Robert Lewandowski is a Polish professional footballer who captains the Poland national team and plays as a striker for Bundesliga club Bayern Munich.

Many people believe Lewandowski to be one of the top attackers in the world and even one of the greatest center-forwards of all time. Lewandowski is a prolific goalscorer, a precise and efficient finisher with both his head and both feet. He is described as a well-rounded forward who possesses nearly all of the traits of a typical number nine: height, strength, balance, pace, intelligent movement, and proficiency with both feet. Despite often playing as a lone center forward or a winger, his excellent technical skills, quick feet, proficient dribbling, vision, and physique enable him to hold up the ball with his back to goal and either bring his teammates into play or win fouls for his team in useful positions; despite often playing as a lone center forward or a winger. He's also stood out for his work rate and defensive contributions off the ball, and can drop into deeper areas on the pitch to create space for teammates or surprise defenders by making late and unexpected offensive runs into the box. Lewandowski is a skilled penalty taker who has demonstrated calmness and control in a variety of situations. He can also score long-range goals and has been known to take free-kicks. Lewandowski has been hailed for his remarkable work ethic, fitness, mindset, and discipline, both on the field and in training, in addition to his playing abilities.

Lewandowski was also named European and FIFA Player of the Year, although he was controversially denied the Ballon d'Or in 2020 because the award was suspended owing to COVID-19. 2021 appears to be another good year ahead, with Bayern Munich dominating the Bundesliga, reaching the Champions League knockout rounds, and Poland being heavy outsiders to win Euro 2020 next summer.

Awards:

• European Golden Shoe: 2020–2021
• FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball: 2020
• IFFHS World's Best Man Player: 2020, 2021

Lionel Andrés Messi, usually known as Leo Messi, is an Argentine professional footballer who captains the Argentina national team and plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain. He is frequently regarded as the top player in the world and one of the greatest players of all time.

Messi has a lower center of gravity than taller players, which provides him better agility and allows him to shift direction and dodge opposing challenges more rapidly. His short, powerful legs allow him to thrive in short bursts of acceleration, but his fast feet allow him to maintain ball control when dribbling at high speeds. Messi is mostly a left-footed player who starts dribbling runs with the outside of his left foot before finishing with the inside of his left foot and providing passes and assists. Messi is a prolific goalscorer who is noted for his finishing, positioning, quick reactions, and ability to make aggressive runs past defenders. Because of his vision and passing range, he may also serve as a playmaker. He also takes accurate free kicks and penalty kicks. Messi is noted for dropping deep, linking up with midfielders, orchestrating attacking plays, and setting up goal-scoring chances. Messi's speed and technical abilities allow him to make solo dribbling runs towards the goal, usually starting from the halfway line or the right side of the pitch, especially during counterattacks. "The ball stays attached to his foot; I've seen great players in my career, but I've never seen anyone with Messi's ball control," observed Diego Maradona, his former Argentina boss.

While no player has the ability to turn a game around like Messi, the Argentinian isn't as important on the field as he once was. For the first time in three years, Messi did not score more than 30 goals in La Liga in the 2019/20 season, and his influence was insufficient to lead the club to its first Champions League victory since 2015.

Messi joined Paris Saint-Germain, a French club, on August 10th. Messi picked the number 30 as his squad number, the same as when he made his senior debut for Barcelona as a teenager. On August 29, Messi made his first appearance for the club, coming on as a substitute in the second half of a 2–0 Ligue 1 away win over Reims. In a 2–0 Champions League group stage win over Pep Guardiola's Manchester City on September 28, Messi scored his first goal for the club, a strike from the edge of the 18-yard box after a one-two with Kylian Mbappé.

Awards:

• Laureus World Sportsman of the Year: 2020
• Ballon d'Or Dream Team: 2020

Kevin De Bruyne is a Belgian footballer who currently plays as a midfielder for Manchester City in the Premier League and for the Belgium national team. Kevin De Bruyne is the most technically gifted player in the Premier League. The sharp-eyed player possesses the strength and intelligence to win games at home and abroad. Many people believe him to be one of the top players on the planet.

