Ranking The 10 Best Football Players In The World – 2025

Ronaldo, Messi, or Kylian Mbappé? Wondering who the world’s best football player is in 2025? As we are progressing towards the new year, 2025, the race for the 2025 best football player in the world is about to end. The debate over who is the best, Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi, has been going on for more than a decade. However, in the past few years, many prominent young stars have been emerging from the vast talent pool. Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Ousmane Dembele, and Harry Kane are a few talented names chanted by football pundits and fans all around the world.

In this blog, we will dive deeper and rank the top 10 soccer players in the world currently. Choosing one football player among so many megastars is an extremely hard job. But we did our best to find out who the No.1 footballer in the world right now is. To be the best football players in the world 2025, there are some qualities a player must possess.

Ranking Factors

Individual records: To evaluate the world’s best player in the world 2025, we have focused on overall performance, including goals and assists, and records in the recent seasons.

Impact on the team: To sum up the criteria, the world’s best football players must have an impact on the team while leaving an evergreen mark for that year and contributing to the team’s performance.

Performance: The third parameter, while ranking the best player in the world 2025 is to look at the player’s performance for his club and country.

Top 10 Best Players in the world – 2025

10. Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City)

The Belgian footballer Kevin de Bruyne is a Manchester City star and one of the top performers in recent seasons. Six-time Premier League winner Kevin has many extraordinary accomplishments, including the 2022 and 2023 Ballon d’Or. The attacking midfielder’s excellent physical strength, shooting skills, passing technique, and shooting and passing skills make him one of the best football players in the world 2025.

At number 10, we have Kevin De Bruyne on our list. De Bruyne remains one of the best midfielders of all time. The Belgian midfielder’s vision and passing range continue to amaze, dictating games for both Manchester City and Belgium. Whether it’s a defense-splitting pass or thunderous strike, he always steps up when needed. 

9. Rodri (Manchester City)

Spanish midfielder Rodri is one of the best football players in the world and won the Ballon d’Or 2024 for his feats. The holding midfielder of Manchester City, Rodri, defeated the likes of Vinicius Jr, Haaland, Mbappe, and Odegaard to clinch the Ballon d’Or accolade. He also won the UEFA EURO 2024 Player of the Tournament after Spain smashed Germany. He has cemented his place in our list of the best football players in the world 2025.

With Manchester City, Rodri went unbeaten for 74 games, including club and country, from March 2023 to May 2024. He suffered an ACL injury in May 2024. Therefore, he has made an appearance in 3 games. 

8. Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)

Virgil van Dijk has regained his status as one of the best defenders in the world after overcoming injury struggles. His leadership and defensive mastery remain crucial for Liverpool’s success. The 33-year-old defender dominates attackers through positioning and aerial ability rather than pure speed.

Van Dijk’s performance for Liverpool this season particular, has been sensational. Rock solid at the back, giving time to his full backs to go forward while having their backs.

7. Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)

The England national team captain, Harry Kane, is next on our list of the world’s top footballers. He is an ultimate goal machine, dubbed as one of the most prolific goal scorers in the world. For the 2023/2024 season, Harry Kane went berserk and made 45 appearances and hit 44 goals with 13 assists in all competitions. No wonder Harry Kane is the best striker in the world in 2025. Also to be noted, Kane is the second-highest goal scorer in Premier League history.

Harry Kane has taken his goal-scoring game to a new height since joining Bayern Munich. he has been breaking Bundesliga goal-scoring records. At 31, he has evolved into the complete modern striker and is more than just a goal scorer and creating chances for his teammates. The former Spurs striker’s football IQ allows him to dominate games without relying on pure athleticism.

Also Read: The 25 Greatest Players of the last 25 Years – Ranked

6. Erling Haaland (Manchester City)

Erling Haaland continues to rewrite scoring records with his skill set of physicality and finishing ability. The former Dortmund striker has perfected the instinct of being a goal poacher and a dominating striker. At 24, he’s already cemented his place as one of the most feared number nines in recent years.

While some criticize his all-around game, his records in recent seasons for Man City speak for themselves. The Norwegian striker is one of the few forwards who doesn’t need many chances to score.

5. Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)

At number 5 on our list, we have Jude Bellingham, who has taken his game to astonishing new heights since joining Real Madrid. At just 22, he plays with the maturity and influence of a veteran midfielder. The English midfielder’s complete skill set allows him to dominate games defensively while contributing crucial goals. Jude is one of the best football players in the world 2025.

The Englishman’s late runs into the box have become a trademark of his game. He’s already a vocal presence who organizes Real Madrid‘s midfield. His physicality, technique and football IQ make him the prototype modern midfielder. Bellingham’s rapid development at Los Blancos has cemented his place as one of the best midfielders in world football in 2025.

4. Lamine Yamal (FC Barcelona)

Lamine Yamal has taken world football by storm with his performances for Barcelona and Spain. He plays with maturity beyond his years, already becoming a key player for Blaugrana. The Spanish winger has cemented his place as the best player in the world 2025.

Unlike most teenagers, he delivers a consistent end product in big matches. If he continues to develop at this rate, he could become the best player of his generation or even the best ever footballer.

Also Read: Top 10 Football Players of All Time

3. Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid)

Vinicius Junior has transformed from a promising talent to a world-class superstar in 2025. His linkups with Mbappe give Real Madrid the most feared wing duo they were missing in recent years. At 24, he has become one of the complete modern wingers who are difficult to defend and mark.

He consistently delivers for his team during crunch games like El Clasico and Champions League matches when it matters most. He is no longer just an entertainer, he has now become a decisive match-winner who scores and creates in equal measure. The Brazilian winger has continued to impress everyone with his performance and has been one of the best football players in the world 2025.

2. Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid)

Kylian Mbappe has reached new heights since joining Real Madrid, entering his absolute prime at 26. The French striker’s game now blends blistering pace with refined decision-making and clinical finishing. Defenders know exactly what he’ll do but still can’t stop him – that’s how good he’s become. He has added more variety to his game while maintaining his explosive threat.

Mbappe’s taken his Champions League performances to another level since arriving in Madrid. With his combination of speed, skill and football IQ, he’s arguably the most complete attacker in the game today. The scary part is that he might still have another gear to reach and has been one of the best football players in the world 2025.

1. Mohamad Salah (Liverpool)

Mo Salah remains one of the best football players in the world in 2025, proving that age is just a number. While he may have lost a bit of pace, his movement and finishing ability have become even sharper. The Egyptian forward continues to deliver 20+ goals per season for Liverpool. Salah is one of the best football players in the world 2025.

Salah’s developed into a complete forward who creates as many chances as he scores. While younger wingers rely on pure speed, Salah dominates through intelligence and technique. The former Chelsea player, Mohamed Salah, is one of the best Premier League players of all time, enjoying his time at Anfield Stadium.

Who is the Best Player in the World 2025

Rank	Player Name	Country
1	Mohamed Salah	Egypt
2	Kylian Mbappe	France
3	Vinicius Junior	Brazil
4	Lamine Yamal	Spain
5	Jude Bellingham	England
6	Erling Haaland	Norway
7	Harry Kane	England
8	Virgil van Dijk	Netherlands
9	Rodri	Spain
10	Kevin De Bruyne	Belgium

Also Read: Top 20 Best Young Football Players in the World 2025 | Ranked

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