Top 10 Best Soccer Players

Soccer is a worldwide sport that no matter where you go, there will always be people playing it. It brings people together from all backgrounds, race, and countries. Whether it’s played in a friendly match between friends and family or in a professional level, the passion for the sport is the same. Everyone who follows soccer, in the professional level, has their favorite team and players. They become the favorites of the fans around the world because of their hard work and for their abilities on the pitch. Therefore, here is a list of the top ten best soccer players in the world. 

1.      Lionel Messi (Argentina)

Lionel Andres Messi was born in Rosario, Argentina. He was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency when he was a child. The soccer clubs in Argentina that he joined couldn’t afford the medical treatment for him. Therefore, he had to pursue his dream to become a professional player overseas. FC Barcelona (Spain) offered to pay his treatment because they saw talent in him. He joined their youth academy at age 13. He became crucial for the youth academy teams in the club over the years, until he finally made his debut with the first team in 2004 at age 17.

A new star in professional soccer was arising. His success in Spain brought him called ups to represent his national team for the Under-20 Youth Tournament. He finished the tournament with 6 goals and was awarded the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament. He made his debut for the senior team in 2005 at age 18. And he made the list for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany to represent his national team. It was his first world cup with only 19 years of age.

His success for club and country led him to have won 5 FIFA Ballon d’Or and 4 Golden Boots. He has 4 appearances in World Cup stages, recently been at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. With over 600 appearances and over 500 goals for club and country, Messi has become an idol all around the world. He is considered the best player in the world for his goals, trophies, and award recognitions. His loyalty to FC Barcelona is admirable because he has never left the club despite the many great offers he has declined.

2.    Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)

He is also considered by many the best player in the world or one of the greatest players of all times. Born and raised in Madeira, Portugal. He made his professional debut with Sporting Club (Portugal). Then, he signed with Manchester United (England) at age 18. He led the team to three consecutive league titles, one Champions League title, and one FIFA Club World Cup. His success in England led him to be one of the top players in the world. Therefore, in 2009, he was the protagonist of the most expensive transfer when he moved to Real Madrid (Spain).

His career at Real Madrid was successful until the end of the 2017-18 season, when he decided to move to his current club Juventus (Italy). In Spain, he led Madrid to three consecutive Champions League titles, two league titles, two Spanish cups, two UEFA Super Cups, and three FIFA Club World Cups. He became the idol for all the Madrid fans because of his goal-scoring streak.

Ronaldo has won 5 Ballon d’Or awards, tied with Lionel Messi. In 2015, he was named the Portuguese player of all time by the Portuguese Football Association. He led the team to win the Euro 2016, which is the biggest accomplishment ever for the Portuguese national team at all levels. With 33 years of age, his career is slowly coming to an end. But, until he retires, his fans will keep enjoying his goals plays.

3.     Neymar Jr. (Brazil)

With only 26 years of age, he is one of the top players in the world. Born in Mogi das Cruzes, Brazil. Neymar’s skills, pace, dribbling, and flexibility have made him stand out in the world. His style of playing reminds people of the Santos and Brazilian soccer legend Pele. His professional career started at age 17, making his debut in Santos (Brazil). He helped the team win two league championships, a Copa do Brasil, and the Copa Libertadores in 2011. His success at Santos opened the door for him to play in Europe.

He joined FC Barcelona (Spain) in 2013. At Barcelona, he joined Messi and Suarez to form an unstoppable attacking trio. His performance during the 2015-16 season allowed him to come in third place in the race for the FIFA Ballon d’Or Award, just behind Messi and Cristiano. With his current club, Paris Saint-Germain (France), since he joined in 2017 he has led the team to all domestic trophies.

Neymar has become the star player for his national team. With 59 goals in 94 matches since he made his debut, he is the third highest goalscorer. He participated in the 2016 Summer Olympics leading his team to the gold medal. With a bright future behind his back, he can become the greatest player in the world. But, he has to stay humble and work hard every day. With over 300 appearances for club and country, Neymar is set to be the next greatest football player.

4.    Luka Modrić (Croatia)

Luka Modrić is one of the players who quietly became a fundamental piece for his club and for his national team. His position as a central midfielder doesn’t get too much attention because scoring goals is not his function. But, he is great at what he does best. His success at Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia) allowed him to be spotted by one of the top teams in the Premier League, Tottenham Hotspurs (England) in 2008. He led his new team to their first ever appearance in the Champions League, making it to the quarter-finals.

Real Madrid (Spain) spotted him and his great appearances in England. Therefore, they decided to pay for a transfer fee of £30 million in 2012. Ever since then, he has become crucial for the team leading them to their 10^th Champions League title. He won the Liga Award for “best midfielder” in 2016. Also, the UEFA Club Football award under the same category in 2017 and 2018. And, The Best FIFA Men’s Player in 2018.

Ever since he started to represent his country, he has appeared in every major competition. He made his debut in March 2006. Modrić has participated in 3 World Cups, the most recent one; the 2018 World Cup in Russia where he led his team to the final. No one pictured Croatia making it to the final, but he quietly led them all the way. Unfortunately, they lost.

5.   Mohamed Salah (Egypt)

What comes to mind when thinking about Egypt? Everything but soccer. With only 26 years of age, Egyptian right midfielder, Mohamed Salah is one of the top players in the world. He has played in top European clubs like Chelsea (England), Roma (Italy), and currently playing at Liverpool (England). The boost to his career started at Roma where he led the team to a second-place finish during the 2016-17 season. Liverpool spotted him and came back to the Premier League after his short stay at Chelsea.

