The Best Champions League Soccer Players Of 2023

Pat Alexander
Updated September 15, 2023 12.1K votes 1.0K voters
Over 1.0K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Best Champions League Soccer Players Of 2023
Voting Rules

Vote up the best soccer players in the 2022-23 UEFA Champions League.

Latest additions: Julian Draxler, John Brooks
Most divisive: Patrik Schick

Who is the best Champions League Player of 2023? Every year it's hard question to answer about the best UCL players 2023. Is a goal-scoring striker better than a goal-saving defender? Do midfield distributors have a greater impact than shot-stopping goalkeepers? Luckily for us, the UEFA Champions League is the top competition in all of Europe and probably the best place on earth for the world's top talents to showcase their skills. So, who are the best Champions League soccer players of 2023? Who is the best UEFA Champions League soccer player this year?

Most of the best players in Champions League 2023 are among the top soccer players in the world, starting with with Mohamed Salah of Liverpool, who has been on an absolute tear in 2022. Dutch defender Virgil Van Djik is also in the mix as likely the best defender in the game right now. There's the likes of Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Kevin de Bruyne, who continually make headlines. Speaking of headlines, Erling Haaland's transfer to Champions League contenders Manchester City caused quite a stir this offseason. But what about 2023 Champions League best players: FC Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski or Inter Milan's Romelu Lukaku? Or unbeatable goalkeepers, such as Chelsea's Edouard Mendy and Manchester City's Ederson? 

Vote up the best players in Champions League 2023 and help decide who are the 2023 best UCL players taking the pitch in Europe each weekend.

Ranked by
  • Kevin De Bruyne
    1

    Kevin De Bruyne

    Drongen, Belgium
    882 votes
    • Team: Manchester City
    • Position: Midfielder
    Kevin De Bruyne (born 28 June 1991) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City and the Belgian national team. His playing style has frequently led to the media, coaches, and colleagues ranking him among the best players in Europe, and has often been described as a "complete" footballer. He was ranked the fourth-best footballer in the world by The Guardian in 2017.De Bruyne began his career at Genk, where he was a regular player when they won the 2010–11 Belgian Pro League. In 2012, he joined English club Chelsea, where he was used sparingly and then loaned to Werder Bremen. He signed with Wolfsburg for £18 million in 2014, and in 2015 he was named Footballer of the Year in Germany. Later that year, he joined Manchester City for a club record £54 million. In four seasons with City, De Bruyne has appeared in over 170 matches and won two Premier League titles, three League Cups and one FA Cup. He had a significant role in City's quest to become the first Premier League team to attain 100 points in a single season in the 2017–18. Additionally, De Bruyne has been named Manchester City's Player of the Year, twice, in 2016 and 2018. De Bruyne made his full international debut in 2010, and has since earned 70 caps and scored 16 goals for Belgium. He was a member of the Belgian squads that reached the quarter-finals both at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and at UEFA Euro 2016. In 2018 he represented Belgium at the FIFA World Cup, winning the third place play-off match against England.
  • Erling Haaland
    2

    Erling Haaland

    Leeds, England
    752 votes
    • Team: Manchester City
    • Position: Striker
    Erling Braut Haaland (born 21 July 2000) is a Norwegian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester City and the Norway national team. A prolific goalscorer, Haaland is recognised for his pace, athleticism and strength, earning him the nickname, 'The Terminator' by many of his admirers. He also plays with high levels of confidence, utilising precise off-the-ball movement and work ethic. He is considered to be one of the best strikers in world football, as well as one of the best young and most valuable footballers in the world.
  • Kevin De Bruyne
    NEW
    #1 needs votes

