIFA Men’s Player.
Van Dijk has won the FIFA Club World Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, and helped the club to win the 2019–20 Premier League.
8- Luka Modric
Modric plays for the Spanish club Real Madrid and is captain of the Croatia national team. He is a central midfielder but also plays as an attacking midfielder and defensive midfielder.
In the 2018 World Cup, Modric played a crucial role in leading Croatia to the Final. He received the Golden Ball award for Best Player of the Tournament. From 2007 to 2019, he won the Croatian Footballer of the Year eight times.
Final Thoughts
This list consists of the best players in the world in the past seasons. However, there is no correct answer due to constant fluctuations in form and the excitement of new arrivals staking their claim as elite footballers. These football stars have worked hard to achieve the heights of success and to get the privilege of being called the best. This list takes into account each player’s current form and achievements. However, there is always an arbitrary nature to rank players when so many of them have played so well.
