Top 5 football kings by position: Making a top 5 list of footballers of any kind is an incredibly heavy undertaking. What abilities and features would you give more weight to? What statistics carry more importance compared to others? And how does one pick a player from one era over the other?
So, a list of the best players from different positions on the field is a much fruitful exercise. It tells who are the best players in the world in the specific job they do. That is what we will be doing today, naming the best players from broadly five positions on the pitch in 2023- Goalkeeper, Defender, Midfielder, attacker, and Winger.
While all of the positions have several positions between them, this is a much better way of deciding the best football players irrespective of their positions. This approach somewhat narrows down the skill set which must be focused on to make such a list.
Top 5 football kings by position in 2023
Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker (Liverpool)
Ever since joining Liverpool for a gargantuan fee of 70 million Euros in 2018, Alisson Becker has been crucial to Liverpool’s domestic and continental success. A fantastic modern goalkeeper, Alisson is adept with the ball at his feet and plays as an extension of Liverpool’s solid backline.
One of the best in the world this season when it comes to saving percentage, he is brilliant in one-on-one situations. The Brazilian is also extraordinarily agile for some of his height (1.93 m). The best goalkeeper for the past five years in arguably the best League in the world, Alisson Becker can also create goal-scoring chances right from the back.
Honorable mentions for this position are – Thibaut Courtois (injured), Mike Maignan, Yassine Bounou, and Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Defender: Ruben Dias (Manchester City)
In Pep Guardiola’s mission of making Manchester City the strongest club side in the world, Ruben Dias might have been his most crucial signing. Never the best defending side with no world-class center-back, Dias was signed in 2020 for 68 million Euros.
An old-style physically strong center-back, Dias has no issues with the ball at his feet. His link-up with keeper Ederson is usually the start of a Manchester City attack. One of the best defenders in the world when it comes to stats like tackle success and clearances, he is also in the top one percentile in 2023-24 when it comes to successful passes, meaning he has been crucial to both – attacking and defending for his team. He was instrumental in Manchester City’s treble win last season.
Honorable mentions for this position are – Josko Gvardiol, Kim Min-jae, Virgil van Dijk, and Kieren Trippier
Winger – Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint Germain)
Considered by many the greatest footballer in the world at the moment, Kylian Mbappe could have made this list as the best striker in the world too. Despite the designation of a winger being too broad, not including the best player in the world feels wrong.
Kylian Mbappe’s stats and achievements are too many to count. Having already scored nearly 300 career goals at the age of 24, he is already the fourth-highest goalscorer for the French national team. He has also won Ligue 1 six times, has won three Coupe de France, a FIFA Nations League, and a FIFA World Cup. He has also won the World Cup Golden Boot.
Kylian Mbappe is already off to a flying start this season, having scored 9 and assisted 1 in 10 appearances for PSG this season.
Honorable mentions for this position are – Vinicius Junior, Bukayo Saka, Heung-Min Son, and Mohammad Salah
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Midfielder – Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)
Finalizing this entry might have been the toughest part of making this list. On one hand, there is incredible competition in this entry as some of the best players in the world play in this position, and second, it is difficult to put Jude Bellingham in a box designated by position.
Is Jude Bellingham a midfielder since signing for Real Madrid at the previous transfer window? For all intends and purposes, he plays at the head of a midfield diamond, a sort of no. 10 position. But for the purposes of this list, he is a midfielder. And oh boy, is he not the best player in the world at the moment?
Bold claim? Yes, but look at where we are. Ever since Karim Benzema left Real Madrid for a Saudi excursion, Bellingham has taken command of Los Blancos goal-scoring. An excellent presence in the team, he has scored 10 and assisted 3 in his 11 appearances this season. His incredible off-the-ball movement and knack of creating chances make him a bona-fide future star.
Honorable mentions for this position are – Luka Modric, Kevin de Bruyne, Frenkie de Jong, and Pedri
Attacker – Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)
The absence of a certain Erling Haaland from this position might come as a surprise to many. And yes, many would prefer the Norwegian over Harry Kane in this two-horse race for the best attacker in the world, it has come down to the current form of the two great attackers.
In the 11 matches he has played for his new side Bayern Munich this season, the English captain has scored 10 and assisted 5 goals. Having been the greatest center-forward in the world for the past five years, Harry Kane has won the Premier League Golden Boot on three occasions and even won the FIFA World Cup Golden Boot in 2018.
His incredible eye for the ball and ability to create goals out of practically nowhere have made him one of the greatest attackers of this generation.
Honorable mentions for this position are – Erling Haaland, Victor Osimhen, Kylian Mbappe, and Robert Lewandowski
CHECK OUT:
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