Who is he – the best of the best in the world of football, the king of the field for all time? Throughout history, a lot of athletes have made serious claims to this title. And yet, in such a popular and mass sport as football, it has not yet been possible to determine the absolute leader. And, most likely, this will not happen.
At the same time, of course, there are by no means few truly outstanding athletes in the football field. In the very recent past, absolutely everyone in the world could name their names unmistakably and immediately – even those who are not at all close to sports. Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi – these people have become real world stars who have been at the head of the ratings for 20 years. However, as usual, things have changed over time. Now these athletes are mercilessly crowded out by new generations. Talented and young football players, rapidly conquering the best fields, capture the sympathy of the audience every day.
We have tried to compile our own list of football stars who, in our opinion, can claim the role of leaders in their niche. What were we guided by when selecting candidates? Certainly not the fleeting successes of this and last years. We comprehensively assessed literally everything in the players: the history of personal achievements for the entire period of activity, the number and quality of awards, the strength and prestige of the leagues that hosted the athletes. And, of course, we took into account the general impression of the people – the staginess of their game, the “magic” that keeps the audience at the screens and in the stands.
So, we present the rating of the strongest football players in the world according to our editorial board!
Cristiano Ronaldo
Yes, Ronaldo, probably more than other players, has lost his ranking positions in recent years. However, this is understandable – he has been firmly in the first places for at least a dozen years, and now his career is naturally going down. However, to this day he has practically no equal in moments when it is necessary to score a “deadly” goal with composure and accuracy.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Many experts unanimously recognize this player as the best known defender. He is able to maneuver in an amazing way in the most difficult situations in all parts of the field, while simultaneously performing game operations. At the same time, the uniqueness of Alexander is that he, in fact, behaves like a defender, midfielder and striker at the same time! And this guy has a lot of prospects: he “gave out” significant results by the age of 23.
Karim Benzema
This is one of the most reliable and trouble-free players in Real Madrid, who has been consistently supporting his club for more than 20 years. Undoubtedly, he owes much of his success to Benzema: in recent seasons, he has demonstrated incredible speed and dedication. The result – dozens of goals, many successful assists.
Harry Kane
This striker is deservedly called one of the best on the planet! His unique highly effective playing technique, a special vision of the process, the ability to bring a lot of victories to his native English Tottenham in general. There were many tragic moments in Kane’s personal history: the player was injured and struggled with the consequences for a long time. However, even they did not make him weaker: in any state, Harry showed amazing results!
Erling Haaland
I must say that from this – the sixth – point of our rating, we are moving on to footballers who confidently claim leadership in their field. Determining the absolute champion is not too easy, but those who go further with us are the brightest stars!
The first person we want to talk about in connection with leadership in football is Erling Haaland. During his career, he managed to change already 2 clubs – his potential and temperament require special conditions, which not everyone can provide. Now he is in Dortmund and his latest results are like a blast! Over the past 2 and a half seasons, he has managed to score as many as 72 goals! Considering that his league has played 71 matches during this time, Haaland’s consistency is amazing!
Kylian Mbappe
This player is the main competitor of the previous candidate and an extremely successful footballer! By his 23 years old, he already owns 112 goals in 153 games! Mbappe has a lot of trump cards – incredible speed, determination and tight control over the game.
Mohammed Salah
Speaking completely impartially, most likely, this player can be safely called the second in the world in terms of skill. However, in addition to technology, he also has other advantages that clearly give him the right to play the role of the first. Yes, many pundits think that his “straight” move with the ball is somewhat outdated, but his efficiency on the field justifies it! Liverpool deeply revere Salah, considering him their talisman.
Kevin De Bruyne
This player is quite capable of sharing the world leadership positions with the previous ones thanks to his first-class physical data and psychological stamina. The Belgian is one of the best crossers: he has the highest speed and no less cool accuracy.
Lionel Messi
Yes, this athlete showed slightly more modest results in the last season. But this certainly does not cast a shadow on the full 15 years of his dominance in world football! No doubt to include Leo is eager for absolutely any club, and it will always be so! Messi is on the same level as the megastar Ronaldo (whose status is also already unshakable no matter what) and the late great Maradona.
Robert Lewandowski
Lewandowski is a Polish player who is rightfully called an icon of football in the world. His “signature” difference is an incredible balance of technicality, physical strength and quick reaction. He simply has no equal in situations of confrontation one on one! Robert participated in 357 games in which he scored 328 goals. This is an excellent result, which has only gained momentum over the last season!
Football knows a lot of others – extremely talented and unique athletes who can match these stars in terms of skill. There are no official ratings of complete leadership in football, which means that each spectator chooses for himself which player he likes best.