20 Best Footballers In The World (2025) | OneFootball

Ranking the best footballers in the world is difficult because the metrics by which these players are judged are anything but straightforward.

Arguments are usually based on individual performances. Others prefer to look at the trophy cabinet, while traditionalists tend to lean more toward players who pass the eye test.

However, we’ve overcome the semantics behind the exercise to identify 20 players who, in our view, are the best in the world.

20. Bukayo Saka

Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka has impressed this season, although it took him a while to get going after recovering from a serious hamstring injury.

The 24-year-old picked up the injury towards the end of December last year and spent the next two and a half months on the sidelines.

Before spending a chunk of the second half of the campaign sidelined, Saka had already racked up five goals and 11 assists in the Premier League.

He started the season with a goal drought but ended it after just two games and has gone on to score seven goals and provide three assists in 21 games across all competitions.

19. Jude Bellingham

Jude Bellingham was part of a Real Madrid side that failed to impress last season, although not many players can claim to make the same immediate impact he did after joining the club.

He marked his debut year in Spain with a La Liga and Champions League double, cementing his status as one of the best players in the world.

Madrid had a massively underwhelming 2024/25 campaign by their high standards, but Bellingham’s individual performances stood out.

Bellingham recorded 30 goal contributions in 58 games across all competitions last term and has picked up where he left off this season after shaking off an early shoulder injury.

18. Declan Rice

Declan Rice is considered one of the best midfielders in the Premier League and also ranks very highly when the metric is expanded across Europe.

He led West Ham United to the Europa Conference League title in 2023, ending a wait for silverware that had lasted over four decades.

Despite costing Arsenal upwards of £100 million, Rice is still considered a game-changing signing for the Gunners, although he has yet to win silverware.

His transition from a defensive midfielder to a box-to-box workhorse who is just as dangerous in attack as he is imperious in defence makes him one of the best players in the world. 

17. Vinicius Jr

Vinicius Jr felt hard done by after missing out on the 2024 Ballon d’Or to Rodri, and the Real Madrid forward had every right to call out the injustice.

Over the past few years, he has been at the heart of Madrid’s success, and his performance in the double-winning campaign of 2023/24 summed up his importance to Los Blancos.

He bagged 24 goals and 11 assists in 39 games across all competitions that season and also scored in the 2-0 Champions League final win against Borussia Dortmund.

The Brazilian hasn’t been in the best form in recent months, but that does not affect his status as one of the best players in the world.

16. Lionel Messi

After an ill-advised move to Paris Saint-Germain, Lionel Messi has reinvented himself in the United States of America, transforming Inter Miami into a Major League Soccer (MLS) powerhouse.

The World Cup win in Qatar will forever be Messi’s crowning moment, and while he no longer dominates Ballon d’Or rankings, the Argentine legend continues to prove he belongs under the spotlight.

After just two years in Miami, Messi has ensured that he will go down as one of the best players in the club’s history after leading them to the MLS Cup.

He has also scored 77 goals and provided 44 assists in 88 games for Miami, becoming the club’s all-time top scorer and leading assist provider.

15. Robert Lewandowski

Robert Lewandowski continues to defy nature despite approaching 40. Since joining Barcelona three years ago, he has shown no signs of slowing down.

He has scored 109 goals in 164 games for the Catalan giants, winning two La Liga titles and the Copa del Rey. He has also won two Spanish Super Cup titles.

Lewandowski has maintained his status as a ruthless finisher across spells with Bayern Munich, Dortmund, and Barca.

His time in Europe may be coming to an end, but there’s no denying that he remains one of the best players in the world.

14. Cole Palmer

Only a handful of players can claim to have a similar impact to the one Cole Palmer has at Chelsea.

His £40 million move from Manchester City seemed like a risk at first, but the past two years have proven that it will go down as the bargain of the century.

Palmer has blossomed into one of the best players in the world and reasserted that status with a brace and an assist in the Club World Cup final against Paris Saint-Germain.

13. Nuno Mendes

Not many defenders can boast the same success as Nuno Mendes, particularly in 2025.

The 23-year-old is technically brilliant and is a key player from a Luis Enrique squad that has dominated the world this year.

Mendes played a key role in PSG’s remarkable success as the French champions became only the third team to win a sextuple.

The Portuguese defender is the more conservative of PSG’s full-backs, so his numbers in the final third may not be eye-catching, but he has significantly contributed to the club’s success.

12. Joao Neves

Joao Neves first joined PSG as one of the brightest young central midfielders in Europe, but he has developed into a world-beater under Enrique’s leadership.

The Portuguese midfielder is now recognised as one of the best engine operators on the continent.

The box-to-box midfielder makes PSG tick by winning duels and breaking up opposition play all over the pitch, and is one of the best at what he does.

Lining up alongside countryman Vitinha, Neves is one of many heroes in the French capital.

11. Achraf Hakimi

Achraf Hakimi is traditionally a right back, but Enrique’s system gives him the license to freely roam forward and cause plenty of problems for opposition defenders.

The Moroccan defender picks up unusual positions in the final third, making him very dangerous in front of goal, and his remarkable output reflects this.

Hakimi’s passing and ability to make darting runs into opposition territory make him one of the few undroppable players in Enique’s squad.

Despite having the license to roam freely, Hakimi’s attacking endeavours don’t come at the expense of his defensive duties, which only bolsters his world-class status.

