Football season is still going on as of August 2024, and rankings are subject to change dependent on performance. Nevertheless, the following is a broad summary of some of the leading candidates:
8. Sergio Ramos (Spain)
- Real Madrid’s Warrior: One of the greatest defenders of his generation, Ramos stood out for his leadership, defensive skill, and goal-scoring ability.
- Champions League Legend: He gained legendary status for his ability to step up in crucial moments, particularly during the Champions League final.
7. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
The Egyptian King is relishing his metamorphosis from a top-tier Premier League player to an all-time great.
Mohamed Salah has scored 31, 31, and 30 goals in each of the last three seasons across all competitions, demonstrating his amazing consistency. His 51 appearances in each of the previous three campaigns attest to his rarity of being hurt, suspended infrequently, and generally always available.
He is nonetheless difficult to stop even for a player with a somewhat straightforward playing style. We use the word “simple” in the least disparaging way imaginable. Salah is an aggressive winger who may drive inside as he gets closer to the area. He also likes to hug the touchline. Though it should be obvious to see it coming, no one has managed to stop him thus far.
6. Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona/Poland)
- A prolific goalscorer possessing a strong aerial presence and a crisp finish.
- He is a constant threat because of his reliability and goal-scoring ability.
5. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City/Belgium)
- A master midfielder renowned for his long-range shooting, passing, and vision.
- The success of Manchester City is largely dependent on his inventiveness and playwriting abilities.
In 42 games in the Premier League and Champions League combined, Kevin De Bruyne scored nine goals and created 22 goals despite what seemed to be a lackluster season. Though he is one of those players with such talent that he has made incredible feats appear, well, ordinary, injury troubles have prevented the Belgian from dominating our screens as much as he has in the past.
As the best ball-crosser in Premier League history, KDB frequently combines his vision and love of a defence-splitting pass with scary effectiveness.
4. Lionel Messi (Inter Miami/Argentina)
- Messi is as yet an imposing player despite the fact that his playing days might be reaching a conclusion.
- His 2022 World Cup triumph hardened his status as one of the most incredible players ever.
Lionel Messi is arguably the greatest football player of all time, and his legacy in the game will endure forever due to the immense talent the Argentinean has displayed for nearly 20 years. After spending 16 years with his beloved Barcelona, where he broke multiple scoring records and won every award imaginable, he briefly played for PSG before joining David Beckham’s Inter Miami and going on to become arguably the biggest sports icon in the United States.
Messi’s reign as the best is over because his continued success in the burgeoning, vibrant, but ultimately inferior MLS will hide his deterioration. But the magician—football’s greatest son—has done more than enough to earn a place in the Hall of Fame. The Ultimate Trophy. Without a question, the greatest ever.
3. Erling Haaland (Manchester City/Norway)
- A goal-scoring machine with amazing physicality and a talent for finding the net.
- He has had nothing short of extraordinary in the Bundesliga and Premier League.
The extraordinary has become normal in Haaland. Setting the bar extremely high from the beginning was arguably the Norse titan’s only shortcoming in 2022–2023. Haaland scored 22 goals in just 15 Premier League games between the beginning of the season and the end of 2022. To put things in perspective, that number would have resulted in seven Premier League seasons of Golden Boot victories.
Despite injury issues keeping him from reaching the 20-goal mark by 2024—a complete failure by his own standards—the 23-year-old has continued to score one goal per game in the top league in the world of football.
He has unmatched physicality, incredible finishing ability (including the ability to finish on the spur of the moment and instinctively) and a turn of speed that few players in the Premier League can equal. The finest part? Most likely, Haaland has not yet reached his utmost best. The coming years should be quite exciting, and if he maintains his consistency over a number of years, he will be unopposed at the top of this list.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo(Portugal)
The greatest goal scorer in football history, Cristiano Ronaldo is also arguably the most marketable athlete to have ever lived. In 2024, the forward will have played professionally for nearly 20 years. During that time, he will have made over 1,200 senior appearances and scored 890 goals for the Portuguese national team, Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, and Al-Nassr.
Having made over $1 billion in his career, Ronaldo is the most followed individual on Facebook, Instagram, and X/Twitter, as well as the most followed athlete overall. The Portuguese player’s shirt number and initials, CR7, have been used to create a variety of products and spaces, such as a museum and even a galaxy. Following his success at Euro 2016, the Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport was renamed in Madeira, the place of his birth.
1. Kylian Mbappé (Paris Saint-Germain/France)
- A young phenomenon possessing remarkable pace, dribbling abilities, and a clinical finish.
- His performance at the 2022 FIFA World Cup cemented his place among the greatest players in the world.
The World Cup served as the furnace that shaped Mbappé into a megastar. Though it’s an antiquated method of attaining greatness considering the importance of the Champions League and Premier League, Mbappé’s exploits on the international scene unequivocally demonstrate his talent and mindset.
Similar to Neymar, Messi, and numerous others before him, he has made a joke of Ligue 1, yet his performance for both club and nation on the international front places him above of the pack. A major performance by a major player, his hat-trick in the World Cup final will live on in folklore.
With unmatched shooting technique, the 25-year-old is among the fastest football players we have ever seen on the pitch. He is capable of striking the ball with tremendous force from a standing start or while sprinting. He can also hit precise low shots into the corners or lofty efforts that rise high and hit the net’s roof. He will punish you ruthlessly if you give him even an inch of the goal.
Acknowledgment: Mbappe’s career appears to be on pause at the moment. He is still professionally torturing French defenses, but he needs to go. He’ll probably sign with Real Madrid in the summer, which will serve as a constant reminder of why he’s the best football player in the world in 2024.