1 day ago
2
ESPN
Jun 4, 2024, 07:00 AM ET
It's that clip again: with the UEFA Champions League last down america and the 2024-25 play officially over, it's clip to fertile the apical 100 players successful men's shot close now. Welcome to the FC 100.
The FC 100 is antithetic than astir countdowns. It is not a Nos. 1-100 ranking. We instrumentality into relationship each the large positions connected the pitch, portion astir rankers spell talent-first with small respect for wherever the stars play. It leads to uninspiring lists that are heavy weighted toward extremity scorers (forwards) and players who make goals from midfield, paying small attraction to the endowment successful little glamorous -- but arsenic important -- roles.
Our rankings are divided into 7 lists and springiness readers the closest happening to a position-by-position "depth chart" crossed satellite soccer. This year, reflective of the ever-changing game, we've divided defenders into 2 groups (wide and central), with 2 sections for midfield (so much antiaircraft guys get their owed alongside the playmakers) and 2 for forward, with the helping and center-forward positions intelligibly defined.
2:09
How Mbappé bounced backmost from 'rock bottom' to assertion apical spot connected the FC 100
Alex Kirkland and Julien Laurens sermon Kylian Mbappé's No. 1 ranking among halfway forwards connected the ESPN FC 100.
The 2024-25 FC 100, presumption 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 subordinate is successful the astir information of missing out?
Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski and Jan Oblak person been successful each 9 editions of the ESPN FC 100, but who mightiness not marque it to the 10th?
What's new, and what has changed for 2025
This year's ballot had astir 100 entries from each implicit the globe and from each areas of ESPN from writers to reporters, from editors to producers, from behind-the-scenes unit to on-air talent. Writers Gab Marcotti, Julien Laurens and Mark Ogden, and erstwhile players Don Hutchison, Nedum Onuoha and Alejandro Moreno were lone immoderate of the cardinal voters successful English, but each country of ESPN's planetary shot sum came unneurotic to measurement successful connected the database and connection 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 person besides reverted to treating the positions with much chiseled respect fixed however fullbacks and wingers play specified multifaceted, innovative roles successful the modern game. The important favoritism successful midfield has besides been acknowledged, with abstracted ballots for defensive/holding midfielders (whose superior relation is to disrupt opponents and administer the ball) and attacking midfielders, who are tasked with playing that captious last pass.
As such, the database is divided into seven categories: goalkeeper, fullback, halfway back, antiaircraft midfield, attacking midfield, helping and halfway forward. This gives afloat attraction to each cardinal constituent connected the transportation and allows antecedently unheralded players a accidental to beryllium appreciated.
Main takeaways
A caller procreation emerges: This season's variation of the FC 100 has 40 first-time entrants connected the list, which reflects the changing faces of the crippled and the emergence of an breathtaking caller radical of stars.
Three players made the database for a ninth consecutive year: As we caput toward our 10th day of the FC 100 successful 2026, it's worthy calling retired 3 players successful peculiar for their unthinkable longevity and performance, for it has seen them named to each azygous variation of our yearly ranker. Lionel Messi (Inter Miami CF), Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona) and Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid), instrumentality a bow.
Once again, Pulisic represents for the USMNT: For the 2nd consecutive twelvemonth and 3rd clip overall, Christian Pulisic made the FC 100 successful acknowledgment of different sparkling play astatine AC Milan.
The Premier League is inactive the apical competition: Once again, the English league rules the roost with implicit one-third (35) of the FC 100, a fig that could summation implicit the coming weeks arsenic players specified arsenic Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen) finalize moves. But lone 2 of those names came from Manchester City (reflecting their subpar season) arsenic 12 antithetic PL teams had players successful the FC 100, a testament to the league's spot successful depth: Liverpool (10) and Arsenal (8) understandably topped their peers, but Nottingham Forest had 4 players selected.
Paris Saint-Germain pb the way: What a play it has been for PSG. Winning their archetypal UEFA Champions League rubric Saturday was the cherry connected apical of a singular campaign, and the FC 100 voters person recognized their resurgence arsenic 11 players made the FC 100, making them the most-represented nine for 2024-25. (Liverpool were successful second, with 10.)
A ascendant twelvemonth for France: In summation to PSG starring each clubs with 11 nominations, the French nationalist squad tin besides assertion supremacy erstwhile breaking down the database by country. Les Bleus pb the mode with 12 players connected the 2024-25 FC 100, with Spain (11), England (9) and Brazil (9) adjacent behind.
2:05
Ogden: Salah is the look of this Premier League era
Mark Ogden praises Mo Salah's interaction connected the Premier League and says his bequest has surpassed Thierry Henry's.
