Every summer, GOAL will publish its exclusive list of the 25 players who have proven themselves truly elite by consistently producing top performances
World-class… It’s an invisible but important tag, one that separates the good from the great. But it’s such a subjective term. Every football fan has their own definition, their own set of criterion, leading to endless but thoroughly enjoyable debates in stadiums, dressing rooms, cafes, bars, pubs and clubs all across the world.
So, last summer, GOAL decided to get in on the fun by compiling a very exclusive list of the 25 players that we felt represented the game’s elite, the best of the best, the guys that had been producing stellar performances over a sustained period of time.
In order to avoid focusing solely on attackers – which, let’s face it, nearly always happens when it comes to individual awards and accolades – we stipulated that there must be at least three players from each position group (goalkeeper, defence, midfield and attack), but a maximum of nine from each.
Now, the time has arrived to decide to gets to stay in the World-Class Club – and who must be politely asked to leave. So, who’s made this year’s 25 strong-list? Find out below, and be sure to express your approval – or outrage – in the comments…
GK: Alisson Becker
Injury interrupted Alisson’s 2023-24 campaign, but he retains his world-class status because of a staggering level of consistency that dates all the way back to his Roma days. In many ways, Brazil’s No.1 is the archetypal modern goalkeeper: brave and precise with the ball at his feet, but also a sensational shot-stopper, as he proved once again with a stunning save from Miguel Almiron during Liverpool’s dramatic win over Newcastle last August.
GK: Thibaut Courtois
Courtois missed nearly the entire 2023-24 season with an ACL tear he suffered in pre-season training, but he offered a timely reminder of his quality just before the close of the campaign. Courtois played five games after returning to action and kept a clean sheet in every single one of them, including the Champions League final win over Borussia Dortmund. Class really is permanent.
GK: Ederson
At the time of writing, Ederson appears to be edging closer and closer to a move to the Saudi Pro League. Should such a transfer materialise, he will be very difficult for Manchester City to replace, given the role he’s played in their recent success. With his fantastic range of passing and impressive levels of concentration, Ederson proved himself the perfect goalkeeper for Pep Guardiola. No matter who takes over the No.1 shirt, the Brazil international will be missed.
GK: Mike Maignan
For a short while during AC Milan’s topsy-turvy 2023-24 season, it appeared as if Maignan had lost a little of his magic. It wasn’t as if he was playing poorly; it was more that he wasn’t playing to the same high standard. However, Maignan got his mojo back at the Euros, keeping more clean sheets than any other goalkeeper – which partly explains why a goal-shy France side made it all the way to the semis.
GK: Emiliano Martinez 🆕
Martinez is not universally liked. In France, he’s probably downright despised. However, he is truly a great goalkeeper; that’s beyond dispute now. After his heroics at the 2022 World Cup, Martinez was once again a key factor in Argentina retaining their Copa America crown, while he was also excellent during Aston Villa’s shock fourth-placed finish in the Premier League. The former Arsenal man may be annoyingly confrontational, but he’s also pure quality.
DEF: Dani Carvajal 🆕
Carvajal may not be particularly popular with fans of England – or Real Madrid’s rivals, for that matter – but nobody can question the Spaniard’s world-class status. There has been no more consistent right-back in the game over the past 10 years and he’s got the medals to prove it. The European Championship winner’s crucial goal in Madrid’s Champions League triumph felt like just reward for his sustained but often overlooked excellence.
DEF: Ruben Dias
One of the finest signings of the Pep Guardiola-era at Manchester City, Dias has been a model of consistency since arriving from Benfica in 2020. The Portuguese is almost unbeatable – both in the air and on the ground – and has never failed to win the Premier League title since moving to England. Dias also formed a formidable centre-back pairing with Pepe at Euro 2024, only to be let down by Cristiano Ronaldo & Co…
DEF: Achraf Hakimi
Arguably the most complete right-back in the world, Hakimi is as adept at attacking as he is at defending. The 25-year-old, who was inexplicably allowed to leave Real Madrid in 2020, racked up five goals and seven assists for Paris Saint-Germain last season, and was a key player during the French club’s run to the Champions League semi-final. Hakimi also played every minute of Morocco’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign.
