we, re back! With the 2023-24 European club season closed after the Champions League final, and the European Championship and Copa America on the horizon, we return with our eighth annual ranking of the best men’s footballers in the world. Welcome to FC 100.
The FC 100 is different from most countdowns. It’s not a ranking from No. 1 to 100. Instead, we really take into account all 11 positions on the field, whereas most rankers put talent first with little regard for where stars play. This results in uninspiring rosters that focus too much on scorers (forwards) and players who create goals from midfield, with little attention paid to talent in less glamorous areas of the pitch.
Our rankings are divided into four lists and give readers the closest thing to a ‘depth chart’ for each individual position across world football.
Lists: 2024 FC 100, position by position
Go to: Goalkeeper | Defenders | Midfielders | straight ahead
Previous editions: 2022-23 | 2021 – 22 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016
What’s new and what’s changed for 2024
This year’s ballot included more than 50 entries from around the world and across all ESPN FC regions. From writers to reporters, from editors to producers, from behind-the-scenes staff to on-air talent. Gabe Marcotti, Julian Lorenz, Mark Ogden and Alejandro Moreno were among the main voters.
The biggest change is how the roster is compiled. In a nod to the modern game’s shift from specialist position players to flexibility and fluidity, we’ve moved away from the old ‘Top 10 Positions and Coaches’ approach to a broader list that recognizes the four key positions. Now, you’ll see the top 10 goalkeepers, followed by the top 30 defenders, midfielders and strikers.
The other major update? No more managers. The evolution of the role, from the traditional agent for the entire club to more of a team and tactics specialist, means we focus on the players here. We will deal with our global manager rankings separately later in the summer. This decision has also resulted in more new faces appearing on the list this year than in any previous edition: more than a quarter of the players included are new to the world of the FC 100 in 2023-2024, ensuring the list keeps up with the times.
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Did Messi or Ronaldo have a better season?
ESPN FC pundits and writers reveal whether they think Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi had a better season.
Key takeaways
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The new look means a lot of new names: This season’s edition of the FC 100 features 28 new names for the first time in the eight-year history of the rankings, a testament to the evolution of the game and the next generation’s breakthrough into Europe’s top leagues.
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The return of Cristiano Ronaldo: After dropping out of the FC 100 in 2022-23 due to a terrible year that saw a bitter exit from Manchester United, a poor World Cup, and a disappointing move to the Saudi Professional League, the Portuguese star is back on the radar. Heading to Euro 2024.
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Behold, an American player! After a fantastic season with AC Milan, United States captain Christian Pulisic returns to the FC 100 squad, making his second appearance. Canadian Alphonso Davies makes his fourth appearance on the FC 100 list after another strong season with Bayern Munich.
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The English Premier League regains its lead again: In total, 38 members of this year’s FC 100 are from the Premier League, with a host of clubs outside Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal contributing to its deep strength. La Liga is a solid second with 19 names on the list, although the Bundesliga has come up with 18 selections – thanks Bayer Leverkusen (seven names) and their amazing unbeaten domestic season for the comeback.
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Man City is still at the top too: Pep Guardiola’s side may have failed to win the FA Cup and Champions League, but their fifth Premier League title in six years has been rewarded with 11 players making the FC 100 in 2023-24, with every position on the pitch covered. From there, Real Madrid contribute 10 names after a dominant campaign in La Liga and qualify for the Champions League final, while Liverpool sit in third place with eight candidates for this year’s list.
How voters dealt with the ballot
Holding a global vote to choose the best players in the world is no easy feat, and with the polls we’ve provided some guidance on how to proceed. He called on voters to take the following matters into consideration: Who are the best players right now and are likely to be in the 2023-24 season. Voters were given discretion over how much of a role injuries played in the votes; Some players made the cut despite missing parts of the season due to the amount of their contributions and performance when healthy. Likewise, performance in individual competitions (e.g., UEFA Champions League) was taken into account, but was not the overarching factor in casting the vote. Players whose efforts spanned the largest sample of games would naturally rank higher than those who excelled in shorter tournament formats.
Here are some of the questions we asked voters:
On what basis should I classify my team’s players?
About who you think are the best players at the moment, if they are fit.
