It’s that time again: with the UEFA Champions League final behind us and the 2024-25 season officially over, it’s time to rank the top 100 players in men’s soccer right now. Welcome to the FC 100.
The FC 100 is different than most countdowns. It is not a Nos. 1-100 ranking. We take into account all the major positions on the pitch, while most rankers go talent-first with little regard for where the stars play. It leads to uninspiring lists that are heavily weighted toward goal scorers (forwards) and players who create goals from midfield, paying little attention to the talent in less glamorous — but equally important — roles.
Our rankings are divided into seven lists and give readers the closest thing to a position-by-position “depth chart” across world soccer. This year, reflective of the ever-changing game, we’ve split defenders into two groups (wide and central), with two sections for midfield (so more defensive guys get their due alongside the playmakers) and two for forward, with the wing and center-forward positions clearly defined.
The 2024-25 FC 100, position by position
Go to: Goalkeeper | Fullbacks | Center backs | Defensive/central midfielders | Attacking midfielders | Wingers | Center forwards
Previous editions
Go to: 2023-24 | 2022-23 | 2021-22 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016
1:29
Which ever-present ESPN FC 100 player is in the most danger of missing out?
Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski and Jan Oblak have been in all nine editions of the ESPN FC 100, but who might not make it to the 10th?
What’s new, and what has changed for 2025
This year’s ballot had nearly 100 entries from all over the globe and from all areas of ESPN from writers to reporters, from editors to producers, from behind-the-scenes staff to on-air talent. Writers Gab Marcotti, Julien Laurens and Mark Ogden, and former players Don Hutchison, Nedum Onuoha and Alejandro Moreno were only some of the key voters in English, but every area of ESPN’s global soccer coverage came together to weigh in on the list and offer their votes, with ESPN Brazil (Leonardo Bertozzi, Renato Senise), ESPN Deportes (Fernando Palomo, Barak Fever), ESPN Argentina (Mariano Closs, Diego Latorre), ESPN Netherlands (Kees Kwakman, Yordi Yamali) and more.
We have also reverted to treating the positions with more distinct respect given how fullbacks and wingers play such multifaceted, innovative roles in the modern game. The important distinction in midfield has also been acknowledged, with separate ballots for defensive/holding midfielders (whose primary role is to disrupt opponents and distribute the ball) and attacking midfielders, who are tasked with playing that critical final pass.
As such, the list is split into seven categories: goalkeeper, fullback, center back, defensive midfield, attacking midfield, wing and center forward. This gives full attention to every key element on the pitch and allows previously unheralded players a chance to be appreciated.
Main takeaways
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A new generation emerges: This season’s edition of the FC 100 has 40 first-time entrants on the list, which reflects the changing faces of the game and the emergence of an exciting new group of stars.
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Three players made the list for a ninth straight year: As we head toward our 10th anniversary of the FC 100 in 2026, it’s worth calling out three players in particular for their incredible longevity and performance, for it has seen them named to every single edition of our annual ranker. Lionel Messi (Inter Miami CF), Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona) and Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid), take a bow.
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Once again, Pulisic represents for the USMNT: For the second consecutive year and third time overall, Christian Pulisic made the FC 100 in acknowledgment of another sparkling season at AC Milan.
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The Premier League is still the top competition: Once again, the English league rules the roost with over one-third (35) of the FC 100, a number that could increase over the coming weeks as players such as Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen) finalize moves. But only two of those names came from Manchester City (reflecting their subpar season) as 12 different PL teams had players in the FC 100, a testament to the league’s strength in depth: Liverpool (10) and Arsenal (8) understandably topped their peers, but Nottingham Forest had four players selected.
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Paris Saint-Germain lead the way: What a season it has been for PSG. Winning their first UEFA Champions League title Saturday was the cherry on top of a remarkable campaign, and the FC 100 voters have recognized their resurgence as 11 players made the FC 100, making them the most-represented club for 2024-25. (Liverpool were in second, with 10.)
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A dominant year for France: In addition to PSG leading all clubs with 11 nominations, the French national team can also claim supremacy when breaking down the list by country. Les Bleus lead the way with 12 players on the 2024-25 FC 100, with Spain (11), England (9) and Brazil (9) close behind.
