With the debate on Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo almost never coming to an end, the football world has always been in disarray regarding the best footballers in the world. So many players have been in top form, and it has been difficult to select the best footballers in the world for you.
The next set of football stars to take over the mantle for the two distinguished men has also been a topic of discussion. With the likes of Neymar, Hazard, and Bale being touted as the next big thing, none of them lived to fulfill that potential.
From the English Premier League, down to the Spanish Laliga and all other major leagues in Europe, the football world is waxing stronger and stronger. This season has been filled with so many talents across the world.
Rising superstars like Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, and Vinicius Junior are showing the world of football that the youths are ready to take over. However, the old cargo has refused to drop the mantle easily. Players like Neymar, Karim Benzema, and Luka Modric are still showing us that they can still do business and do it well.
Obviously, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are still in the conversation also, two Men that have become the epitome of the beautiful game of football. They may be getting closer to the end of their fairytale, but they still remain one of the best in the game.
Best Footballers in the World
Interestingly, this season is one of the football seasons that will go down in history. Due to the 2022 FIFA world cup taking place in November, this is going to be one of the longest seasons in football.
So many matches have been played so far, and so many more to come. We will be going straight into some of the best footballers in the world in 2023.
Kylian Mbappé
Most likely to be the man to take over from Ronaldo and Messi, Kylian Mbappe was one of the world cup stories. Since bursting onto the scene in 2017, Kylian Mbappe has not slowed down. He has continued to go from strength to strength, surpassing all expectations and just dazzling every fan watching.
At just 24 years old, Mbappe is the future of football, and the reality is the future seems to be anytime soon. An outstanding player, a brilliant finisher, dribbles like magic, and also has the speed to get past you like lightning. Mbappe is what you can call the complete package.
Despite already making his name in the world of football, Mbappe went to Qatar 2022 world cup and took the world by storm. He took a French national team with many questions to answer due to the numerous injuries that led them to the finals.
Even though they lost by penalties, Mbappe won the golden boot with an incredible 9 goals, and to top it all off, he scored a hattrick in the final.
Lionel Messi
Arguably one of the greatest footballers of all time, in a career that has been decorated with so many trophies and accolades, Lionel Messi continues to mesmerize the world. At the world cup in Qatar, he dazzled the world with his sublime skills.
And led his country to become the champions of the world. As the clock ticks down on his career, his legend only continues to germinate like a seed.
Buzzing off of his World Cup exploits, there is absolutely nothing Messi hasn’t achieved in football. If we continue to sing his praise, we could write a whole book about that. Lionel Andres Messi is without question one of the greatest footballers to have ever kicked the round leather game.
To even compare any footballer today to him or liken anybody to him is uncalled for. The man is what you can use to describe football. He is simply in a league of his own. As they say, it is Messi’s world, and we’re all just living in it.
Alongside Ronaldo, no player today comes close to what he’s done for football. Messi holds the highest number of Ballon d’Or with seven (7). While it is not entirely clear how long he can go on, his legacy has already been set forever, and it has been an absolute pleasure to have watched ‘the little magician’ play football.
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Karim Benzema
After having to wait for his own time patiently, Karim Benzema has proven to us that patience is indeed a virtue. Since the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo, he has been leading Real Madrid’s attack very well, and in the 2021/22 season, he absolutely exploded into life.
He led Real Madrid to the double by winning the Laliga and the Champions League, and was the top scorer in Laliga and the champions league. As he also comes to the end of his career, despite the injury this season, it is clear that he still has something left in the tank to offer.
Despite being 35, his athleticism and technique, matched with his football brain, Benzema has aged like a fine wine. He has simply let the game come to him, does everything with ease, and now he’s having a good time.
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Luka Modric
It would have been criminal to finish this list without the inclusion of the ageless Luka Modric. At 36 years old, the little man has continued making football look like a piece of cake. Modric was part of the Real Madrid team that dominated Europe last year, buzzing the midfield against the best in the game.
