The most popular sport in the world, football, has some true heroes. They transcended the game itself and will forever be etched in the hearts of fans. This article picks the best current football players, although it's not an easy task.

1. Messi

Messi played for FC Barcelona for more than ten years and served as the team captain. As of 2021, Messi has won 6 Ballon d'Or, 6 World Player of the Year, 6 European Golden Boot Awards, and 7 La Liga Golden Boot Awards, all of which are the most records in history.

He is the first football player in history to win the Lawrence Award for Best Male Player. He ranked first among all players in the five major leagues during the same period. Judging from Messi's award-winning record, his excellence can be seen at a glance. Multiple firsts and unbroken records are the best explanations. Messi is a well-deserved "world king".

2. Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo has won many team honors, such as La Liga champions, UEFA Nations League champions, etc., as well as a lot of personal honors. Just this year, Ronaldo broke Pele's record and scored the 770th official goal of his career. For the second year in a row, he was named the best player in Serie A.

Ronaldo was crowned the world's top scorer for the fifth time in 2019, which is a recognition of Ronaldo's ability. The excellence of Ronaldo and Messi is indistinguishable, and their legends continue.

3. Van Dijk

Van Dijk was instrumental in Liverpool's 2019 Champions League title and Premier League runners-up. He has won the Premier League Player of the Year, the Champions League Final Player of the Year, and the UEFA Player of the Year. And in the Ballon d'Or and World Footballer of the Year, which favor offensive players, he was honored.

4. Salah

Salah is a man of the year in football in recent years. Known as "Egyptian Messi", he has the same gorgeous footwork and gorgeous technique as Messi. Salah defended the Premier League Golden Boot in 2019 and also helped Liverpool win the Champions League.

Salah is an excellent striker and a playmaker who can create goals for his teammates, not only himself but also his teammates. Salah is at the heart of Liverpool's attack.

5. Mbappe

As a young generation player in active service, his performance is very good. In 2019, he won the Laureus World Sports Award for best male athlete, which Messi had previously won. In the just-concluded Champions League quarter-finals, Mbappe scored twice.

This season, he has scored 8 goals in the Champions League, and his career has scored 13 goals in the Champions League knockout rounds.

6. Harland

He is also a player with excellent skills among the younger generation. He won the best new star of Norwegian football in 2019 and the best newcomer award at the Global Football Awards in the same year.

Recently, there has been news that Haaland is going to transfer, and many clubs are rushing to join their own clubs. It can be seen that Haaland's ability has been recognized by the industry and is an excellent player.

7. Lewandowski

Lewandowski is a player who combines speed, strength and technique. Lewandowski has won many awards, including the FIFA Team of the Year (forward) in 2020, the 2020 FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball, the 21st Laureus World Sports Awards for Best Male Athlete, and the Polish Footballer of the Year for many times.

8. Debrau

De Bruyne has just completed a contract extension with Manchester City, and he will continue to play for Manchester City. During his time at Manchester City, he helped Manchester City win the championship many times.

He became the Premier League assists champion in the 2016-2017 season, setting a record for the number of assists in a single Premier League season by Manchester City players. In 2015, he won the German Footballer of the Year, and in 2019, he was elected as a candidate for the FIFA Team of the Year.

As an all-around midfielder, Debrau has excellent dribbling skills and accurate passing.