DEF: Theo Hernandez 🆕
It’s time to give Theo Hernandez his flowers. France may have been dreadful at Euro 2024, but their buccaneering left-back most certainly was not. As he always does for AC Milan, Theo proved a fantastic attacking threat for Les Bleus, while also finally dismissing doubts over his defensive work by coming up big with a couple of goal-saving challenges and blocks. Put quite simply: the world’s best left-back.
DEF: Joshua Kimmich
Kimmich is one of the most complete footballers on the planet. Not only is he an excellent defensive midfielder, he’s also an outstanding full-back. Kimmich was one of the main reasons why a Bayern Munich team in turmoil under Thomas Tuchel nearly made it to the Champions League final – his performance against Arsenal in their quarter-final second leg was colossal – while the German also created more chances (15) than anyone else at the Euros.
DEF: Marquinhos
Marquinhos was only 19 when he joined Paris Saint-Germain from Roma in 2013 for €34m (£29m/$37m), but he proved a bargain buy. He had injury issues last season but still led PSG to the semi-finals of the Champions League. His nation’s Copa America bid also ultimately ended in disappointment, but Marquinhos is essentially Thiago Silva’s heir, a talisman for both Brazil and PSG, and a centre-back so classy he can also play in midfield.
DEF: Antonio Rudiger 🆕
An outstanding centre-back, Rudiger is blessed with both the physique and technique to cope with the most powerful of centre-forwards, including Erling Haaland. The Germany international was one of Real Madrid’s most reliable performers during their Spanish title triumph, earning inclusion in La Liga’s Team of the Season, while he also made the Champions League select XI for the third time in five years after a string of dominant displays in defence.
DEF: Virgil van Dijk
As Virgil van Dijk pointed out himself, reports of his demise were exaggerated. After a slow start to the season, the Liverpool captain re-established himself as one of the finest defenders in football, with the highlight of his campaign coming in the Carabao Cup final, where he led Jurgen Klopp’s kids to victory by heading home an extra-time winner. Van Dijk’s awesome aerial prowess was also on show as the Netherlands surprisingly reached the semi-finals of Euro 2024.
MID: Jude Bellingham 🆕
Florentino Perez was right: Bellingham was born to play for Real Madrid. One could even argue that no Galactico has ever enjoyed a better debut season at Santiago Bernabeu, with Bellingham winning both La Liga and the Champions League. He may have ended up on the losing side in the Euro 2024 final, but the 21-year-old had already done more than enough to secure entry to our World-Class Club.
MID: Kevin De Bruyne
De Bruyne’s captaincy skills may leave a lot to be desired, as Belgium’s abysmal Euro 2024 campaign underlined, but he remains the best attacking midfielder in the world. Only Florian Wirtz (19) finished the club season with more assists than De Bruyne (17), which is remarkable given the 33-year-old played 23 games fewer than the German because of injury. Manchester City simply wouldn’t have won a fourth consecutive Premier League title without De Bruyne.
MID: Ilkay Gundogan
Manchester City didn’t want to lose Gundogan to Barcelona last summer and it’s easy to understand why. Even at 33 years of age, the German is one of the finest players in his position, a brilliant box-to-box midfielder who complements fantastic technique with a winning mentality. Gundogan racked up 14 assists during Barca’s 2023-24 campaign, while he ranked second for chances created across Europe’s ‘Big Five’ leagues, with 132.
MID: Jamal Musiala 🆕
Just like Bellingham, Musiala has secured entry to the World-Class Club at just 21. Honestly, it would have been ludicrous to leave him out. A year after winning the Bundesliga for Bayern Munich, Musiala illuminated Euro 2024, scoring three times to claim a share of the Golden Boot, while also wowing with his devastating dribbling skills. Germany’s hopes of a home win may have been dashed, but Musiala offers hope for the future.
