Top 10 Best Football Players in the World

Despite the fact that there is no single accurate answer, the majority of the players on this list were objectively the top players in the world this season. This list, however, may be problematic in some aspects due to continual variations in form and the fact that soccer was suspended for a few months in the middle of the season. But what is a ranking without debate?

It's also worth noting that, while most leagues resumed following the forced suspension, the French Ligue 1 did not. As a result, the two Ligue 1 players' ranking on this list is rather subjective and arbitrary, and it may have been very different if they had the remainder of the season to play.

Also, because of the pause in play and the fact that there are many players who may be considered among the best players in the world right now, the ranking naturally becomes more subjective as it progresses to the bottom. I tried to consider each player's present form as well as his overall ability when fit, but ranking is always arbitrary, especially when so many players have performed so well. But, without further ado, here are the best ten players in the world right now, based on form and natural talent when fit.

1. Lionel Messi

For nearly a decade, La Pulga Atómica (the Atomic Flea) has remained at the top of this list, and at 33, he's still going strong. In fact, he has made exceptional stats and seasons second nature to him.

Despite missing Barcelona's first four games due to injury, Messi is on track to win La Liga top scorer for the seventh time in his career, with 22 goals in as many games. Along with his 22 goals, Messi has 20 assists in the league, breaking his own personal best of 18 assists in a season and contributing 42 goals in 30 league games. That is a once-in-a-lifetime season for any player. For Lionel Messi, it's just another day at the office.

Messi has 27 goals and 24 assists in all competitions, and he hopes to lead Barcelona to their first Champions League victory since winning the treble in the 2014-15 season. Messi is also the most recent winner of the Ballon d'Or, narrowly defeating Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool by seven points.

Despite Barcelona's managerial issues and worry about the club's future after Messi leaves, the Argentinian forward has continued to play unstoppable and exciting soccer, scoring his 700th career goal lately.

2. Cristiano Ronaldo

He'll be near the top of the list as long as he's alive. Cristiano Ronaldo is 35 years old and only in his second season in Italy, yet he is still putting up ridiculous numbers in front of goal. With 28 goals and 6 assists in 28 league games and a total of 39 goal contributions in all competitions, Ronaldo has contributed to half of Juventus' goals this season.

He is presently vying for the Capocannoniere (Serie A top scorer) with Ciro Immobile of Lazio, and has been Juventus' standout player in what appears to be a title-winning season. Ronaldo will be looking to complete his own trifecta this season, having won the Champions League with both of his former clubs.

What's more impressive is that Ronaldo is averaging a goal per game in the league, while receiving less assistance from his teammates than in the past. Juventus is 16th in crosses this season, and 14th in both accurate crosses and assists from crosses, out of the 20 clubs in Seria A.

Because Ronaldo owns the most headed goals in soccer history, his lack of crossing skill has taken a toll on his goal total this season. Despite this, he is still one point behind the leader.

3. Neymar

Despite struggling with injuries this season and not having played since early March as a result of Ligue 1's decision to conclude the season early rather than continue play following the lockout, Neymar Jr. ranks third on my list.

This should demonstrate how good the Brazilian winger is when he's in top form. Neymar scored 13 goals and added six assists in in 15 league appearances this season. These figures rise to 18 goals and 10 assists in 22 games across all competitions.

Neymar has not had a fully fit season in his three seasons with Paris Saint-Germain, but his world-class ability is on display every time he steps onto the field. Messi, Ronaldo, and injuries are the only reasons Neymar hasn't won the Ballon d'Or. Neymar would easily be a contender, if not a shoo-in, for the best player of all time if not for those three variables.

Apart from the Ballon d'Or, Neymar's next goal with PSG is to win the Champions League. Neymar will be fit and motivated for the title after reaching the quarterfinals of the tournament after defeating Borussia Dortmund on aggregate in the Round of 16.

4. Robert Lewandowski

Bayern Munich's world-class striker recently completed his sixth season with the club and tenth overall in the Bundesliga, helping Bayern win its eighth consecutive title. And Robert Lewandowski, at the age of 31, had his greatest season yet. With 34 goals in 31 appearances, Lewandowski won the Bundesliga's top scorer award for the sixth time.

Throughout the season, he only failed to score in six games, with seven braces and one hat trick. He also scored 51 goals and added six assists in 43 games across all competitions, including two in Bayern's recent DFB Pokal final. Lewandowski has scored in every Champions League game he's played in so far this season, and those stats are sure to rise when the Champions League resumes in Lisbon in August.

Robert Lewandowski is a strong contender for the 2020 Ballon d'Or after an outstanding season. In reality, if Lewandowski can maintain his remarkable form and help Bayern Munich win the Champions League and become only the second European team to win a continental treble twice, the decision may be very straightforward.

Bayern Munich are usually regarded as the favorites to take the cup, so this appears to be well within reach for the Polish international.

5. Kylian Mbappé

Due to his youth and the fact that he hasn't played since March, Mbappé falls just short of Lewandowski on my list. The French 21-year-old, on the other hand, might very well be at the top of this list in a few years, as his stats and ability are completely and objectively remarkable. Mbappé's trophy cabinet will only continue to grow, as he is already a World Cup champion with a goal in the final and a four-time Ligue 1 winner.

