The Biggest Football Player
Are you curious about who the biggest football players in the world are right now? It can be extremely helpful to know this when you plan on making football bets. In this article, we’ve provided some essential details about the top eight players to back this year.
Who Are the Biggest Football Players?
You may be wondering how we have chosen our list of the biggest football players. We’ve started this guide by discussing our method, before taking a look at each player. If you’re a football fan, it’s highly likely that you’ve heard all of these names.
If you’re new to football betting, it’s essential to know them. We’ve then discussed the topic of how you can back each player when you punt at the best sports betting sites. This includes a rundown of the types of bets that focus on player performance. To round things out, we’ve discussed some of the best events for football betting.
What Makes Them the Biggest?
To create our list, we scoured plenty of resources to find out not only who are the best-rank players, but which players are popular with audiences and bettors alike. All of these names were included on many best-of lists, so you shouldn’t be surprised to find them listed here.
Due to the regional and international nature of football, you’ll have a chance to back these players in national, European and international football games. One of the best qualities of football betting is that the odds are always great for patrons, and there’s always something to bet on.
The Biggest Football Players Today
Now, it is time to introduce you to the list of the top-ranked football players today. These are one of the most skilled players that many football fans adore. It is hard to tell which one of them is the biggest football player because everyone has great abilities. Below, you can find extra details for every top football player today.
Lionel Messi
As one of the top-ranked players for over a decade, Lionel Messi is one of the most beloved football players of all time. As the seven-time winner of the prestigious Ballon d’Or, Messi is also the most recent winner of the title. He has scored more than 750 career goals, with the most goals scored for a player in a single club.
- Age: 35
- Position: Forward (Centre, Right)
- Teams: Paris Saint-Germain, Argentina
The Argentinian also hold the record for the most appearances for his national team and is also the team’s leading goal scorer of all time. With a dribbling ability that is unrivalled, Messi is celebrated for his speed, precision and ability to dictate the pace of the game.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo is another player that has earned his place in the hall of fame as an all-time greatest player. With more than 800 career goals to his name, Ronaldo has also made more than 1,100 professional career appearances. There’s good reason, then, why he’s the highest-paid footballer in the world.
- Age: 37
- Position: Forward (Centre, Right)
- Teams: Manchester United, Portugal
Ronaldo plays for Manchester United in the English Premier League and also captains his national team of Portugal. Ronaldo’s playing style has evolved in recent years since he seamlessly transitioned from winger to forward. He play an all-around style that is mesmerising, with an impressive ability to attack hard and fast.
Neymar
Dubbed one of the best footballers of his generation, Neymar’s humble beginnings as a street footballer formed the basis of an incredible career. Neymar has scored more than 300 goals over 500 professional games, an enviable record that has earned him his place as one of Brazil’s best all-time players.
- Age: 30
- Position: Forward (Left, Centre)
- Teams: Paris Saint-Germain, Brazil
Neymar is one of the highest-paid athletes in the world thanks to a high salary and lucrative contracts with Nike and Puma. Neymar’s playing style is defined by his incredible pace and accurate striking ability whether as a central striker, winger or attacking midfielder.
Robert Lewandowski
Having recently started with Barcelona, the former Bayern forward has been riding high in recent years. The recipient of 2021 Ballon d’Or Striker of the Year, Robert Lewandowski has also won two European Golden Shoes over the last two seasons. Lewandowski has scored more than 700 goals in his career, making him Poland’s top all-time scorer.
- Age: 33
- Position: Forward (Centre)
- Teams: Barcelona, Portugal
He is the captain of the Poland national team, where he is a celebrated celebrity. He is also one of the most successful players in Bundesliga history, where he was the top scorer for seven years. As a striker, Lewandowski’s playing style is noted for being fast, resilient, versatile, quick-thinking and creative.
Kevin De Bruyne
Kevin De Bruyne is widely regarded as one of the best footballers in the world. The Belgian midfielder has consistently scored throughout his national and international career. He has received the Premier League Player of the Season Award for the last two seasons and has consistently been ranked as one of Manchester City’s best-ever players.
- Age: 31
- Position: Midfielder (Centre), Attacking Midfielder (Right)
- Teams: Manchester City, Belgium
De Bruyne also plays for Belgium’s national team, where he has scored 24 goals since his debut in 2010. De Bruyne’s playing style has consistently been praised for its uniqueness. He has a sharp sense of awareness of the game and is a master at facilitating game-making assists.
Virgil van Dijk
The first defender on our list, Virgil van Dijk is considered to be one of the best defenders in Premier League history. He’ll forever be celebrated in Liverpool, where during his second full season at the club he led the team to their first Premier League victory in 30 years.
