We’re back! With the 2023-24 European club season drawing to a close after the Champions League final, and the European Championship and Copa América on the horizon, we’re back with our eighth annual ranking of the best men’s players in world football. Welcome to FC 100.
FC 100 is different from most countdowns. It’s not the No. 1 ranking. 1-100. However, we actually considered all 11 positions on the field, while most of the rankings were talent-first without taking into account where the stars played. That leads to an uninspiring list that has a lot of weight towards goal scorers (forwards) and players who make goals from the midfield, paying little attention to the talent in the less glamorous areas of the field.
Our rankings are divided into four lists and give the reader the closest thing to a position-by-position “depth chart” in world football.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: 2024 FC 100, POSITION BY POSITION
Go to: Goalkeeper | Defender | Midfielder | Advanced
previous edition: 2022-23 | 2021-22 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016
What’s new and what’s changed for 2024
This year’s voting featured more than 50 entries from around the world and from all ESPN FC regions; from writers to reporters, from editors to producers, from behind-the-scenes staff to on-air talent. Gab Marcotti, Julien Laurens, Mark Ogden and Alejandro Moreno are just a few of the key selectors.
The biggest change is how we compile the list. In a nod to the shift of the modern game from specialist position players to flexibility and fluidity, we have moved away from the old approach of “10 top 10s across positions and coaches” to a broad list that recognizes four key positions. Now, you’ll see the top 10 goalkeepers, then the top 30 defenders, midfielders and forwards.
Another major update? No more managers. The evolution of the role, from the traditional steward of the whole club to more specialist in the team and tactics, means that we are focusing on the players here. We will handle the global manager rankings separately in the summer. This decision also resulted in many new faces on this year’s list compared to previous editions: More than a quarter of the players registered are new to the FC 100 universe in 2023-24, ensuring that the list continues to grow.
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Did Messi or Ronaldo have a better season?
ESPN FC pundits and writers tell us that they think that Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi had a better season.
Key takeaways
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The new format means a lot of new names: This season’s edition of the FC 100 has 28 new names for the first time in the eight-year history of the ranking, which is a testament to the evolution of the game and the next generation entering Europe’s top leagues.
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Cristiano Ronaldo is back: After dropping out of the FC 100 world in 2022-23 due to a terrible year that saw him leave Manchester United, a poor World Cup and an unfortunate move to the Saudi Pro League, the Portugal star is back on the radar. to Euro 2024.
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Behold, American players! After a fantastic season with AC Milan, United States captain Christian Pulisic returns to FC 100, making his second appearance. Canada’s Alphonso Davies made his fourth FC 100 appearance after another strong campaign for Bayern Munich.
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The Premier League rules again: In total, 38 members of this year’s FC 100 are from England’s top flight, with several clubs beyond Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal contributing to their strength in depth. LaLiga remains tough in second place with 19 names on the list, although the German Bundesliga has secured 18 selections – thanks to Bayer Leverkusen (seven names) and an incredible domestic unbeaten season for its resurgence.
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Man City are also still on top: Pep Guardiola’s side may have failed in the FA Cup and Champions League, but a fifth Premier League title in six years was rewarded with 11 players making the FC 100 in 2023-24, with all positions on the pitch covered. From there, Real Madrid contributed 10 names after a dominant LaLiga campaign and run to the Champions League final, while Liverpool were third with eight nominations on this year’s list.
How our voters handled the voting
Conducting a global vote on the best players in the world is not easy, and we provide some guidelines with ballots how people can proceed. Voters are encouraged to consider the following: who is the best player now, weighted into the 2023-24 season. Voters were given discretion as to how much of the injury part played in the votes; some players make the cut despite missing season chunks given the size of their contributions and performances when healthy. In addition, performances in individual competitions (for example, the Champions League) are considered, but not the main factor, when choosing. Players whose efforts span the largest sample of games should naturally rank higher than those who excel in short tournament formats.
Here are some of the questions we asked our voters:
On what basis should I rank my players?
Who do you think is the best player now, if they are fit.