    Kevin De Bruyne

    Drongen, Belgium
    882 votes
    • Team: Manchester City
    • Position: Midfielder
    Kevin De Bruyne (born 28 June 1991) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City and the Belgian national team. His playing style has frequently led to the media, coaches, and colleagues ranking him among the best players in Europe, and has often been described as a "complete" footballer. He was ranked the fourth-best footballer in the world by The Guardian in 2017.De Bruyne began his career at Genk, where he was a regular player when they won the 2010–11 Belgian Pro League. In 2012, he joined English club Chelsea, where he was used sparingly and then loaned to Werder Bremen. He signed with Wolfsburg for £18 million in 2014, and in 2015 he was named Footballer of the Year in Germany. Later that year, he joined Manchester City for a club record £54 million. In four seasons with City, De Bruyne has appeared in over 170 matches and won two Premier League titles, three League Cups and one FA Cup. He had a significant role in City's quest to become the first Premier League team to attain 100 points in a single season in the 2017–18. Additionally, De Bruyne has been named Manchester City's Player of the Year, twice, in 2016 and 2018. De Bruyne made his full international debut in 2010, and has since earned 70 caps and scored 16 goals for Belgium. He was a member of the Belgian squads that reached the quarter-finals both at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and at UEFA Euro 2016. In 2018 he represented Belgium at the FIFA World Cup, winning the third place play-off match against England.
  • Vinícius Júnior
    3

    Vinícius Júnior

    São Gonçalo, Brazil
    578 votes
    • Team: Real Madrid
    • Position: Winger
    Vinícius José Paixão de Oliveira Júnior (born 12 July 2000), commonly known as Vinícius Júnior or Vini Jr., is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Spanish club Real Madrid and the Brazil national team. Born in the São Gonçalo, Vinícius began his professional career at Flamengo, where he made his senior debut in 2017, at age 16. A few weeks later, Vinícius was the subject of a transfer to La Liga club Real Madrid, for whom he signed for in a national record for an U-18 player, R$191 million (€45 million) deal, which was made effective after his 18th birthday.
  • Robert Lewandowski
    4

    Robert Lewandowski

    Warsaw, Poland
    507 votes
    • Team: FC Barcelona
    • Position: Forward
    Robert Lewandowski (born 21 August 1988) is a Polish professional footballer who plays as a striker for La Liga club FC Barcelona and captains the Poland national team. Recognised for his positioning, technique and finishing, Lewandowski is considered one of the best strikers of all time, as well as one of the most successful players in Bundesliga history. He has scored over 600 senior career goals for club and country. A full international for Poland since 2008, Lewandowski has earned over 130 caps and was a member of their team at UEFA Euro 2012, Euro 2016, the 2018 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2020. With 76 international goals, Lewandowski is the all-time top scorer for Poland and the third overall men's international goalscorer in Europe, only behind Ferenc Puskás (84) and Cristiano Ronaldo (117).
  • Kylian Mbappé
    5

    Kylian Mbappé

    Paris, France
    601 votes
    • Team: Paris Saint-Germain
    • Position: Striker
    Kylian Mbappé Lottin is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for Paris Saint-Germain and the France national team. Mbappé came into prominence at an early age, starring for the youth academy at Bondy before gaining a move to Monaco, where he made his professional debut in 2015. Mbappé then quickly established himself as a regular goalscorer for the first team in the 2016-17 season, as he helped the club gain their first Ligue 1 title in seventeen years. A year later, he transferred to Paris Saint-Germain for $180 million, making him the most expensive teenager, and the world's second-most expensive player. In his debut season in the French capital, Mbappé featured heavily as the club captured a domestic treble of Ligue 1, Coupe de France, and Coupe de la Ligue.
  • Lionel Messi
    6

    Lionel Messi

    Rosario, Argentina
    770 votes
    • Team: Paris Saint-Germain
    • Position: Forward
    Lionel "Leo" Andrés Messi (born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays for Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Argentina national team. Often considered the best player in the world and widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Messi has won a record six Ballon d'Or awards, a record six European Golden Shoes, and in 2020 was named to the Ballon d'Or Dream Team. Until leaving the club in 2021, he had spent his entire professional career with Barcelona, where he won a club-record 35 trophies, including ten La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey titles and four UEFA Champions Leagues. A prolific goalscorer and creative playmaker, Messi holds the records for most goals in La Liga (474), a La Liga and European league season (50), most hat-tricks in La Liga (36) and the UEFA Champions League (8), and most assists in La Liga (192), a La Liga and European league season (21) and the Copa América (17). He's scored over 750 senior career goals.