10. Vitinha

Vitinha secured a podium finish in the 2025 Ballon d’Or ranking, and for good reason.

The Portuguese midfielder is the heartbeat of a PSG team that has conquered the world by winning a remarkable sextuple under Enrique’s leadership.

Vitinha’s nimble footwork, footballing IQ and eye for a pass make him one of the most elusive midfielders on the continent, and he has recently added goals to his repertoire.

The 25-year-old is widely considered one of the best midfielders in the world. 

While he may not always get a goal or an assist, his ability to pull the strings from the middle of the park lays the groundwork for his teammates to thrive.

9. Pedri

Like Vitinha, Pedri is also an elite midfield tempo controller – one that’s absolutely crucial to Hansi Flick’s brand of football at Barca.

Over the past few years, Barca’s elite La Masia academy has produced a few gems, and until Lamine Yamal came through, Pedri was the cream of the crop.

The 23-year-old is the ultimate tempo setter, capable of bending play to his will while also having an eye for the occasional defence-splitting pass.

Pedri is the kind of talent who walks into any club’s first team, which is typically the metric by which world-class players are judged.

8. Mohamed Salah

Many people would have disagreed with his fourth-place ranking in the Ballon d’Or, but his importance to Liverpool cannot be swept under the radar.

The Egyptian king has not only established himself as a legend for the Reds but also a Premier League icon, smashing records for fun in Liverpool colours.

After shutting down a chance to play in Saudi Arabia for a ridiculous payrise, Salah once again proved his worth to Liverpool by firing the Reds to the Premier League title in Arne Slot’s debut campaign.

Salah bagged 29 goals to win the Premier League Golden Boot and tie Thierry Henry’s record.

7. Michael Olise

Michael Olise’s Ballon d’Or ranking didn’t do justice to the world-class forward he has become since joining Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.

The France international was already considered an elite talent at Crystal Palace, but his move to Bayern took him to an even higher level.

Now considered one of the best right wingers in the world, Olise has become central to Vincent Kompany’s brand of football.

Olise racked up 20 goals and 23 assists in 55 games across all competitions last term, helping Die Rekordmeister reclaim the Bundesliga title.

6. Ousmane Dembele

Ousmane Dembele was the linchpin of PSG’s dominant squad, leading the line as the French champions devoured nearly every opponent in their path.

The French international finally fulfilled the potential many believed he had almost a decade ago.

Having failed to live up to expectations when lining up alongside the likes of Messi and Kylian Mbappe, Dembele absolutely flew out of the blocks last season.

He racked up 35 goals and 16 assists in 53 games across all competitions and was rewarded for his exploits with the coveted Ballon d’Or award.

5. Lamine Yamal

Lamine Yamal has been a joy to watch since coming through Barca’s La Masia academy.

His extraordinary technical ability leaves fans glued to their screens, but his decision-making has also been a hallmark of his development.

The 18-year-old bagged 18 goals and 25 assists in 55 games last season, and his performances at the 2024 European Championship also forced the world to pay attention.

Yamal became the youngest player to score in a Champions League round of 16, quarter-final and semi-final all in one campaign. He has been tipped to win the Ballon d’Or at some point in his career.

4. Raphinha

Like Vinicius in 2024, Raphinha had a strong shout for the Ballon d’Or award but was beaten to the punch by Dembele.

Despite his exploits for Barca, he could have no complaints about the outcome, but finishing fifth in the final ranking was difficult for the Brazilian to fathom.

The 29-year-old forward recorded 60 goal contributions in 57 games for Barca and was a key part of Flick’s side that won a domestic treble.

His 30G/A in La Liga was the most of any Barca player. He also enjoyed a record-breaking Champions League campaign, scoring 11 goals in 13 games.

3. Harry Kane

The idea that there were 12 players better than Harry Kane in the Ballon d’Or ranking was laughable.

The England international has been one of the most lethal and consistent strikers in Europe for the better part of the last decade.

However, he has taken his goalscoring prowess to a new height since joining Bayern. Last term, he bagged 41 goals in 51 games and has already hit the 30-goal mark this season.

Having claimed a first league title, he’ll be keen to help Bayern retain the crown and secure the elusive Champions League trophy in 2025/26.

2. Erling Braut Haaland

Not many strikers can match the goalscoring prowess of Manchester City’s lethal Erling Braut Haaland, who has broken nearly every record since moving to the Premier League.

The 25-year-old has already smashed Alan Shearer’s record by reaching 100 Premier League goals faster than anyone in the competition’s history.

He continues to defy logic and is almost single-handedly spearheading Man City’s title charge this season.

He has already scored 19 goals in 17 games and is more than likely to win his third Premier League Golden Boot this season.

1. Kylian Mbappe

Kylian Mbappe scored 31 goals in 34 La Liga games during his debut Madrid campaign, and it was considered a ‘bad’ season for the Frenchman.

Such massive expectations should be expected from a player who led his nation to the World Cup title at 19 and nearly broke football by winning the tournament back-to-back before turning 24.

Mbappe has scored 29 goals in 23 appearances across all competitions this season.

The Frenchman has also equalled Cristiano Ronaldo’s astonishing record for most goals scored in a single calendar year for Madrid (59).

Given his mind-boggling numbers and consistent performances over the past few years, there can be no argument that Mbappe is the best player in the world and has been for some time.