The 30 Best Footballers in the World, 2026: Part One (30–21)

Football’s a ruthless meritocracy. One week you’re untouchable, the next you’re getting pelters. So when we say “best in the world right now,” we’re weighing the whole lot: sustained form, what you’ve won, who you’ve done it against, and whether you pass the eye test when the pressure’s white hot.

Before we dive in, a quick word for the punters: if these rankings have you sizing up the weekend accas, our best betting sites guide is worth a look. These rankings are built on form, trophies in the cabinet and the calibre of opposition conquered — not just flashy clips on social media.

30) Mohamed Salah — Liverpool & Egypt

There was a moment when it looked like Salah would swap Anfield for Saudi riches, but he stayed and tore up 2024/25: 50-plus goal contributions, Golden Boot, and a share of Thierry Henry’s record. This season has been patchier post-AFCON, and he’s confirmed he’ll move on in the summer, but you still double-mark him for a reason. Team honours in this window include the EFL Cup (2023/24) and Premier League (2024/25). Individually, he’s hoovered up club Player of the Season twice on the spin, the Premier League Golden Boot and Player of the Season (both 2024/25), plus PFA Team of the Year and CAF Team of the Year nods.

29) William Saliba — Arsenal & France

Pick either half of Arsenal’s centre-back pairing and you won’t be far wrong, but Saliba’s composure and recovery speed give him the edge. He reads danger like a veteran and looks every inch the Premier League’s next defensive benchmark. New deal through 2030 says it all. No team silverware yet in this stretch, but back-to-back PFA Team of the Year berths and a place in the Euro 2024 Team of the Tournament underline his class.

28) Virgil van Dijk — Liverpool & Netherlands

The towering standard-setter of the Klopp era, and still the organiser-in-chief for Arne Slot. He sealed the 2023/24 EFL Cup final with an extra-time winner and captained Liverpool to the 2024/25 title. Not quite at his absolute peak this term, but opposition forwards still take one look and think twice. PFA Team of the Year in both 2023/24 and 2024/25, plus consecutive FIFPRO World XI picks, back that up.

27) Robert Lewandowski — Barcelona & Poland

Write him off at your peril. At 37, Lewandowski remains a machine. He spearheaded a treble under Hansi Flick with a monstrous 42 goals, and while the current campaign’s return is a steadier tally, he’s still a reference point in the box. Trophies in the cabinet: Spanish Super Cups in 2024/25 and 2025/26, and the 2024/25 Copa del Rey. Individual gongs include consecutive La Liga Team of the Season selections and Player of the Month awards in February and October 2024.

26) Nuno Mendes — Paris Saint-Germain & Portugal

Close control like glue, recovery pace to burn, and the discipline to balance Hakimi on the opposite flank. Mendes doesn’t always rack up headline numbers, but he gives PSG the platform to dominate. He helped Portugal to the 2025 Nations League — stifling elite wide men along the way — and has collected serious silver: Ligue 1 titles (2023/24, 2024/25), Coupe de France (both seasons), the 2024/25 Champions League, plus the 2025/26 UEFA Super Cup and Intercontinental Cup. Nations League Finals Player of the Tournament (2025) and a place in the Champions League Team of the Season speak volumes.

25) Jamal Musiala — Bayern Munich & Germany

Silky, slippery and devastating between the lines. After a tidy 2023/24, Musiala exploded in 2024/25 with 21 goals before a grim Club World Cup injury interrupted his rhythm this season. He’s back now and already bending games to his will again. Bundesliga champion in 2024/25, he also took Euro 2024’s Golden Boot, made the Team of the Tournament, and was Germany’s Player of the Year. The ceiling? Somewhere near the stratosphere.

24) Dominik Szoboszlai — Liverpool & Hungary

A key cog in Liverpool’s 2024/25 title win, and even better this term despite a choppy campaign for the Reds overall. Whether as an eight, a ten or tucked wide, Szoboszlai strikes through the ball as clean as anyone in Europe and has often been the spark even with new creatives in the building. Premier League medal in 2024/25; the feeling is there’s much more to come.

23) Bukayo Saka — Arsenal & England

Resilience personified after Euro 2020. Saka has evolved from direct winger to creator-in-chief when Arsenal needed him most, especially during Odegaard’s absence last season. The recent output’s been a touch up-and-down, but the threat level remains elite: first touch, decision-making, and end product when it matters.

22) Julián Álvarez — Atlético Madrid & Argentina

Atlético don’t splash £80m lightly, but Álvarez has looked tailor-made for Simeone: tireless, nasty to mark, and now the main man rather than Haaland’s understudy. He even opened the scoring in Atleti’s recent Champions League triumph over Barcelona. Already La Liga Team of the Season (2025); the leap to bona fide world-class is well under way.

21) Khvicha Kvaratskhelia — Paris Saint-Germain & Georgia

Full-backs hate him: power, pace and endless repeat runs. Kvaratskhelia’s directness has yielded 15 goals and seven assists already this season, and he’s stacked medals across two countries — Serie A in 2024/25 and, after moving, a clean sweep with PSG including Ligue 1, the French Cup and the 2024/25 Champions League, followed by the 2025/26 UEFA Super Cup and Intercontinental Cup. A wide forward who makes you retreat five yards before he’s even skipped past you.

The pundit’s take

This slice of the top 30 features legends holding their ground (Salah, Van Dijk, Lewandowski), centre-backs setting the tone (Saliba), and wide wizards who terrify full-backs (Saka, Kvaratskhelia). Add in ascending stars like Musiala and the multi-tool menace of Szoboszlai and Álvarez, and you’ve got a group that can win you titles — and swing the biggest nights — on their own terms.