SOCCER · 2 hours ago

Who Are the Top 10 Soccer Players in the World Right Now?

David Connelly

Host · Writer

The Soccer Top 10 Snub List
Best of the Rest (H3)

11. Bellingham

12. Salah

13. Vinicius Junior

14. Wirtz

15. Palmer

16. Rodri

17. Saka

18. Musiala

19. Martinez

20. Igor Thiago

We know our rankings won't please everyone. Who did we miss? Who is ranked too high? Did we snub your favorite Premier League ace?

Sound off in the comments and tell us who really belongs in the top spot!

Who Will Win the 2026 UEFA Champions League?

The Expert Verdict: Our data points to Bayern Munich as the 2026 favorite. With clinical efficiency on the pitch and high conviction in the prediction markets, the Bavarians are the superior choice. Check the latest hourly probabilities from Kalshi and Polymarket here.

Who Will Win the 2026 World Cup?

The Official Pick: All signs point to Spain lifting the trophy in 2026. La Roja’s on-field dominance is backed by massive prediction market support. Track live 2026 World Cup win probabilities powered by Kalshi and Polymarket right now.
Soccer's Top 10 Players Ranked
Who Are the Top 10 Soccer Players in the World Right Now?

One of the most popular questions you see asked on an annual basis is which players are at the top of the world of soccer right now. We answer that question by using statistics, game impact, and overall ability to determine the cream of the crop on the pitch. You won't want to miss our selections in one of the hottest debates in the sport!
1. Kylian Mbappe
Kylian Mbappe Player Profile
- Club: Real Madrid
- Date Signed: July 1, 2024
- Years Remaining: 4
- Country: France
- Age: 27
- Position: F/CF
Ever since stepping into the spotlight during that magical season at Monaco nearly a decade ago, Kylian Mbappe has sat atop the soccer world. Now at 26 years old, he is on his way to a sixth consecutive domestic league season with at least 25 goals as Real Madrid sit just one point behind rivals Barcelona atop La Liga.

His combination of pace, skill, and shooting makes him the best player in the world currently.

Key 2025/26 Stat: 22 goals + 4 assists across 21 starts in the 2025-26 La Liga season
2. Ousmane Dembele
Ousmane Dembele Player Profile
- Club: PSG
- Date Signed: August 12, 2023
- Years Remaining: 3
- Country: France
- Age: 28
- Position: F/RW
A bit of a late bloomer in this discussion, Ousmane Dembele has done well to get past a rough injury history that plagued him early on in his career. He struggled to break through at Barcelona because of it, and a move to PSG jump-started his career as he scored 21 goals while dishing out six assists in the 2024-25 Ligue 1 season.

When he is at full health, he is one of the most feared attackers in the world. He is just one of ten players in history to have won a World Cup, Champions League, and a Ballon d'Or.

Key 2025/26 Stat: Averaging 1.03 goals per 90 minutes over the past two Ligue 1 seasons
3. Lamine Yamal
Lamine Yamal Player Profile
- Club: Barcelona
- Date Signed: May 27, 2025
- Years Remaining: 5
- Country: Spain
- Age: 18
- Position: RW/RM
The next generation of the sport appears to be in good hands with Spanish wonderkid Lamine Yamal at the wheel. The 18-year-old set loads of records at EURO 2024 with Spain, tying the nation's record for most assists in a single edition of the competition, and became the Euros' youngest goal scorer ever with his goal in the semifinal against France just days before his 17th birthday. Spain's victory at EURO 2024 felt like his coming-out party, and he hasn't looked back.

In half as many La Liga matches this season, he has already matched his goal tally and sits just five assists away from his total in 2024-25. The ceiling feels limitless for Barcelona's starlet, and a Ballon d'Or feels inevitable at some point in the next half-decade.

Key 2025/26 Stat: 21 assists across the past two La Liga seasons
4. Harry Kane
Harry Kane Player Profile
- Club: Bayern Munich
- Date Signed: August 10, 2023
- Years Remaining: 2
- Country: England
- Age: 32
- Position: ST
We are slowly watching Harry Kane ascend himself into the conversation among the all-time great goal scorers in the history of soccer. Even at the ripe age of 32, the Englishman is still banging in goals for Bayern Munich, already with 22 through just 20 appearances in the Bundesliga this year. Across the past 12 seasons, Kane has bagged a ridiculous 294 goals, while also finding time to play 65 assists.

His career didn't really get fully underway until he broke into the Tottenham first team in 2014, at 21, a later age than most on this list. He is not showing signs of slowing down any time soon, as Bayern Munich has its sights set on a second consecutive Bundesliga trophy.

Key 2025/26 Stat: 297 goals across past 12 seasons
5. Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland Player Profile
- Club: Manchester City
- Date Signed: May 10, 2022
- Years Remaining: 2
- Country: Norway
- Age: 25
- Position: ST
If there is a man who could fly past Harry Kane's goalscoring tallies within the next decade, it will likely be Manchester City striker Erling Haaland. Ever since appearing on the scene at RB Salzburg back in the 2019-20 season, the Norwegian has dominated everywhere he has been. Whether it was three seasons in Dortmund of averaging over a goal per 90 minutes or his four consecutive years - and counting - of 20 or more goals in the Premier League, the 25-year-old feels inevitable to find the back of the net every time he steps on the pitch.