How much should I consider the current season?
It will be an important component, but it is not the best player ranking in 2023-24. However, this season will likely weigh heavily in your judgment as it features newer shows. If someone was exceptional in 2023-24, there’s reason to believe he’s an exceptional player now.
What if someone has been performing at a very high level, but this year is not good?
That’s when it became a judgment call. For example, Mohamed Salah is a good player, but last season he only scored 25 goals in 44 games, the first time he scored less than 30 in all competitions since the 2019-2020 season. He’s 31 years old, so you’ll have to decide if this is the start of a downward trajectory or if it’s just a slight improvement next season.
How do you deal with injured players during a crucial season?
Determine the time when he fits and the body works before. And again, if he’s been around for a long time, decide whether you think the injury has such a long-term impact that his performance will be permanently diminished.
Should we give more weight to performances in major competitions like the World Cup and the Champions League?
Indefinite. If there’s a player who excelled in the Champions League (think Divock Origi a few years ago) but was average in the league, he probably shouldn’t be in your rankings.
Do each list FC 100 chapters
The key here is twofold: why each player made the list in 2023-24, and what they will do next season.
goalkeeper
Not enough modern goalkeepers are good with their gloves. Today, shot-stoppers are expected to start their attacking moves by rolling out from behind as well as off.
Agility and reflexes are par for the course, but the best goalies in the world also fuse a sense of confidence and courage in the penalty area that make people seem larger than life.
See the full list here.
Defender
In the first bold break from the previous rankings, we gathered everything in the defensive side under one banner, although do not think that this list is limited to the center backs. All three main positions — right-back, center-back, left-back — are covered on the run-down, and on the right.
Right rear it’s never been the most glamorous position, but much of the game’s evolution has made it a fun and unpredictable place to be on the field. The best in the game will have strong positional awareness with unmistakable speed, as well as the courage to go forward and support the team in attack.
If you’re going to have a good team, you need a good one middle back (two, if you’re really lucky). The best in the game are impressive in size and strength, but are also blessed with the grace to deal with timing and anticipate the attacker’s moves in order to win back. Elegance on the ball and off is important, whether playing a pass up the weight field or feinting your way through the opponent to ease the pressure.
Like its counterpart on the opposite side, the best left-end combine speed and intelligence to become a threat in attack or in defense. The comfort and precision of crossing with the left foot is also a rare commodity, but the top players will be at their best when overlapping before curling in the perfect ball.
See the full list here.
Midfielder
We used to have two positional rankings to cover the heart of the pitch, but we’re combining those with and without the ball here for 2023-24. Abide defensive midfielder that can make or break. Either they are like Rodri, covering a lot of distance to trouble the opposition with precision and elan, or like Martin Odegaard, who controls the rhythm of the game with his distribution and vision of the ball.
Mischief, creativity, speed and confidence: these are the best stock tools attacking midfielder. Sometimes referred to as the number 10, these people like to score goals when they are gathering their friends. With the freedom to move around the field and exploit the space, his ability to create something out of nothing makes him the most exciting player.
See the full list here.
Advanced
Finally, a glamorous position! This is your showboat, scorer, free-roaming force of nature. From wing to wing and everything in between, the attacking side is where your talent, high quality talent is often found.
Wingers has become a little old-fashioned in the modern game, but there is still a lot of benefit to have a fast, forward-thinking player in the corner position. Blessed with pace and tenacity to beat markers and reach the touchline for cut-back crosses, he can be dangerous.
From there, advanced and attacker more difficult to define. He is a powerful combination of close-range finisher, playmaker and creator of space for teammates around the box. He is talented enough to handle a free role and graceful enough under pressure to keep up. He will score in any game, against any team from any position. His fleet of feet and quickness of mind, his ability to read the play and anticipate where the ball will be three passes before it arrives are what set him apart.
It’s not just tap-ins that will score, either: the best can improvise with any part of their body (except their hands, of course) to get the job done. Clever flicks, good tricks, brash back-heels and calm set pieces are his best attributes.
See the full list here.