In the media, De Bruyne is regarded as a versatile and highly talented player who primarily plays as a central or attacking midfielder but can also play as a winger or second striker; he has also been deployed in a deeper creative midfield position, or even in a box-to-box role on occasion, or as a false nine. Due to his technique, talent, agility, work rate off the ball, vision, crossing accuracy, a wide variety of passes, and powerful long-range shooting ability with either foot, he is frequently described by experts as one of the best and most complete modern-day players. Despite his lack of physical strength, speed, or ability in the air, he is a quick and elegant ballplayer with good dribbling skills, and his positional sense, tactical intelligence, movement, direct style of play, and ability to run at defenses when in possession allow him to exploit gaps in the opposition's defense and create chances and goalscoring opportunities for himself or his teammates, making him a dangerous player. He can score goals by making late runs off the ball from behind into the penalty box and is an accurate set-piece taker, in addition to his creative ability.

Without De Bruyne, Manchester City would be a completely different team. He was the king of assists, as the Belgian provided an assist in each of City's two Premier League games. Of course, De Bruyne has a cast of shining stars surrounding him who will back him up at the club, but the 29-year-old has also excelled for Belgium.

He might be the star performer at Euro 2020 in the summer, with Belgium hoping to improve on their 2018 World Cup semi-final finish. This may be De Bruyne's year to become the best player in the world.

Awards:

• PFA Players' Player of the Year: 2019–20, 2020–2021
  
• UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2020–2021
  

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro GOIH ComM is a Portuguese professional footballer who captains the Portugal national team and plays as a forward for Premier League side Manchester United. Frequently regarded as the best player in the world and one of the greatest players of all time.

Ronaldo is a flexible attacker who can play on either wing or in the middle of the pitch, and while he is apparently right-footed, he is quite strong with both feet. He is one of the fastest footballers in the world, both with and without the ball. Ronaldo's tactics have changed multiple times over his career. He was often positioned as a traditional winger on the right side of midfield at Sporting and during his first season at Manchester United when he regularly looked to provide crosses into the penalty box. He was able to use his speed and acceleration, agility, and technical ability to take on opponents in one-on-one situations while in this position. Ronaldo saw a tremendous physical shift as he grew older, developing a muscular body type that allowed him to keep possession of the ball under duress and strong legs that allowed him to jump extremely high. He has an advantage in aerial duels due to his strength and jumping skills, as well as his elevation, heading accuracy, and height of 1.87 m. His goalscoring abilities improved dramatically on the left flank, where he was afforded the positional freedom to move into the center to finish attacks, thanks to his enhanced stamina and work rate. With his vision and passing abilities, he has also become a more creative player for his side, frequently dropping deep to pick up the ball, contributing to the build-up of plays, and creating opportunities for his teammates. Ronaldo took on a more offensive and central role, playing as a striker, a supporting forward, and even an attacking midfielder on occasion. With his striking skills, he grew into a prolific goalscorer, capable of finishing well both inside and outside the penalty area with an accurate and powerful shot. He became known for his powerful, bending-free kicks after becoming a set-piece specialist and an adept penalty kick taker. Ronaldo is noted for employing the Juninho Pernambucano-developed knuckleball method when taking free kicks. Before striking the ball, he also takes a signature posture in which he stands with his legs spread wide apart. Ronaldo began to dribble less as he approached his forties.

His wings were severed in 2021. Prior to returning to MU, Ronaldo's Juventus are battling hard in Serie A, and Portugal is not at its best. Juve was knocked out of the Champions League round of 16 last year, after reaching the quarterfinals the year before. Ronaldo is slipping down the list of the finest players in the world. On 27 August 2021, Manchester United announced they had reached an agreement with Juventus to re-sign Ronaldo. On11 September, Ronaldo made his second debut at Old Trafford, scoring the opening two goals in a 4–1 league victory against Newcastle United. On 29 September, he scored a last-minute winner in United's 2–1 victory at home to Villarreal in the Champions League. The match also saw Ronaldo overtake Iker Casillas as the player with the most appearances in the competition.

