Sign Up
for the
Top 15 Soccer Players In The World Right Now
15 Best Players In The World
With nearly every soccer league around the world having started up already, it is official that football madness is in full effect. And really, how could any soccer fan be upset with this?
After all, American soccer fans are given the ability to watch games nearly every day of the week, with basic cable packages carrying English Premier League, UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa Leagues. This allows fans the opportunity to watch nearly all of the greatest teams and players in the world consistently, an opportunity that is not afforded to people in nearly any other country in the world.
This question of who the best player in the world is brings up a very complicated debate that is difficult to come up with a perfect answer to because of the fact that fans of different teams are almost always biased towards their team's players. The differing positions in soccer that are defined by very different statistics also make this task nearly impossible.
But, we are here to turn this impossible task into a list of the 15 best soccer players in the world today by looking at the players on varying teams and leagues who play in all positions on the field.
Enjoy!
15. Neymar
Neymar is one of the youngest players on this list at the age of 21, but also happens to be one of the most talented players on the list. His mix of pace, dribbling ability, finishing touch and general acumen for the game are world-class, and they earned him a debut for the Brazilian national team at only 18, along with a $74 million transfer to FC Barcelona this summer. Expect Neymar to shoot up this list in future seasons as he becomes accustomed to the European game and has a chance to shine at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
14. Philipp Lahm
Philipp Lahm is one of the best fullbacks in the world, and serves as the captain for both FC Bayern Munich and the German national team. Lahm is known for his pace down the flanks, smart passing and crossing ability, which have helped him earn a place in the 2006 and 2010 World Cup Best XI, as well as spots in the Euro 2008 and 2012 Teams of the Tournament. At the age of 29, Lahm is still well within his prime and has shown no signs of slowing down, a scary proposition for opposing teams.
13. Manuel Neuer
Manuel Neuer is a brick wall in goal for FC Bayern Munich and the German National Team. Neuer's 6-foot-4 stature and impeccable reflexes help him get to many balls that other goalkeepers could not even imagine stopping. On top of his goal-stopping ability, Neuer is one of the best distributors in the world with the ball, which helps aids his teams in moving quickly on the counter attack. All of this combines to make Neuer the best goalkeeper in the world right now.
12. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is one of the best goalscorers in the world, as evidenced by his 58 goals during the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 seasons with AC Milan and PSG. While Ibrahimovic is often viewed as selfish and not a big-game player, it is hard to make a viable argument against a guy who has won nine league titles in last 10 years across the Eredivisie, Serie A, La Liga and Ligue 1. One argument that is undisputable is that Ibrahimovic is one of the best players in the world
11. Mesut Ozil
Mesut Ozil is one of the most creative players in the world with the ball at his feet, and sports this creativity for Arsenal FC and the German national team. At only 24 years of age, it is fair to expect Ozil to improve upon his world-class ability in the future, but he is already one of the top 15 soccer players in the world today.
10. Thiago Silva
Thiago Silva plays as a central defender for PSG and the Brazilian national team. Silva is one of the best central defenders in the world today, and he combines a great ability at intercepting passes with an ability to spray out passes with the best of them.
9. Luis Suarez
Luis Suarez can play in any of the front three attacking positions, allowing Liverpool and the Uruguayan National Team the ability to utilize him as a pure goal scorer or a player that can attack and create from the wings. The only thing that holds Suarez back is his temperament, which got the best of him last season as he bit an opposing player and was subsequently suspended for 10 games.
8. Robin van Persie
Robin van Persie is a striker for Manchester United and the Dutch national team, and is known for his ability to strike from anywhere on the pitch as well as the ability to create opportunities for teammates. After scoring 30 goals last season in his debut season in Manchester, any doubt over whether van Persie is a world-class player was dispelled.
7. Gareth Bale
Gareth Bale plays as a winger for both Real Madrid and the Welsh national team. He combines unrivaled pace with a left foot that is amongst the deadliest in the world. Bale is also well known as the most expensive player in the world after Madrid paid Tottenham €100 million for his services this summer. Many people doubted whether Bale was worth this sum, but no debate rages on about his status as a world class player after scoring 21 goals in the English Premier League last season.
6. Xavi
Despite being 33 years of age, Xavi is still the man that makes the machine that is Barcelona work with his sublime ability to maintain possession and spray balls to teammates from the midfield. After winning the UEFA Champions League three times, the European Championships twice and the World Cup once during his career, there is not much left for Xavi to do, yet he seems to be as motivated as ever. This motivation and ability from the midfield allow him to still be one of the best footballers in the world today.
5. Radamel Falcao
Radamel Falcao is a star striker for Monaco and the Colombian National Team. Falcao's biggest strengths are his ability to control the ball with both feet, and a coolness in front of goal that allows him to score under intense pressure. This ability in front of the net has made Falcao the best no. 9 in the world today.
4. Andres Iniesta
Andres Iniesta is the man who compliments Xavi most in making both FC Barcelona and the Spanish National Team play their possession oriented style. Iniesta is one of the most complete players in the world today, as he combines a sublime ability with the ball to either dribble or pass around defenders with a tireless work ethic on the defensive side of the ball.
3. Franck Ribery
Franck Ribery is a lethal winger for both FC Bayern Munich and the French national team. He uses unrivaled pace and dribbling ability with the ball to make life miserable for opposing defenders. After the 2012-13 season, Ribery was rewarded for this ability with the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award, validating his status as one of the best footballers in the world today.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo
While many people regard Cristiano Ronaldo as the best player in the world today, we rate him second on this list. This is not meant as a slight to Ronaldo though, as there is no doubting his status as the undisputed second best player in the world after scoring 62 goals in 68 games during the 2012-2013 season for Real Madrid and the Portuguese national team.
1. Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi is the best player in the world today, and there truly is no faults to his game. The Barcelona FC and Argentine National Team forward has the ability to score goals from anywhere, create goals like no other and even tracks back and helps defensively at all times. Simply put, there is no player like Messi, and after winning four his fourth Ballon D'or in a row in 2012, it is worth asking whether he is the best footballer ever.