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How our voters handled the ballot
Conducting a global vote on the world’s best players is no easy feat, and we gave some guidelines with the ballots as to how possibly best to proceed. Voters were encouraged to take the following things into consideration: Who are the best players right now, weighted toward their 2024-25 seasons? Voters were given discretion as to how much of a part injuries played in votes; some players made the cut despite missing chunks of the season given the scale of their contributions and performances when healthy. Equally, performances in individual competitions (e.g., Champions League) were considered, but were not the overarching factor, in casting a vote. Players whose efforts spanned the largest sample of games should naturally rank higher than those who excelled in short tournament formats.
What each list of the FC 100 is about
The key here is twofold: why each player made the list in 2024-25, and what they project to do next season.
Goalkeeper
It’s not enough for the modern goalkeeper to be good with his gloves. These days, shot-stoppers are expected to start the attacking moves by playing out from the back, in addition to shutting them down.
Agility and reflexes are par for the course, but the best goalies in the world also fuse a sense of confidence and composure in their penalty areas that make them seem larger than life.
Fullbacks
What do you say about a modern fullback? Players such as Trent Alexander-Arnold and Achraf Hakimi have revolutionized what the position can be, taking it from a stolid behind-the-ball role to becoming a primary playmaker who adds just as many goals and assists as they prevent opponents from achieving.
The best in the game will marry a strong positional awareness with blinding speed, as well as the daring sense to surge forward and support their teams in attack. Comfort and precision crossing is a valued quality, too, as the top fullbacks will be at their best on an overlap before curling in the perfect ball.
Center backs
If you’re going to have a great team, you need a great center back — two, if you’re really lucky. The best in the game are formidable and assertive but are also blessed with the grace to time tackles and anticipate a striker’s movements to win back possession.
Elegance on the ball and off is essential, whether playing a weighted pass upfield or feinting their way past opponents to ease the pressure.
Defensive/central midfielders
Midfield is often the biggest battleground in soccer, and players who occupy that precious territory take many forms and have many roles. There are defensive midfielders who create attacks or thwart those of an opponent. There are also central midfielders who connect the dots in transition with defense-splitting passes or otherworldly strength in possession.
These rankings celebrate both forms, from the disruptors such as Aurelien Tchouaméni and Alexis Mac Allister to the space-covering, two-way stars such as Declan Rice and Bruno Guimarães.
Attacking midfielders
Mischief, creativity, pace and confidence — these are the stock tools of the best attacking midfielders. Sometimes referred to as the No. 10, these players are as comfortable scoring the goals as they are teeing up teammates. With free rein to drift around the pitch and exploit the space, their ability to conjure something from nothing makes them the most entertaining players.
Wingers
Wing is a position of trickery, showmanship and skill. Whether beating opponents for pace or on the dribble, roaming freely infield to take high-quality shots or hugging the touchlines to provide perfect passes for teammates, the wing is no place for the timid. These are your showboats, scorers and free-roaming forces of nature.
Though plenty of teams have conventional wide forwards, emerging stars such as Lamine Yamal and Désiré Doué have shown there is plenty of benefit to having fast, forward-thinking players in wide positions. Blessed with pace and persistence to beat their markers and make it to the byline for a cut-back cross, or getting into scoring position, they are a menace for opponents and a delight for fans.
Center forwards
Center forwards are your closers. They’re a potent blend of close-range finisher, playmaker and space creator for teammates around the box. They’re talented enough to handle the free role and graceful enough under pressure to constantly deliver. They’ll score in any game, against any team from any position. Fleet of foot and quick of mind, their ability to read the play and anticipate where the ball will be three passes before it gets there is what sets them apart.
It’s not only the tap-ins they’ll score, either. The best can improvise with any part of the body (except the hands, of course) to get the job done. Clever flicks, nifty tricks, brash backheels and calm set pieces are their best attributes.
The 2024-25 FC 100, position by position
Go to: Goalkeeper | Fullbacks | Center backs | Defensive/central midfielders | Attacking midfielders | Wingers | Center forwards