He has continued to show that winning the Ballon Do’or in 2018 was no fluke, and this has forced Real Madrid to renew his contract by another year. The majestic midfielder led his country to the semi-final of the 2022 world cup, where they eventually won third place.
Erling Haaland
One of the best finishers of the ball in the game today, Erling Haaland is one of football’s rising stars today, if not already a sensation. He is a young man that will be a topic of discussion for a long time if he keeps up his good form.
Finally, he’s gotten the chance to slug it out with the big boys in the premier league, and he has absolutely swept everybody away. Halland has completely taken over the premier league with his power, pace, and deadly eye for goal.
He has already surpassed the top goal scorer for last season just halfway through the season. Erling Halland has proven to be a true one-of-a-kind player, and if he keeps up his good work, he will surely form another generation of rivalry with Kylian Mbappe.
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Robert Lewandowski
A deadly and elegant striker, Robert Lewandowski cemented his place as one of the best goal scorers ever played the game. Since joining FC Barcelona from Bayern Munich, Lewandowski has continued in his rich vein of form by scoring goals.
He has dominated the goal-scoring charts for consecutive years, and At 34 years old, Lewandowski continues to age just like a fine wine. He keeps getting better and better with age, and nobody knows when he will finally call it quits. How t choose the right career path.
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Kevin De Bruyne
The Belgium-born Kevin De Bruyne continues to make his case as one of the best footballers in the world. With legs as dangerous as dynamite and a top-level football brain, Kevin De Bruyne is more than making as case one of the best ever to do it.
At 32 years old, Kevin is also getting close to the end of what has been a distinguished career. Playing with the tiki-taka, Manchester City will most definitely get that run going for him. Who knows, that might be his final destination.
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Sadio Mane
What else can we say about the man? He has been sensational over the years and has continued to keep up his performance. 2022 was a very good year for the Senegalese, as he won the Africa nations cup with Senegal. Got to the final of the champions league and won the FA cup and the Carabao cup.
His good performances earned him a move to European giants Bayern Munich, where he has been shown love beyond compare. His move away from Anfield has somewhat left Liverpool longing for his presence on the field. They’ve not been the same since he left. Therefore, he has earned his spot s one of the best footballers in the world so far.
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Vinicius Junior
The young Brazilian has continued to grow from strength to strength after what looked like an all-show without an end product. The arrival of Carlo Ancelotti has absolutely changed him, and he has looked like the real deal.
Last season was a very productive season for him, as he took everybody by storm. He contributed to more than 40 goals for Real Madrid. And he was very instrumental in the success of the team. However, he has continued in that rich vein of form this season. If he keeps up the good run, he will surely be one of the best footballers in the world.
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FAQs for Best Footballers in the World
Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal scored the most in men’s international football, with 118 goals in 191 games and counting.
Ronaldo of Brazil became the first South American winner two years later. Lionel Messi has won the award a record seven times, followed by Cristiano Ronaldo with five.
The FIFA Men’s World Ranking is a ranking system for men’s national teams in association football, led by Brazil as of 2022.
Garrincha
Garrincha was in the same World Cup-winning team as Pelé in 1958 and 1962 and was widely regarded as the greatest dribbler ever.
In ancient Greece, too, a game similar to football existed, which was called ‘episkyros’. The name of the game means ‘common ball,’ and it involved two teams of players (with numbers comparable to football) with one ball.
Pele | Brazil
Regarded as the king of Football, Pele’s exploits in international football are known to almost everyone. Pele is the only player in history to win three World Cups.
Robert Lewandowski
Robert Lewandowski scored an unprecedented five goals in nine minutes as FC Bayern München beat VfL Wolfsburg 5-1 last year.
Football has turned out to be a lot more competitive each day. And there is no assurance that one player listed amongst the best footballer in the world today will be in the mix in a month’s time. However, that is also showing how much the beautiful game is evolving.
