The Best Players In The World In Every Position 2026/27

Football’s global talent pool has never been deeper, with the best of the best spread across the Premier League, La Liga, Ligue 1, Serie A and beyond.

Rather than ranking every star against each other regardless of role, this list breaks down the finest players on the planet position by position. From dominant centre-backs to midfield controllers and flying wingers, below are the best players in the world, ranked and updated weekly throughout the season.

Ranking factors – to help rank the players in order, we’ve used the following criteria:

• Current form
• Importance to team
• Reputation and honours

David Raya has taken his game to another level at Arsenal, his composure in possession and reliability between the sticks making him the standout goalkeeper on the planet right now. His Premier League crown places him ahead of Gianluigi Donnarumma despite the Italian’s pedigree on the biggest stages at club and international level.

Thibaut Courtois continues to be a model of consistency for Real Madrid at the highest level, his experience and reliability in the biggest games keeping him among the very best. Alisson remains right up there despite racking up some injury troubles in recent years, while Unai Simon’s stunning World Cup campaign has lifted him into the top five.

[See the Full Top 20 Goalkeepers in World Football]

Achraf Hakimi remains the standout right-back in world football, his combination of pace, end product and reliability under Luis Enrique making him one of PSG’s most important players. Jurrien Timber has quickly become one of the best full-backs on the continent however, blending relentless energy with the tactical intelligence to play multiple roles across Arsenal’s backline.

Jules Kounde has been similarly outstanding for Barcelona, his winner against Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final only underlining his status as one of Europe’s most complete full-backs. Denzel Dumfries has taken his attacking instincts to the Bernabeu, while Reece James, when fit, remains a level above most right-backs in world football thanks to his athleticism and ability to dictate games from deep.

[See the Full Top 20 Right-Backs in World Football]

REUTERS/Bruna Casas

Pau Cubarsi has gone from La Masia graduate to the best centre-back on the planet in remarkably quick time, capping his rise with the Young Player of the Tournament award at the 2026 World Cup. William Saliba isn’t far behind, his pace, positioning and reading of the game making him the anchor of an Arsenal defence that’s been the envy of Europe.

Gabriel Magalhaes gives Arsenal a formidable partnership at the back, chipping in with vital goals as a genuine set-piece threat. Alessandro Bastoni continues to redefine what’s possible from a modern centre-back at Inter Milan, with his ability on the ball earning him comparisons to some of the position’s all-time greats, while Marquinhos remains an ever-present leader for a PSG side that’s dominated domestically and in Europe.

[See the Full Top 20 Centre-Backs in World Football]

Nuno Mendes has been central to PSG’s transformation under Luis Enrique, his defensive discipline and attacking output making him the most complete left-back in the game today. Marc Cucurella has earned a move to Real Madrid and showed exactly why with a stunning World Cup campaign, building on the reputation he built at Chelsea to become one of the most reliable full-backs in Europe.

Alejandro Grimaldo continues to be the model modern wing-back at Bayer Leverkusen, contributing at both ends of the pitch with intelligence and composure that belies his position, similar to Alphonso Davies’ role at Bayern Munich. Riccardo Calafiori has established himself as Mikel Arteta’s first-choice left-back at Arsenal, his unpredictable positioning causing problems for opposition defences.

[See the Full Top 20 Left-Backs in World Football]

Jude Bellingham has established himself as the best midfielder on the planet, elevating a star-studded Real Madrid side while also dragging England to a World Cup semi-final in the summer of 2026. Vitinha isn’t far behind, his ability to make the most difficult midfield roles look effortless underpinning PSG’s dominance domestically and in Europe.

Pedri continues to draw comparisons to some of Barcelona’s greatest ever midfielders, his composure and vision guiding the Catalans to the La Liga title, while Bruno Fernandes and Declan Rice are neck and neck for the title of best midfielder in English football.

[See the Full Top 20 Midfielders in World Football]

Michael Olise has taken his game to another level at Bayern Munich, his sensational 2025/26 season and standout World Cup performance cementing his status as the best winger in the world. Lamine Yamal continues to be the most talked-about talent in the sport, but despite Spain’s World Cup triumph it could be argued he didn’t have his best tournament.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has proven worth every penny of his big-money move to PSG, playing with a freedom and unpredictability that makes him one of the most exciting wingers to watch anywhere in the game, and one could certainly compare his direct style to Luis Diaz, who has been fantastic at Bayern Munich. Vinicius Junior’s quality continues to shine through for Real Madrid even amid a quieter individual spell by his own high standards.

[See the Full Top 20 Wingers in World Football]

Harry Kane’s relentless goalscoring record for Bayern Munich makes him the standout number nine in world football, his movement and finishing as reliable as ever season after season, but Kylian Mbappe remains one of the most devastating forwards on the planet and Erling Haaland’s goalscoring make him the standout pure finisher on the list.

Ousmane Dembele’s remarkable versatility sees him feature among the world’s best a central forward for PSG despite his emergence as a winger at Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona. Julian Alvarez rounds out the top five, his consistent output and intelligent movement for Atletico Madrid marking him out as one of the most complete forwards in the game.

[See the Full Top 20 Strikers in World Football]