- Age: 31
- Position: Defender (Centre)
- Teams: Liverpool, Netherlands
After his first Premier League season, van Dijk was named Player of the Season. Van Dijk is also the captain of his native Netherlands national football team. His playing style is noted for his ability to fortify the backline like no other, with very few concessions made on his part.
Mohamed Salah
Another Liverpool player, Mohamed Salah is an Egyptian forward that has amassed a huge popular following in both his native country and the world. With more than 230 career goals to his name, Salah was named the Premier League Player of the Year after the 2017/2018 season after scoring 44 goals for his team.
- Age: 30
- Position: Forward (Centre)
- Teams: Liverpool, Egypt
Salah also captains the Egypt national team, where his participation has had a profound influence on the nation’s love for the sport. The forward is also one of the fastest playing today, and he has a show-stopping ability to dribble around opposition defense and scoring.
Erling Haaland
The youngest player on our list, the 22-year-old Erling Haaland has already become one of the best strikers in football today. Haaland has been one to watch since he was a teenager, having become the first player to score six goals in his first three games at a Champions League game.
- Age: 22
- Position: Forward (Centre)
- Teams: Manchester City, Norway
He was also the first player in Bundesliga to score five goals in his first two games. This indicates that Haaland is set for an impressive career. The forward also plays for the Norway national team, with his international track record just as impressive. Haaland is celebrated for his stamina, speed and ability to net goals.
Betting on Players
Now that you’re aware of football’s biggest players, you may be wondering how this could impact your sports betting. Fortunately, there are several types of bets that you can make that are based on a player’s upcoming performance. We’ve listed these bet types in the following section:
Types of Bets
One of the most popular ways to bet on football is the proposition bets. Rather than wagering on the final outcome of the game or how many goals will be scored in total, you can back the biggest football player by using a proper bet. These are quite varied and could include:
First Goal Scorer
This is a wager on which player will score the first goal of the game. This will display a list of names from both teams alongside their odds to score the first goal. If your backed player doesn’t play, you’ll earn a refund, while if they score their own goal, this will be counted as a loss.
Last Goal Scorer
Similarly, the last goal scorer is a back on the player that will score the last goal of the game. This won’t matter whether or not the goal is a winning goal. You will also earn a refund if your backed player doesn’t play.
First Player Booked
This is a wager on which player will be the first to earn a yellow card. The name refers to the book on which the player’s name is written down on. If there are particularly aggressive attackers playing, this could be a good bet to make.
Top Goal Scorer
This is a wager on which player will score the most throughout a game, season or tournament. If you opt for the season or tournament option, this will have much higher odds as it is a future bet. Of course, this also carries more risk.
PFA Player of the Year
The PFA Player of the Year award is handed out at the end of every English Premier League season. Several of our biggest football players have earned this award multiple times, so they could be a great option to back before the season commences.
Football Betting Scams
One of the risks when betting on football players is falling foul of match fixing scams. These types of scams typically target sports bettors with insider tips, falsely suggesting a player has taken a bribe to achieve some kind of favourable outcome for the bettor, such as conceding a goal or forcing a penalty.
Best Events for Football Betting
As the most popular sport to bet on in the world, there will always be a local or international game that you can bet on live or before the game. Popular football betting events with the most favourable odds include the FIFA World Cup, the Euros, the English Football League Championship and the Premier League Championships.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you still have questions about the biggest football players, keep reading. Below, we have provided responses to some commonly asked questions about this topic so that you don’t have to read the whole article. If you’re looking for more detailed answers, use the links in each to jump up to the relevant sections.
1️⃣ What makes the players the biggest?
We have created this list on the biggest players by considering a number of factors. We have not only considered the recent statistics of the players and their scoring history, but we’ve also considered their impact on the game and their popularity with spectators and bettors.
2️⃣ Who are the biggest football players in the world?
The list of top-ranked players on this list includes Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Robert Lewandowski, Kevin de Bruyne, Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Saleh and Erling Haaland. If you’re a football fan, you’ve almost defintely heard of these players, many of whom play for Premier League teams.
3️⃣ Can I bet on individual players?
Yes, betting on players is totally possible. The way to do this is by making prop bets. These wagers don’t have anything to do with the final outcome of the game, but rather the predicted performances of individual players. The more research you do, the better your chances at winning prop bets will be.
4️⃣ What types of prop bets can I make on players?
There are several types of bets that you can make to back the performances of individual players. These include first and last goal scorer props, the first player booked and the top goalscorer. You can also make futures bets on final season awards such as the Premier League Player of the Season award.
5️⃣ What are the best events for football betting?
The best football betting events tend to be those that generate the highest audience viewership figures and the most betting activity. Of these, the FIFA World Cup is the most popular to view and is also one of the biggest sports betting events in the world. The Premier League and Champions League finals are also very popular.