Mbappé was slightly hampered by injury this season, but he still managed to score 18 goals and make 7 assists in 20 league games. In 33 games across all competitions, he scored 47 goals and added 33 assists. These are Messi's figures. These are Ronaldo's statistics. Mbappé's stats are as follows.

Mbappé will very certainly be an outsider for the 2020 Ballon d'Or due to Ligue 1's premature termination. However, if he and PSG win the Champions League for the first time in August, with the help of Neymar, he could return to the discourse.

6. Kevin De Bruyne

Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City is another player who might easily challenge for the Ballon d'Or at the end of the year. The Belgian midfielder is a world-class player. He is without a doubt England's top midfielder, with incredible vision and passing ability.

De Bruyne has 11 goals and 18 assists in the Premier League this season, and with four games remaining, he could be on his way to breaking Thierry Henry's Premier League record of 20 assists in a single season.

After losing the Premier League title to Liverpool this season, Pep Guardiola's dominant Manchester City team will be eager to prove themselves when the Champions League resumes in August, and Kevin De Bruyne will play a key role in determining whether City can finally win the trophy that they have coveted.

7. Virgil van Dijk

In January 2018, the Dutch defender joined Liverpool from Southampton and has since established himself as one of the top Premier League defenders of all time. Virgil van Dijk, one of the most essential players on a championship-winning team, finished only behind Lionel Messi in the 2019 Ballon d'Or rankings, just missing out on being the first defender to win the award since Italian center-back Fabio Cannavaro in 2006. However, he was named UEFA Men's Player of the Year.

Van Dijk was named Premier League Player of the Year after conceding only 22 goals, keeping 20 clean sheets, completing 74 percent of tackles, and completing the second-most passes in the league last season.

Liverpool only dropped one point in the league and finished second with 97 points, one point behind the team that beat them, Manchester City. Liverpool, on the other hand, won the Champions League and the UEFA Super Cup, as well as the FIFA Club World Cup. Van Dijk was only dribbled past once all season in all competitions.

Van Dijk has led Liverpool to their first Premier League title in 30 years this season. Although he hasn't enjoyed quite the season he did last year, he still has the most passes in the Premier League and has helped Liverpool keep the league's most clean sheets so far.

He has been the best defender in the world over the past two seasons, fortifying and dominating the Liverpool backline, and is perhaps the most important player to Liverpool's current success.

8. Sadio Mané

Apart from the team's defensive solidity, Liverpool has had one of the most dangerous assaults in the world in recent years, thanks in large part to Sadio Mané.

The Senegalese winger has been outstanding for the current English and European champions, scoring 16 goals and assisting nine times so far this season, and sharing the Premier League Golden Boot with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and teammate Mo Salah with 22 goals in the previous campaign.

Sadio Mané stands out despite Mo Salah's record-breaking goal scoring season two seasons ago and Roberto Firmino's technical supremacy over both wingers.

His pace, finishing, and control are all world-class, and he has scored some fantastic goals for Liverpool in the last two seasons, including a spectacular chip against Bayern Munich in the Champions League last season. Mané came in fourth place for the 2019 Ballon d'Or and appears to be a contender for the title in 2020.

9. Riyad Mahrez

It's impossible to single out one attacking player in a team with so much talent up front and on the wings, as it is with Liverpool. The fact that Manchester City's squad depth compels some of the team's finest players to sit on the bench adds to the difficulty.

I knew I had to add at least one Manchester City attacker, and after considering Bernardo Silva, Sergio Agüero, Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus, and even the injured Leroy Sané, I went with the Algerian international.

This season, Riyad Mahrez has 10 goals and 12 assists in the Premier League. Despite the fact that he is only the sixth Man City player to reach double digits in goals and assists this season (a Premier League record), he has only started 60% of City's games and has been benched for five of them. Mahrez's control and first touch are unrivaled, and he could easily start for any other team in the world.

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. Despite the fact that he is only 19, his statistics make him one of the finest players in the world right now.

Haaland began the season with RB Salzburg in Austria, where he scored 16 goals and added six assists in only 14 league games. He also scored eight goals and had one assist in the Champions League group stage.

The Norwegian forward then moved to Borussia Dortmund in the middle of the season, where he continued his amazing form, scoring 13 goals and adding three assists in 15 Bundesliga games. Haaland has 44 goals and 10 assists in 40 games this season, and it is these incredible figures that have propelled him into the top ten.

Haaland has a lot of room to grow and will only become better as time goes on, scoring more goals and playing for larger clubs, but this isn't his breakout season. The 19-year-old would undoubtedly be a Ballon d'Or contender if he had won any honours this season.

Despite being eliminated in the Champions League round of 16 by PSG, Haaland scored two goals, one of which was a spectacular long-range strike. He and Mbappé, as well as a few other teenagers on this list, appear to be the real deal, and both will most certainly be towards the top of this list in a few years.

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