Awards:

• Victory in the inaugural UEFA Nations League: 2019
• The Golden Boot as top scorer of Euro 2020

Erling Braut Haaland is a Norwegian striker who plays for Borussia Dortmund in the German Bundesliga and for the Norwegian national team.

Haaland is a prolific goalscorer who is known for his speed, athleticism, and finishing ability, garnering him the nickname "The Terminator" from many of his fans. He is regarded as one of the top strikers in the world.

The scoring record of Haaland is outstanding. He scored a goal every 55 minutes and 54 seconds at one point in 2020. In possession, Haaland is practically invincible, much like Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Wayne Rooney, and Eden Hazard were in their youth. Don't be shocked if he climbs the rankings in 2022.

Awards:

• Austrian Bundesliga Player of the Season: 2019–2020
• Bundesliga Player of the Season: 2020–2021
  
• UEFA Champions League Forward of the Season: 2020–2021
  

Kylian Mbappé Lottin is a forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain as well as the France national team.

Mbappé is a dynamic forward who frequently plays as a winger but can play on either flank due to his ability to play with both feet. Due to his vision, he is capable of cutting into the center with his better right foot from the left flank, as well as generating chances and giving assists for teammates. Due to his composure, precision finishing, and eye for goal, he can also play in the center as the main striker. Mbappé is a highly skilled player who is known for his excellent dribbling ability, as well as his explosive acceleration, agility, quick feet, and creativity when in possession of the ball, as evidenced by his use of elaborate feints like step overs or sudden changes of pace or direction to beat opponents in one-on-one situations. Despite his tall, slender build, he is a physically strong player who is very athletic. Mbappé's great pace and close ball control when dribbling at speed, as well as his excellent movement, tactical acumen, and ability to beat the defensive line by making aggressive runs into space both on and off the ball, are all highly acclaimed. His ability to time his runs allows him to stretch opposing defenses while also making him a potent counter-attack threat.

It may not be long until Kylian Mbappe joins the ranks of the world's finest players with Ronaldo and Messi, but for the time being, the Frenchman sits barely behind two-game legends. Why? The Champions League, according to those in charge at Paris Saint-Germain, is the difference between greats and superstars. Mbappe had a strong 2020, but his side was unable to win the Champions League final against Bayern Munich. In the first half of the 2020/21 season, the Frenchman has already scored 17 goals for club and country. With Mbappe's current goal-scoring rate, there's no reason to believe he won't have at least one major prize in his possession by the end of 2021.

Awards:

• UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year: 2020–2021
• UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Month: February 2021, August 2021
  
• UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2019–2020, 2020–2021
  
• UEFA Nations League Finals Golden Boot: 2021
  

Virgil van Dijk is a Dutch footballer who plays as a center-back for Liverpool in the Premier League and for the Netherlands national team. Van Dijk is regarded as one of the top defenders in the world, with a reputation for power, leadership, and aerial prowess.

Van Dijk is a physically powerful right-footed center-back who normally plays on the left side of the central defense, though he can also play on the right. He has speed, solid skill, and a terrific eye for goal, and he is a good set-piece taker. Former Celtic colleague Kris Commons said of Van Dijk's skills that he was "easy on the ball," adding that "he had the terrific technique and a wonderful right foot." He had a knack for set-pieces, and some of the free-kicks he scored for Celtic are true masterpieces. He had a good understanding of the game. He had a confident demeanor about him as if he knew he was good."

Without Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool would not have won the Premier League in 2020. Not only did the Dutch defender's performance help Liverpool advance, but his influence on the field helped the team as a whole over time.

Since arriving from Southampton in 2018, Van Dijk has played a major role in all of Liverpool's improved moves under Jurgen Klopp. He's done it on both the domestic and international fronts, Europe, and particularly the Netherlands, will be hoping that the 29-year-old fits in. qualified for the 2020 Euros.

Awards:

• UEFA Men's Player of the Year: 2018-2019
• FIFA FIFPro World11: 2019, 2020

Joshua Walter Kimmich is a German professional footballer who currently plays for Bundesliga club Bayern Munich and the German national team as a defensive midfielder or right back. He is frequently referred to and regarded as the heir to former Bayern Munich captain Philipp Lahm.