How much should I take the current season into account?
He could potentially be an important component, but this is not a ranking of the best players in the 2023-2024 season. Instead, this season will likely carry more weight in your rating because it reflects the more recent shows. If someone is outstanding in the 2023-24 season, there is reason to believe they are an elite player right now.
What if someone has been performing at a very high level for a long time but this year hasn’t been so good?
That’s when it becomes a judgment call. For example, Mohamed Salah is a great player, but last season he scored only 25 goals in 44 matches, which is the first time he has scored fewer than 30 goals in all competitions since the 2019-20 season. He is 31 years old, so you have to decide if this is the beginning of a downward trajectory or just a minor blip that will be corrected next season.
How do we deal with players who are injured for long periods of the season?
Evaluate them based on the periods they have been fit and their body of work before. Again, if they are out for an extended period, decide whether you think the injury has had such a long-term impact that their performance will be permanently impaired.
Should we give more weight to performances in major competitions such as the World Cup and Champions League?
not necessarily. 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 wouldn’t be in your league.
What is each list of FC 100 about
The key here is two-fold: why each player is on the roster in 2023-24, and what they expect to do next season.
A goal keeper
It is not enough for a modern goalkeeper to be good with his gloves. These days, goalkeepers are more often expected to initiate attacking moves by playing out from the back as well as making stops.
Agility and reflexes are par for the course, but the world’s best goalkeepers also incorporate a sense of confidence and boldness into their penalty areas that makes them appear larger than life.
See the full list here.
Defenders
In our first bold break from previous rankings, we’ve grouped everyone in the defensive third under one banner, although I don’t think this list is limited to centre-backs. All three main positions – right-back, centre-back and left-back – are covered in the list, and rightly so.
Right back It has never been the most glamorous position, but the many developments in the game have seen it become an exciting and unpredictable place on the pitch. The best in the game will combine strong positional awareness with incredible speed, as well as the audacity to push forward and support their teams in attack.
If you want to have a great team, you need a great team Center back (Two, if you’re really lucky). The best in the game are immensely skilled in terms of size and strength, but they also have the grace to time the clock and anticipate an attacker’s movements in order to win back possession. Elegance on and off the ball is essential, whether playing a swinging pass up the pitch or feinting their way past opponents to relieve pressure.
Just like their counterparts on the other side, they are the best Left back He combines speed and intelligence to be a threat in attack or defence. Comfortable, accurate left-foot passes are also a rare commodity, but big players will be at their best when in the overlap before netting the perfect ball.
See the full list here.
Midfielders
We used to have two positional classifications to cover the centre-backs, but we are combining those who are skilled on and off the ball here for 2023-24. there Defensive midfielders Which may create or destroy. Either they are like Rodri, who covers a long distance to tackle the opponent with precision and vitality, or like Martin Odegaard, who controls the tempo of the match through ball distribution and clear vision.
Mischief, creativity, speed and confidence: these are the best tools Attacking midfielders. Sometimes referred to as the number 10, these men are as comfortable scoring goals as they are cheering on their teammates. With the freedom to drift around the pitch and exploit space, their ability to conjure something out of nothing makes them some of the most entertaining players.
See the full list here.
straight ahead
Finally, the attractive situations! These are your showboats, scorers, and free-roaming forces of nature. From winger to winger and everything in between, the attacking third is where your quality talent is often found.
wings It has become a bit antiquated in the modern game, but there is still a lot of benefit from having fast, forward-thinking players in wide positions. With the speed and tenacity to beat their markers and get to the sideline to cross, they can be truly dangerous.
From there, straight ahead And The strikers Difficult to define. They are a powerful combination of close-range striker, playmaker and space creator for their teammates around the penalty area. They are talented enough to handle the freewheeling role, and also agile enough under pressure to deliver consistently. They will score in any match, against any team from any position. Foot speed, quick wits, and their ability to read the play and anticipate where the ball will go three passes before it gets there is what sets them apart.
Not only will they record the clicks, but the best can improvise with any part of the body (except the hands, of course) to get the job done. Their best attributes are clever flicks, elegant tricks, quick kicks and calm set pieces.
See the full list here.