It will be interesting to see how his game develops over the next five to seven years. As a player who heavily relies on his incredible pace given his size and strength, he may need to become a more methodical player later in his career if he wants to continue this level of production.

Key 2025/26 Stat: 56 goals in 56 career UCL appearances
6. Vitinha
Vitinha Player Profile
- Club: Manchester City
- Date Signed: May 10, 2022
- Years Remaining: 2
- Country: Portugal
- Age: 25
- Position: MF
While other names get all of the headlines at PSG for leading the front line and finding their name on the score sheet, Vitinha is the one putting in the dirty work in the midfield for the French giants. A player with an endless motor and elite skills with the ball at his feet, he is undeniably the most critical piece of the PSG starting XI.

The Portuguese international possesses the highest average Sofascore rating in the squad for the 2025-26 Ligue 1 season at 7.73, with the next-closest being at 7.41. He is head and shoulders above his teammates at PSG and continues to prove why he is the best midfielder on the planet.

Key 2025/26 Stat: 7.73 average Sofascore rating in the 2025-26 Ligue 1 season
7. Raphinha
Raphinha Player Profile
- Club: Barcelona
- Date Signed: July 15, 2022
- Years Remaining: 2
- Country: Brazil
- Age: 29
- Position: FW
It took a big move to Barcelona to really enter the conversation with the elites, but Raphinha has now earned himself that honor. The 29-year-old made an impact in the European spotlight under Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds in 2021, where he was a constant threat on the right wing in the team's hyper-attacking system, leading the team in goals in the 2021-22 season. His finesse, pace, and clinical finishing clearly caught the eye of the Barcelona scout team, leading to his arrival three and a half years ago.

After overcoming a bit of a slow start to his tenure in Spain, he soared to new heights with 18 goals and nine assists in the 2024-25 La Liga season and has now become an integral part of the squad's attack.

Key 2025/26 Stat: Most assists for Barcelona since arrival in 2022
8. Achraf Hakimi
Achraf HakimiPlayer Profile
- Club: PSG
- Date Signed: July 6, 2021
- Years Remaining: 1
- Country: Morocco
- Age: 27
- Position: RB
Achraf Hakimi is the first and only defender to make our list of top ten players in the world. He has become a mainstay for PSG on their backline since signing with the club back in 2021, making over 100 starts and helping the club win Ligue 1 in each of the past four seasons. While his physicality and size make him an elite defender for a right back, his tactical ability and long-passing make him a threat in the future as well.

In one way or another, he will find a way to impact the match and give his side the best chance to win.

Key 2025/26 Stat: 3rd all-time in caps for Morocco (94)
9. Pedri
Pedri Player Profile
- Club: Barcelona
- Date Signed: September 2, 2019
- Years Remaining: 4
- Country: Spain
- Age: 23
- Position: MF
Pedri is one of the busiest players in world soccer and continues to show up for his club and country at every turn. A key piece for both Barcelona and the Spanish National Team, he has incredible fitness that allowed him to play in 73 matches in the 2020-21 season across all competitions.

He has overcome some injury concerns from earlier in his career and is now carrying on as a key piece of the Barcelona midfield, hoping to lead the club to a third La Liga title in four seasons.

Key 2025/26 Stat: 226 career caps at 23 years old
10. Declan Rice
10. Declan Rice

Declan Rice Player Profile
- Club: Arsenal
- Date Signed: July 15, 2023
- Years Remaining: 2
- Country: England
- Age: 27
- Position: MF
There is little arguing at this point that Declan Rice is one of the top defensive midfielders of this generation. The 27-year-old Englishman has gone from star to superstar since his move from West Ham to Arsenal in the 2023 summer transfer window, helping the club ascend back to elite status in the Premier League. A

After falling just short in each of the past two seasons of winning the Premier League, Rice and the Gunners are hoping to bring the club its first league title since 2003-04.

Key 2025/26 Stat: Has missed just four Premier League matches since joining Arsenal in 2023
The Soccer Top 10 Snub List
Best of the Rest (H3)

11. Bellingham

12. Salah

13. Vinicius Junior

14. Wirtz

15. Palmer

16. Rodri

17. Saka

18. Musiala

19. Martinez

20. Igor Thiago

We know our rankings won't please everyone. Who did we miss? Who is ranked too high? Did we snub your favorite Premier League ace?

Sound off in the comments and tell us who really belongs in the top spot!

Who Will Win the 2026 UEFA Champions League?

The Expert Verdict: Our data points to Bayern Munich as the 2026 favorite. With clinical efficiency on the pitch and high conviction in the prediction markets, the Bavarians are the superior choice. Check the latest hourly probabilities from Kalshi and Polymarket here.

Who Will Win the 2026 World Cup?

The Official Pick: All signs point to Spain lifting the trophy in 2026. La Roja’s on-field dominance is backed by massive prediction market support. Track live 2026 World Cup win probabilities powered by Kalshi and Polymarket right now.
Soccer's Top 10 Players Ranked
Who Are the Top 10 Soccer Players in the World Right Now?

One of the most popular questions you see asked on an annual basis is which players are at the top of the world of soccer right now. We answer that question by using statistics, game impact, and overall ability to determine the cream of the crop on the pitch. You won't want to miss our selections in one of the hottest debates in the sport!