15 Most Skilful Players in World Football Right Now [Ranked]

Of course, the world of football is rich with different types of players. From the towering, no-nonsense centre-back to the unpredictable striker who keeps defenders on their toes, the variety is what makes the game so thrilling. But perhaps the real show-stoppers are the wingers and attacking midfielders – those daring artists who, when given just a sliver of space, throw off the shackles of convention and unleash a storm of tricks and flicks that leave both their opponents and fans wide-eyed and slack-jawed.

Back in the day, we’d toss around the phrase “skills to pay the bills” with a grin, usually after pulling off a cheeky nutmeg or landing a rainbow flick that left our school opponents scratching their heads. But in today’s game, that’s no longer just a catchy saying – it’s a reality. There are bona fide footballing magicians out there whose artistry on the pitch is so mesmerising, they’re pocketing the big bucks for it.

Related

20 Most Skilful Players in Football History (Ranked)

The game of football has seen a wide variety of players over the years, but who have been the most skilful people to ever grace the beautiful game?

These are the players who transform the pitch into their personal playground, turning every match into artwork. Without further delay, here are the 15 most skilful players in the world right now – giving legends like Ronaldinho and Zinedine Zidane a serious run for their money.

Ranking Factors

• Fan reception – How entertained do the fans feel watching the player?
• Overall quality – Often, the most skilful players are some of the best in the world.
• Amount of skills and tricks in their locker – variety is the spice of life when it comes to being skilful.

15

Vitinha

PSG & Portugal

Hindsight is a wonderful thing – and the story of Vitinha, 25, struggling to make the grade at Wolverhampton Wanderers before playing a starring role in PSG’s Champions League triumph years later is the perfect example of a redemption story. Very little luck has been involved in the central midfielder’s rise to prominence but, instead, his skilfulness in the engine room.

Able to evade bigger and tougher opponents in the middle third with a deft touch of the ball or a slight jink round an opponent, the Portuguese’s technical proficiency is off the charts. A brilliant ball carrier, too, Vitinha thrives for the Paris outfit, given they enjoy the lion’s share of possession more often than not, but there are games where you don’t realise he’s playing. That’s because his talent does the talking, and he plays at his own pace.

14

Matheus Cunha

Manchester United & Brazil

The first of three Brazilian footballers on this list is Manchester United‘s Matheus Cunha, who joined Ruben Amorim’s side when they were in need of a maverick. The Brazilian stepped forward, joining from Wolverhampton Wanderers for a fee of £62.5 million, and his price is being slowly, but surely, justified. His uncanny ability to produce moments of magic has lifted bums off seats at Old Trafford.

Weaving through traffic has never been made to look more simple than when watching the youngster’s transfixing dribbling technique at the Theatre of Dreams. One minute, he’s shoved right out by the corner flag, and before you know it, he’s left three defenders at sea and is in the thick of it in the box. His final ten-minute performance against Liverpool earlier in 2025/26 encapsulated what Cunha is able to provide: there’s a steeliness to his play, but he’s ever-so elegant too.

13

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

PSG & Georgia

One of the most two-footed players in world football today, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has hit the ground running at Paris Saint-Germain since making the move from Serie A giants Napoli in the January transfer window. The Georgian has got that incredible combination of quickness in feet and mind, and has been one of the key reasons behind his side’s excellent performances in Ligue 1 and their Champions League triumph.

His displays against Liverpool in the last 16 of the competition last season in particular – both home and away – were something to behold, and he ran the Reds’ full-backs on both nights ragged. Kvaratskhelia, a Georgia international with bags of potential at 24 years of age, was key to PSG finally ending their Champions League hoodoo and his trickery on the left is something to behold.

12

Michael Olise

Bayern Munich & France

Given that he was playing at Crystal Palace and was available at a reasonable price, Premier League clubs will surely be kicking themselves that they let Michael Olise complete his worthy move to Bayern Munich. The Frenchman has been outstanding in every sense of the word with the Bundesliga giants, and has been a key reason why they managed to reclaim their crown as German champions.

His dead-ball ability, knack of beating players with an elegant shoulder drop, and his touch of finesse when it comes to striking the ball all make him one of the most skilful players in the world right now. Had he remained in the Premier League last season, he would be up there as one of the best the English football echo chamber without a doubt.

