25 Best Footballers in the World (2025)

Here is a paraphrased version of the provided content, with all words changed except quoted terms or proper nouns like names, clubs, and countries:

 

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**7**

 

**English Premier League Fixtures**

**May 1**

**7:30pm**

**Nottingham Forest vs Brentford**

**Match Info**

 

**May 2**

**8:00pm**

**Manchester City vs Wolverhampton Wanderers**

**Match Info**

 

**May 3**

**12:30pm**

**Aston Villa vs Fulham**

**Match Info**

 

**May 3**

**3:00pm**

**Everton vs Ipswich Town**

**Match Info**

 

**May 3**

**3:00pm**

**Leicester City vs Southampton**

**Match Info**

 

**May 3**

**5:30pm**

**Arsenal vs Bournemouth**

**Match Info**

 

**May 4**

**2:00pm**

**Brentford vs Manchester United**

**Match Info**

 

**May 4**

**2:00pm**

**Brighton & Hove Albion vs Newcastle United**

**Match Info**

 

**May 4**

**2:00pm**

**West Ham United vs Tottenham Hotspur**

**Match Info**

 

**May 4**

**4:30pm**

**Chelsea vs Liverpool**

**Match Info**

 

**May 5**

**8:00pm**

**Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest**

**Match Info**

 

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**Top 25 Football Players Worldwide (2025)**

By **Rob Swan**, **Christy Malyan**, and **Will Murray**

Published 20 hours earlier

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**Best 20 Footballers Globally (2024)**

**Overview**

**Mohamed Salah** leads the rankings as the current top footballer globally due to his outstanding form under **Arne Slot** at **Liverpool**.

The attacker narrowly surpasses **Vinicius Junior**, **Rodri**, and **Harry Kane** for first place.

Although **Lionel Messi** remains a top-tier talent, **Cristiano Ronaldo** exits the list after a disappointing **Euro 2024** performance.

 

The sport is constantly evolving, making it difficult to pinpoint who holds the crown of “world’s best” at any given moment. Since form can drastically shift from game to game, relying solely on immediate outcomes would lead to chaotic, opinion-based shifts in rankings.

 

To separate the elite from the rest, we look for tangible excellence — from scoring, assisting, and defending to consistently strong overall play. Context matters: the level of opponents and the significance of competitions are major factors. Furthermore, producing standout performances that lead to trophies is essential for **Ballon d’Or** hopefuls.

 

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**Criteria for Ranking**

So how do we determine the current best in football? Here’s what we considered:

 

– Acknowledged as elite: The player must be regarded as among the finest worldwide.

– Reputable: They should be an established, top-tier performer.

– Reliable: Demonstrated excellence over a substantial timeframe.

 

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**Top 25 Players in Football Today**

 

| **Rank** | **Name** | **Team** | **Nation** |

|———-|————————|——————–|—————–|

| 1 | Mohamed Salah | Liverpool | Egypt |

| 2 | Kylian Mbappe | Real Madrid | France |

| 3 | Vinicius Junior | Real Madrid | Brazil |

| 4 | Lamine Yamal | Barcelona | Spain |

| 5 | Harry Kane | Bayern Munich | England |

| 6 | Robert Lewandowski | Barcelona | Poland |

| 7 | Erling Haaland | Manchester City | Norway |

| 8 | Jude Bellingham | Real Madrid | England |

| 9 | Virgil van Dijk | Liverpool | Netherlands |

| 10 | Raphinha | Barcelona | Brazil |

| 11 | Ousmane Dembele | Barcelona | Brazil |

| 12 | Rodri | Manchester City | Spain |

| 13 | Lionel Messi | Inter Miami | Argentina |

| 14 | Declan Rice | Arsenal | England |

| 15 | Bukayo Saka | Arsenal | England |

| 16 | Jamal Musiala | Bayern Munich | Germany |

| 17 | William Saliba | Arsenal | France |

| 18 | Lautaro Martinez | Inter Milan | Argentina |

| 19 | Florian Wirtz | Bayer Leverkusen | Germany |

| 20 | Federico Valverde | Real Madrid | Uruguay |

| 21 | Alisson Becker | Liverpool | Brazil |

| 22 | Alexander Isak | Newcastle United | Sweden |

| 23 | Cole Palmer | Chelsea | England |

| 24 | Pedri | Barcelona | Spain |

| 25 | Antonio Rudiger | Real Madrid | Germany |

 

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