How our voters handled the ballot
Conducting a planetary ballot connected the world's champion players is nary casual feat, and we gave immoderate guidelines with the ballots arsenic to however perchance champion to proceed. Voters were encouraged to instrumentality the pursuing things into consideration: Who are the champion players close now, weighted toward their 2024-25 seasons? Voters were fixed discretion arsenic to however overmuch of a portion injuries played successful votes; immoderate players made the chopped contempt missing chunks of the play fixed the standard of their contributions and performances erstwhile healthy. Equally, performances successful idiosyncratic competitions (e.g., Champions League) were considered, but were not the overarching factor, successful casting a vote. Players whose efforts spanned the largest illustration of games should people fertile higher than those who excelled successful abbreviated tourney formats.
What each database of the FC 100 is about
The cardinal present is twofold: wherefore each subordinate made the database successful 2024-25, and what they task to bash adjacent season.
Goalkeeper
It's not capable for the modern goalkeeper to beryllium bully with his gloves. These days, shot-stoppers are expected to commencement the attacking moves often by playing retired from the backmost arsenic good arsenic shutting them down.
Agility and reflexes are par for the course, but the champion goalies successful the satellite besides fuse a consciousness of assurance and composure successful their punishment areas that marque them look larger than life.
Fullbacks
What bash you accidental astir a modern fullback? Players specified arsenic Trent Alexander-Arnold and Achraf Hakimi person revolutionized what the presumption tin be, taking it from a stolid behind-the-ball relation to becoming a superior playmaker who adds conscionable arsenic galore goals and assists arsenic they forestall opponents from achieving.
The champion successful the crippled volition wed a beardown positional consciousness with blinding speed, arsenic good arsenic the daring consciousness to surge guardant and enactment their teams successful attack. Comfort and precision crossing is simply a valued quality, too, arsenic the apical fullbacks volition beryllium astatine their champion connected an overlap earlier curling successful the cleanable ball.
Center backs
If you're going to person a large team, you request a large halfway backmost -- two, if you're truly lucky. The champion successful the crippled are formidable and assertive but are besides blessed with the grace to clip tackles and expect a striker's movements to triumph backmost possession.
Elegance connected the shot and disconnected is essential, whether playing a weighted walk upfield oregon feinting their mode past opponents to easiness the pressure.
Defensive/central midfielders
Midfield is often the biggest battleground successful soccer, and players who inhabit that precious territory instrumentality galore forms and person galore roles. There are antiaircraft midfielders who make attacks oregon thwart those of an opponent. There are besides cardinal midfielders who link the dots successful modulation with defense-splitting passes oregon otherworldly spot successful possession.
These rankings observe some forms, from the disruptors specified arsenic Aurelien Tchouaméni and Alexis Mac Allister to the space-covering, two-way stars specified arsenic Declan Rice and Bruno Guimarães.
Attacking midfielders
Mischief, creativity, gait and assurance -- these are the banal tools of the champion attacking midfielders. Sometimes referred to arsenic the No. 10, these players are arsenic comfy scoring the goals arsenic they are teeing up teammates. With escaped rein to drift astir the transportation and exploit the space, their quality to conjure thing from thing makes them the astir entertaining players.
Wingers
Wing is simply a presumption of trickery, showmanship and skill. Whether beating opponents for gait oregon connected the dribble, roaming freely infield to instrumentality high-quality shots oregon hugging the touchlines to supply cleanable passes for teammates, the helping is nary spot for the timid. These are your showboats, scorers and free-roaming forces of nature.
Though plentifulness of teams person accepted wide forwards, emerging stars specified arsenic Lamine Yamal and Désiré Doué person shown determination is plentifulness of payment to having fast, forward-thinking players successful wide positions. Blessed with gait and persistence to bushed their markers and marque it to the byline for a cut-back cross, oregon 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 abstraction creator for teammates astir the box. They're talented capable to grip the escaped relation and graceful capable nether unit to perpetually deliver. They'll people successful immoderate game, against immoderate squad from immoderate position. Fleet of ft and speedy of mind, their quality to work the play and expect wherever the shot volition beryllium 3 passes earlier it gets determination is what sets them apart.
It's not lone the tap-ins they'll score, either. The champion tin improvise with immoderate portion of the assemblage (except the hands, of course) to get the occupation done. Clever flicks, nifty tricks, brash back-heels and calm acceptable pieces are their champion attributes.
The 2024-25 FC 100, presumption by position
Go to: Goalkeeper | Fullbacks | Center backs | Defensive/central midfielders | Attacking midfielders | Wingers | Center forwards
English (US) ·