Horst Hrubesch lauded Kimmich's versatility, saying, "Joshua has huge quality and is versatile in both attacking and defensive duties." He also called him "an clever player with good technical skills and mobility" and a "winner." In an interview following the U21 EURO group stage, Amin Younes praised Kimmich's defensive awareness. "Superbly regaining possession of the ball. He's quite good at it ", Younes stated to the press. His ball-winning abilities in front of a high back four shined through at Leipzig, where he was part of an exceptionally attack-minded club.He plays a deeper role for Germany's U21 team, but he has also attracted the eye as a capable defensive midfielder. Kimmich has excellent tackle timing, can dribble, and isn't afraid to put in the work.

Kimmich is a solid striker of the ball and is comfortable in control. He is also recognized for his precise passing and crossing. Bastian Schweinsteiger, Xabi Alonso, and Xavi have all been mentioned as influences by Kimmich.

Kimmich has an undeniable impact on Bayern's midfield, and he was one of the first names on manager Hans-Dieter Flick's squad list. We'll see more of the 25-year-old in the European Championships this summer, and don't be surprised if he lifts the Champions League trophy once more.

Awards:

• The UEFA Team of the Year: 2019-2020
• The FIFA FIFPro Men's World11: 2019-2020
• The UEFA Champions League Defender of the Season: 2019-2020

Neymar da Silva Santos Jnior, better known by his nickname Neymar, is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1 and for the Brazilian national team. He is widely regarded as one of the top players on the planet.

Neymar is a Brazilian striker who primarily plays as a center striker, second striker, winger, or attacking midfielder. He has been dubbed "a true phenomenon." Due to his frenetic pace and playmaking ability, he frequently plays as a left sided forward for both club and country in the team's 4–3–3 configuration, drifting infield; this position allows him to shoot with his better foot or create chances for teammates. Neymar's dribbling, trickery, and playmaking ability are reminiscent of Neymar's countryman Ronaldinho. His key characteristics are his "electric" and "explosive" inventiveness, vision, passing, finishing, dribbling, feints, touch, and technique. He's a well-known proponent of the rainbow flick. He is a prolific goalscorer who, while being natively right-footed, can score with both feet and his head and is a reliable free-kick and penalty taker.

Since he was a teenager, Neymar has been a source of fascination, but the world champion has never been able to displace Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as the world's best players.

Neymar has been demoted in recent years, mostly due to his underperforming performances at the international level. However, Neymar's growing experience has helped him improve his connecting game, and at 28, he is still at the top of his game.

Awards:

• IFFHS CONMEBOL Team of the Decade: 2011–2020
• Copa América Team of the Tournament: 2021
  

Mohamed Salah Hamed Mahrous Ghaly is an Egyptian footballer who captains the Egypt national team and plays for Liverpool in the Premier League. He is regarded as one of the top athletes in the world, with a reputation for speed, quickness, and agility.

Salah is primarily recognized for his speed, movement, clinical finishing, agility, dribbling skills, first touch, and ball control, as well as his ability to use both his quickness and flare on the ball to defeat opponents and generate scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates. He is a dynamic forward who typically plays as a right winger, allowing him to cut into the center with his stronger left foot and either shoot on goal or play quick exchanges with other players and make runs in behind the defense towards goal. He can also play as an attacking midfielder or a second striker in the center of the field, behind the main striker.

On the pitch, the Egyptian may not have had his finest year in 2020, but in terms of trophies and a return to Liverpool, none of Jurgen Klopp's managers can begin as a first. Salah is an important part of Liverpool's game, and it's hoped that if Egypt qualifies for the 2022 World Cup, we'll see him again.

For the time being, the focus is on winning another Premier League title, and Salah has demonstrated that he is capable of accomplishing so.

Awards:

• First Liverpool player to score 20+ goals in three different Premier League seasons: 2020–2021
• Most consecutive games a player has scored for Liverpool: 10 games in 2021–2022