It has been a number of weeks for the reason that 2024-25 ESPN FC 100 — our ninth annual record of the world’s finest gamers in males’s soccer — revealed, and it seems like a lot has occurred within the soccer world since. We have had a number of high-profile FC 100 names change golf equipment — similar to Bayer Leverkusen duo Florian Wirtz (No. 2 attacking midfielder) and Jeremie Frimpong (No. 8 fullback) to Liverpool, Dean Huijsen (No. 10 middle again) from Bournemouth to Actual Madrid, Trent Alexander-Arnold (No. 2 fullback) from Liverpool to Actual Madrid, Matheus Cunha (No. 16 middle ahead) from Wolves to Manchester United and Viktor Gyökeres (No. 8 middle ahead) from Sporting CP to Arsenal.
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We additionally noticed numerous these stars ply their commerce on the FIFA Membership World Cup, from Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martínez (No. 5 middle ahead) and Actual Madrid’s Aurélien Tchouaméni (No. 14 central midfielder) to Chelsea‘s Cole Palmer (No. 5 attacking midfielder) and, properly, Paris Saint-Germain‘s complete first group (they topped the charts with a exceptional 11 gamers named to the record).
With the record nonetheless producing dialog, we thought we’d break down the record as some ways as we may by trying on the knowledge. Total, this annual undertaking actually does present how the game has developed over time, with new generations rising — and new groups dominating the rankings — as we put together to present our ultimate farewells to GOAT-level gamers similar to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Membership breakdown
A number of the FC 100 voting traits towards current efficiency, particularly as this record is meant as a “finest proper now and finest this season” sort of referendum on the sport. That’s proven within the quantity of turnover on this yr’s record: A whopping 40 names made the FC 100 for the primary time, which speaks to the sport’s subsequent era really breaking by means of. As a part of that turnover, it is exhausting to argue with Paris Saint-Germain topping the membership charts after a exceptional season. They received all three home trophies (Ligue 1, Coupe de France, Trophée des Champions) and clinched their first UEFA Champions League title with a 5-0 shellacking of Inter Milan — who positioned seven gamers on the FC 100.
PSG peaked on the proper time, sweeping all comers in 2025 and getting Ballon d’Or-worthy contributions from Ousmane Dembélé (No. 5 winger) and Achraf Hakimi (No. 1 fullback) alongside the way in which.
It wasn’t all in regards to the French facet, nonetheless, relating to recognition for profitable seasons. Liverpool received the Premier League title for the second time in 4 years and did so beneath new supervisor Arne Slot, with 10 gamers from his squad — together with Mohamed Salah (No. 1 winger), Virgil van Dijk (No. 1 middle again) and Alisson (No. 2 goalkeeper) — making the grade. Notable was the rise of the midfield within the Slot period, as Ryan Gravenberch (No. 9 central midfielder) capped an outstanding comeback season to make the FC 100 after many pundits felt he could be surplus to necessities beneath Slot, whereas Alexis Mac Allister (No. 4 central midfielder) took his personal elite recreation to a different stage.
Spanish champions Barcelona positioned eight on the FC 100 — together with No. 1 central midfielder Pedri and No. 3 winger Raphinha — to crown a real return to type beneath supervisor Hansi Flick, and German champions Bayern Munich put 5 on the record (led by No. 3 middle ahead Harry Kane and No. 3 attacking midfielder Jamal Musiala) to replicate their return to the Bundesliga summit.
Maybe chatting with the energy in depth throughout European soccer proper now, it was notable to see 20 groups place one or two gamers on the record as stars emerge everywhere in the continent. Nonetheless, a lot of them (Huijsen, Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo) have already moved to greater golf equipment, with others more likely to comply with after good particular person campaigns for medium-budget sides.
League breakdown
The Premier League’s depth all the way in which from first place to twentieth has by no means been extra evident than in its leaguewide switch spending; the league incessantly outspends its continental friends by a number of components. In 2024-25, the Premier League spent practically $3 billion within the switch market, recouping $1.8 billion in outgoing gamers — LaLiga, in contrast, spent roughly $590 million final season throughout all 20 groups, and the German Bundesliga $791 million throughout 18 sides.