This second time in the Premier League, he became crucial for his team during the 2017-18 season. In his debut season, he received the Premier League Golden Boot. With 32 goals in 36 matches that season, he was named player of the month three times. He also came in third place in the award for the 2018 Best FIFA Men’s Player. His success at Liverpool is due to his natural position as a winger on the right side of the pitch, allowing him to score goals more often.

He has also been successful with his national team. Winning the bronze medal at the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations. He also appeared in the U-20 FIFA World Cup in 2011, as well as the Summer Olympics in 2012. At the senior level, he led his team to the final of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. And, he helped them qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. His performances for club and country have stand out over the past couple of years.

6.   Kylian Mbappé (France)

What were you doing with your life at age 19? Certainly not winning a World Cup title. Kylian Mbappé with only 19 years of age has won a World Cup title with France and is currently playing at one of the top clubs in the world, Paris Saint-Germain (France).

He made his professional debut at age 16 in 2015 with Monaco (France). In the 2016-17 season, he led them to their first Ligue 1 title. At the end of that season, he transferred to Paris Saint-Germain, the top team in France. He became the world’s most expensive teenager after the €180 million transfer fee. He has won a league title, a Coupe de France, and a Coupe de la Ligue.

He made his senior debut in the French national team in 2017. As a result of his performances, he received the Best Young Player Award after the 2018 World Cup. He scored in the World Cup final, helping France win with a 4-2 victory over Croatia. His pace, dribbling, and speed has positioned him as a prospective best player in the world.

7.    Antoine Griezmann (France)

Another World Cup 2018 winner in this list! Antoine Griezmann started his career in Spain with Real Sociedad back in 2009. He led the team to a Second Division title during his first season at the club. He became a key player for the club when they moved up to the First Division in Spain. Five seasons after, he transferred to another Spanish club. This time it was the second team in the capital, Atletico de Madrid.

At Atletico de Madrid, he became a full forward because at his previous club he would normally play as a winger. His goalscoring streaks led him to be named La Liga Best Player in 2016. Also, he received a nomination for the Ballon d’Or awards that same year. With over 400 appearances and over 100 goals for club and country, Griezmann is considered one of the top players in the world.

He went through the youth French national teams U-19, U-20, and U-21, before making his debut for the senior national team in 2014. He helped the French national team reach the final in the 2016 UEFA EURO, losing to Portugal. At the 2018 World Cup in Russia, he became a key player for his national team scoring 4 goals. He is a World Cup Champion and received the Bronze Ball after being named man of the match in the final.

 

8.   Eden Hazard (Belgium)

Eden Hazard doesn’t get much media coverage yet he’s one of the top players in the world because of his dribbling, pace, and skills. He started his career in 2005 with Lille (France) where he won the league and cup titles during the 2010-11 season. His performances at Lille, after eight years spent there, allowed him to transfer to a top Premier League team, Chelsea (England). Ever since he joined Chelsea in 2012, he hasn’t moved because he has become a crucial player for them.

He helped Chelsea win the Premier League and the League Cup during the 2014-15 season. With over 400 appearances and over 100 goals for Chelsea, Hazard is a key player to help them win titles and to keep them on top in the world. He is a team player who likes to create the chances for goal and assist his teammates. But, when there is a clear chance of scoring he won’t hesitate.

He is a Belgium international and the captain. With over 90 appearances, he led the team to the quarterfinals in the 2014 World Cup. And, he led Belgium to earn the third place during the 2018 World Cup. He was awarded the Silver Ball for being the second-best player in the tournament. Hazard’s consistency and goal scoring streak has often put him in another top clubs in the world, but he rejects the offers because he is happy at Chelsea.

9. Harry Kane (England) 

With only 25 years of age, Harry Kane is becoming one of the top players in the world. His capacity to score goals with his club and his national team is admirable. Over the years, English players and the national team as a whole have struggle to put England in the map of the top competitions in the world. But, Kane is changing that history. His great performances grab people’s attention from all over the world.

With his current club, Tottenham Hotspurs (England), he has finished as the top scorer during two consecutive seasons. He helped his team qualify for the Champions League in both seasons. Kane has been named player of the month six times in the Premier League.

As an English international, he played during the 2018 World Cup making it to the semifinals and ending up in fourth place in the tournament. He ended up as the top goalscorer winning the Golden Boot becoming the first English player to accomplish it. With over 300 goals for club and country, Kane stands out as a top player for his ability to score goals and lead his team to victories.

10.    Philippe Coutinho (Brazil)

Another Brazilian in this list! Philippe Coutinho with 26 years of age is a top player in the world. As an attacking midfielder, scoring goals is not only his function on the field, but to rotate the ball around the midfield. Almost every ball is played through him. The boost of his career happened at Liverpool (England) when he joined in 2013 from Espanyol (Spain).

His characteristics of dribbling, passing, and long-range shots from outside the box grabbed the attention of the fans in England. He became a key player for Liverpool as they qualified for the Champions League. His successful career in England allowed him to transfer to FC Barcelona (Spain) in January 2018. Coutinho became the world’s third most expensive player after a €142 million record transaction fee. With a few months playing at Barcelona, he is slowly getting the fans support through his goals, plays, and dribbles.

His international career with Brazil’s national team is not extensive as he just made his first World Cup debut at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. But, he participated in the 2015 Copa America and the 2016 Copa America Centenario. The future looks bright for Brazil as Coutinho is on the rise of his career. His flexibility and ability with the ball can take him to the biggest stages at the international level.