Sports

181.8k voters

The Best Current Soccer Players

Updated October 17, 2020 1.8m votes 181.8k voters 1.9m views356 items

List RulesSoccer / football / futbol players currently playing

The best current soccer players in the world are leading the charge as some of the most iconic stars in the history of the game. These talented soccer athletes are leading their respective teams to championships with some of the biggest football clubs in the world, winning numerous awards and are fan favorites across the globe. If you were building the ultimate soccer dream team and had your selection of the elite players of today, these guys should be your top picks. Ranking the world's greatest footballers is no easy task, so cast your votes!

Unsurprisingly, these top current soccer players are also many of the top-paid professionals in the world today. The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Neymar, and Lionel Messi sit high atop both lists with each earning tens of millions of dollars annually in combined income between their soccer salaries and their numerous product endorsements. Money aside, any of these guys could be considered the best soccer player in the world right now.

These players like Robin van Persie, Gareth Bale, and Andres Iniesta, are playing the best football of their careers. They are peaking in the sport and see little signs of stopping anytime soon.

Which soccer players are impressing you right now? Who do you think are the best current football players? Vote for your favorites, add those not listed or re-rank this list of the best current soccer players below. The players in the top 10 can be considered the most popular players in the world. When you're done, head over and rank the best soccer players of all time too!

Photo:

...more

1
19,492
8,528
Luka Modrić
Midfielder
Birthplace: Zadar, Croatia
Age: 35
Nationality: Croatia
2
69,803
38,501
Cristiano Ronaldo
Forward, Midfielder
Birthplace: Santo António, Portugal
Age: 35
Nationality: Portugal
More Cristiano Ronaldo
#138 of 200 The Hottest Men Of 2021, Ranked#81 of 242 The Hottest Men Of 2019, Ranked
3
35,030
14,950
voting closed at #3
Ronaldinho
Forward, Midfielder
Birthplace: Porto Alegre, Brazil
Age: 40
Nationality: Brazil, Spain
INACTIVE SINCE 2015

More Ronaldinho
#3 of 267 The Best Soccer Players from Brazil#10 of 152 The Most Influential Athletes Of All Time
4
72,678
42,464
Lionel Messi
Forward
Birthplace: Rosario, Argentina
Age: 33
Nationality: Spain, Argentina
More Lionel Messi
#703 of 2,443 The Most Influential People of All Time#358 of 583 The Greatest Entertainers of All Time
5
6,696
3,210
Ivan Rakitić
Midfielder
Birthplace: Möhlin, Switzerland
Age: 32
Nationality: Switzerland, Croatia
6
47,859
28,972
Neymar
Forward
Birthplace: Mogi das Cruzes, São Paulo, Brazil
Age: 28
Nationality: Brazil
More Neymar
#8 of 77 Who Is The Most Famous Athlete In The World Right Now?#6 of 99 The Best Hispanic Athletes
7
8,203
3,791
Mohamed Salah
Forward
Birthplace: Basyoun, Egypt
Age: 28
Nationality: Egypt
More
#69 of 115 The Funniest Professional Athletes#30 of 99 Time's 100 Most Influential People Of 2019, Ranked
8
5,330
2,881
Kylian Mbappé
Forward
Birthplace: Paris, France
Age: 19
Nationality: France
Forward, Best young player

More Kylian Mbappé
#49 of 96 The All-Around Best Athletes of 2019#17 of 199 The All-Around Best Athletes of 2018
9
7,839
4,583
Gianluigi Buffon
Goalkeeper
Birthplace: Carrara, Italy
Age: 42
Nationality: Italy
More Gianluigi Buffon
#194 of 329 The Most Obnoxious Athletes#171 of 1,427 The Best Athletes Of All Time
10
7,587
4,318
Harry Kane
Forward
Birthplace: Chingford, London, United Kingdom
Age: 27
Nationality: England
More Harry Kane
#50 of 50 Funny Names to Give a Hamster#48 of 1,058 The Best Soccer Players from England
11
14,451
8,809
Kevin De Bruyne
Midfielder
Birthplace: Drongen, Belgium
Age: 29
Nationality: Belgium
More Kevin De Bruyne
#4 of 76 Every Athlete Signed To Jay-Z's Roc Nation Sports, Ranked#2 of 117 The Best Manchester City Players of All Time
12
3,649
1,751
Paulo Dybala
Forward
Birthplace: Córdoba, Argentina
Age: 27
Nationality: Poland, Italy, Argentina
13
23,295
14,288
Robert Lewandowski
Forward
Birthplace: Warsaw, Poland
Age: 32
Nationality: Poland
More Robert Lewandowski
#1 of 41 The Best Bayern Munich Forwards Of All Time#3 of 100 The Best Bayern Munich Players Of All Time, Ranked

14
12,896
7,884
Toni Kroos
Midfielder
Birthplace: Greifswald, Germany
Age: 30
Nationality: Germany, German Democratic Republic
More Toni Kroos
#20 of 56 The Best Bayern Munich Midfielders Of All Time#8 of 149 The Best Soccer Players from Germany
15
12,261
7,455
Antoine Griezmann
Forward, Midfielder
Birthplace: Mâcon, France
Age: 29
Nationality: France
16
24,086
14,776
Eden Hazard
Midfielder
Birthplace: La Louvière, Belgium
Age: 29
Nationality: Belgium
More Eden Hazard
#4 of 292 The Best Chelsea Players Of All Time#33 of 35 Celebrities Turning 30 In 2021
17
17,045
10,438
Paul Pogba
Midfielder
Birthplace: Lagny-sur-Marne, France
Age: 27
Nationality: France
More Paul Pogba
#1323 of 1,355 The Greatest Minds of All Time#415 of 452 The Best Soccer Defenders of All Time
18
8,464
5,133
David de Gea
Goalkeeper
Birthplace: Madrid, Spain
Age: 30
Nationality: Spain
19
5,215
2,880
Philippe Coutinho
Midfielder
Birthplace: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Age: 28
Nationality: Brazil
20
13,295
8,244
Sergio Ramos
Defender, Midfielder
Birthplace: Camas, Seville
Age: 34
Nationality: Spain
More Sergio Ramos
#1 of 32 The Best Real Madrid Defenders Of All Time#14 of 35 Celebrities Born On Easter Sunday
21
4,004
2,377
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Forward, Midfielder
Birthplace: Laval, France
Age: 31
Nationality: France, Gabon
More Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
#11 of 117 The Best Arsenal Players Of All Time#6 of 19 Fans From Around The World Pay Tribute To Chadwick Boseman
22
18,279
11,931
Sergio Agüero
Forward
Birthplace: Quilmes, Argentina
Age: 32
Nationality: Argentina
More Sergio Agüero
#63 of 1,294 The Best Soccer Players of All Time#42 of 103 Coolest Soccer Players
23
936
468
Virgil van Dijk
Defender
Birthplace: Breda, Netherlands
Age: 28
Nationality: Netherlands
More
#1 of 164 Who's the Best Player in the Premier League?#6 of 75 The Best Dutch Soccer Players from the Netherlands, Ranked

24
2,185
1,051
Marc-André ter Stegen
Goalkeeper
Birthplace: Mönchengladbach, Germany
Age: 28
Nationality: Germany
25
7,831
4,992
Gerard Piqué
Defender
Birthplace: Barcelona, Spain
Age: 33
Nationality: Spain
More Gerard Piqué
#23 of 114 The Best FC Barcelona Players Of All Time, Ranked#11 of 114 The Best Soccer Players from Spain

Mohamed Salah

Virgil van Dijk