Who is the best football player in the world?

The world of football has been divided with opinions on who is the modern-day great as plenty of fingers going in the direction of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. However, some of the other big names have also forged their legacy with both club and country as they too are in the running to be called the best footballer in the world at the present time. So here is a look at the best football players in the world right now featuring the likes of Messi and Kylian Mbappe.

Lionel Messi, Argentina

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi has won every single honour in the game of football and is currently in the twilight of his illustrious career. Messi, who will turn 37 in June 2024 has been regarded as the finest player of his generation. Although at the club level, he hasn’t had the best years in recent times, his legacy was forged with the Copa America win with Argentina in 2021 followed that with the FIFA World Cup in 2022. Yet to retire, Messi is now playing at Inter Miami in the Major League Soccer (MLS) and enjoying his final few years as an active player.

Kylian Mbappe, France

Like Messi, Kylian Mbappe has already won the FIFA World Cup but needs to prove his worth at the club level. Having a trophy cabinet full of domestic titles from France’s Ligue 1, Mbappe has led Paris Saint-Germain to great heights and is already the captain of the French national side. He is also PSG’s record goalscorer with more than 200 goals. A potential move to Real Madrid in the summer could help him enhance his reputation at the club level and could see him become the best player of the current generation.

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Erling Haaland, Norway

Mathematically, Erling Haaland was better than both Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe in the 2022-23 season winning all the major titles including the Premier League and the Champions League with Manchester City. Haaland, may not achieve success like Messi and Mbappe at the international level with Norway but considering his achievement with City, Haaland is the next big thing as age also comes in his favour.

Kevin de Bruyne, Belgium

Compared to some of the greats of the game, Kevin de Bruyne has been breaking records for fun with Manchester City and Belgium. The start midfielder played a crucial role in City’s historic treble-winning season in 2022-23 leaving no stone unturned for the Premier League giants. De Bruyne was part of Belgium’s golden generation in the last decade where he led the national side to a third-place finish in the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

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Virgil van Dijk, Netherlands

Virgil van Dijk, Netherlands A list dominated by star forwards has a rare exception in the form of Netherlands and Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk. One of the best defenders of his generation, Van Djik was runner-up to Lionel Messi for the Ballon d’Or and has yet again flourished in his role with both club and country.

He led the Netherlands to the FIFA World Cup quarterfinal, only to lose in a penalty shootout. His achievements in the recent time with Liverpool have seen him win the Champions League and the Premier League title. He has also won the Club World Cup, FA Cup, and the League Cup with the Reds.