11

Florian Wirtz

Liverpool & Germany

One of the jewels of German football alongside Bayern Munich sensation Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz seems destined to reach the top of the beautiful game. Playing in that free role for Bayer Leverkusen last season, the playmaker’s close control, dribbling and unerring finishing when inside the box makes him a manager’s dream as an attacking midfielder.

Wirtz developed leaps and bounds under the leadership of Xabi Alonso, and it’s no surprise that the 22-year-old has now earned a mega-money move to Liverpool. That said, it’s not unfair to say that he’s not hit the ground running at Anfield after the Reds splashed out an eye-watering £116 million for his services, but there have been glimmers of what he’s able to do with the ball at his feet, especially when he’s picked out in pockets of space.

10

Cole Palmer

Chelsea & England

The ‘coldest’ player in football, Cole Palmer has been an absolute revelation since joining Chelsea from Premier League rivals Manchester City in the 2023 summer transfer window. The England international has been the heartbeat of anything good at Stamford Bridge, and after a stellar first season in west London, has followed it up with a fine second campaign too – despite the recent drop-off in form since the turn of the calendar year.

Palmer’s incisive passing and first touch makes him one of the standout players in the Premier League, and is the kind of talent most football fans would be happy to pay to watch. If he can continue on this trajectory, it won’t be too long before he enters into the conversation of being the best player in the world… that’s if the Manchester-born star is not there already.

9

Pedri

Barcelona & Spain

A midfielder with breathtaking quality and the kind of quick feet and thinking that would have the likes of Xavi and Andres Iniesta purring, Pedri is the new midfield jewel in the eyes of the Barcelona faithful. While Lamine Yamal is understandably gaining all the plaudits for his incredible performances as a teenager, that shouldn’t take away from the calibre of display and consistency being shown by Pedri too.

Hansi Flick’s side charged towards the La Liga title and were unfortunate not to reach the Champions League final, too. While they have a devastating attack led by Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski, much of their success also came down to having Pedri available to run proceedings in the middle of the park.

8

Ousmane Dembele

PSG & France

While the pair overlapped at Barcelona, Xavi Hernandez hailed Ousmane Dembele’s dribbling ability as “something that I have seen in very few footballers in my career” – and it’s abundantly clear to see why. All you need to do is watch the Frenchman’s highlights reel. For someone who played with the likes of Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho and Neymar, Xavi’s admission is quite the statement.

He may not have a big box of tricks compared to others, but Dembele’s unpredictability is his charm. The jet-heeled wide man is one of the most two-footed players to ever touch a football, equally comfortable slaloming onto his left or right. What comes after one of Dembele’s forward surges can be just as hard to predict, but few find themselves with as many opportunities to squander as the 2025 Ballon d’Or recipient, finishing ahead of the rest of the pack with relative ease.

7

Kylian Mbappe

Real Madrid & France

Kylian Mbappe has the same approach to beating a defender as he does when at the negotiating table; cold and efficient. Blessed with unrivalled acceleration, the French superstar rarely varies his dribbling technique, deliberately slowing his opponent down before bursting away in a blur of straight arms and high knees.

Such a staggering level of consistency affords Mbappe a justified sense of confidence. And so, when he does pick the ball up, there’s a moment’s pause in the stands of the Santiago Bernabeu – just as there was on many occasions at the Parc des Princes – as Real Madrid fans hope, or rather expect, another moment of trickery to add to the World Cup winner’s skill compilation.

6

Jamal Musiala

Bayern Munich & Germany

Even when Bayern Munich or Germany come up against a low-block so well set up that it looks like there’s not even an inch gap to get the ball through a crowd of players, Jamal Musiala will find a way. That’s a testament to the attacking midfielders’ transcendent ability to shift the ball onto one foot, then to the other, and then leave defenders looking like statues to his theatre.

Interestingly, Musiala doesn’t do anything fancy with the ball like others on this list. Instead, he sticks to his bread and butter – body feints, and quick feet are the order of the day for him, while nicknamed tricks and flicks are in short supply. Certainly, that might make him a tad boring compared to others, but it’s oh-so effective. A relentless dribbler is Musiala.