Because of the exploits of Victor Osimhen (No. 12 middle ahead, at Galatasaray), Lionel Messi (No. 8 winger, at Inter Miami), Cristiano Ronaldo (No. 15 middle ahead, at Al Nassr) and red-hot Viktor Gyökeres (No. 8 middle ahead, previously at Sporting CP), we had 4 leagues exterior the standard European Large 5 represented, which is one thing we do not assume we’ll see a lot as soon as Messi and Ronaldo retire.
As ever in recent times, should you’re an elite participant, you are both in England, France, Spain, Italy or Germany.
The all-time record
Our favourite factor to trace has been how the record has developed whereas sure gamers seemingly by no means drop sufficient out of soccer’s elite tier to overlook a single FC 100. As such, three gamers have remarkably made it in all 9 editions up to now — a fast ballot within the workplace confirmed that these weren’t the plain decisions, both!
Lionel Messi has continued to ship at a excessive stage for Argentina, even when he had a few wobbly years with Paris Saint-Germain and moved to Main League Soccer, by no means dipping sufficiently to benefit exclusion. (Ronaldo, his rival for GOAT honors within the fashionable period, famously missed the reduce in 2022-23 as a consequence of his spectacular exile from Man United, lack of type for Portugal and transfer to Saudi Professional League facet Al Nassr.)
Goalkeepers do rank extremely on this graphic of longtime FC 100 entrants, with 5 of the 17 names listed plying their commerce between the posts, and their longevity is smart as gamers on the place are inclined to age extra gracefully than others. However few may have guessed Jan Oblak (No. 5 goalkeeper) could be the place’s rep within the “nine-time membership” — Atletico Madrid not often break by means of the standard Actual Madrid-Barcelona hegemony in LaLiga, whereas Oblak’s worldwide exploits with Slovenia not often break the web. Nonetheless, he has carried out at a persistently excessive stage even when his membership and nation haven’t, whereas his health report has additionally allowed him to be an FC 100 mainstay. (Alisson has missed lengthy durations of various seasons with leg accidents, whereas Thibaut Courtois, Marc-André ter Stegen and Manuel Neuer have all suffered long-term accidents which have brought on them to overlook complete seasons.)
The ultimate nine-timer, Robert Lewandowski (No. 2 middle ahead), is a exceptional story contemplating his age (36) for such a bruising place up entrance. But he has been persistently prolific for each Bayern Munich (238 objectives from 2014 to ’22) and Barcelona (2022-present), compiling arguably his best-ever season in 2024-25. His 42-goal haul (52 video games, all competitions), together with 11 objectives in Barcelona’s run to the UEFA Champions League semifinals, was a significant component of their home treble (LaLiga, Copa del Rey, Supercopa de España).
The massive query: Will any of them make it 10 in a row after we current the 2026 version subsequent June?
Nationwide groups
Once more, it is smart that a lot of the FC 100 is rooted in Europe, with a whopping 43 coming from the Large 5 of England, Spain, Italy, France and Germany. Ably supplemented by a robust Dutch and Portuguese contingent maybe is a preview as to which groups may dominate at subsequent summer season’s World Cup.
South America additionally continues to place ahead loads of expertise, with 19 representatives (together with Colombia and Bayern Munich’s Luis Díaz, the No. 12 winger). Use this map as a possible cheat sheet for the World Cup, as a result of relating to that social gathering, a lot of the record will once more be centered across the conventional powerhouses above.
Continental dominance
Will we get one other World Cup champion from Europe? The percentages are stacked within the continent’s favor given the focus of expertise on the 2024-25 FC 100, with simply fleeting mentions for Oceania (Chris Wooden‘s heroic, career-best season at Nottingham Forest earned him No. 17 middle ahead honors) and the convention internet hosting subsequent summer season, Concacaf. Two Canadian stars (No. 5 fullback Alphonso Davies, No. 18 middle ahead Jonathan David) and one American (No. 18 winger Christian Pulisic) are the only stars from the area, with no Mexico stars making the rating but once more.
However do not fill out your bets simply but — previously three World Cups hosted in North America (Mexico 1970, Mexico 1986, USA 1994) we acquired a champion from South America, with Brazil‘s trophies in 1970 (over Italy) and 1994 (over Italy once more!) bookending Argentina’s win over West Germany within the 1986 ultimate.