MID: Pedri
It was such a shame for Pedri – and indeed us neutrals – that the midfielder was taken out of the Euros by a poor challenge from Toni Kroos. Spain quickly recovered from the loss of the Barcelona star thanks to Dani Olmo – and the hope is that Pedri will too. The 21-year-old has proven worryingly injury-prone during his fledgling career but his talent is beyond question. If he stays fit, he could become a Spanish great.
ID: Rodri
Rodri was named the best player at Euro 2024, which was wholly unsurprising, given he’s presently the best player in the world. Both Spain and Manchester City are close to unbeatable because of the magnificent midfielder, who has added goals to his game over the past couple of seasons, making him the complete footballer. In terms of influence and intelligence, nobody else comes close right now.
MID: Bernardo Silva
Bernardo Silva doesn’t attract too much media attention and pick up too many individual awards – which is probably because he’s such a team player. But he isn’t just an unselfish pressing monster, he’s also a pleasure to watch perform because of his fantastically silky skills. The attacking midfielder hit double figures for both goals and assists while winning a sixth Premier League title with Manchester City, and performed as well as anyone in a Portugal team that struggled with carrying Cristiano Ronaldo at Euro 2024.
ATT: Erling Haaland
Haaland’s limitations as a footballer have become a major talking point over the past year, but the Norwegian No.9 remains a goal-scoring machine. Even during a supposedly substandard season for the 23-year-old, he still scored 38 times in 45 appearances in all competitions, picking up a second consecutive Premier League Golden Boot in the process. If Haaland improves his all-round game – which is an achievable goal given his age – he’ll become utterly unstoppable.
ATT: Harry Kane
Kane had a tough Euros. The England captain claimed a share of the Golden Boot but he performed poorly throughout. Still, fatigue was a factor, with Kane unsurprisingly exhausted after carrying Bayern Munich for the majority of the 2023-24 campaign. The 30-year-old now has to prove time hasn’t caught up with him, but we’re not writing off a player involved in more goals (46) last season than anyone else in Europe’s ‘Big Five’ leagues.
ATT: Kylian Mbappe
Mbappe wasn’t at his best for PSG last season; he admitted that himself. This summer’s bid to win the Euros with France also ended in “failure”. However, his efforts were hindered by both a broken nose and Didier Deschamps, while it’s also worth remembering nobody scored more goals (44) across Europe’s ‘Big Five’ leagues in 2023-24. So, just imagine the damage Mbappe is going to do after finally completing his dream move to Real Madrid…
ATT: Mohamed Salah
Salah endured a disappointing end to the season, with an injury sustained at the Africa Cup of Nations taking a heavy toll on Liverpool’s Egyptian King. It was a real shame, too, as Salah had been in sensational form beforehand. Indeed, despite incessant talk of a transfer to Saudi Arabia, Salah quite clearly remains a force at the highest level, with the winger involved in 38 goals last season despite only starting 34 games.
ATT: Vinicius Jr
Talk about a big-game player! Despite all of the reprehensible racial abuse that Vinicius is forced to endure, he still manages to focus on football and continually deliver when Real Madrid need him most. The winger stepped up time and time again during his club’s triumphant Champions League campaign, while Brazil would have gone much further at the Copa America had their best player not been suspended for the quarter-final loss to Uruguay.
Membership revoked! ⛔
Lionel Messi is obviously the most notable name removed from the World-Class Club members’ list in 2024. The No.10 won another Copa America with Argentina to cement his status as the greatest player of all time, but it was clear during the tournament that time and injuries are starting to take their toll. Messi is no longer operating on the same stratospheric level as Qatar 2022 and there’s no shame in that. The man is 37!
Elsewhere, Karim Benzema clearly quit Real Madrid at the right time as he’s proven a shadow of his former self in Saudi Arabia, while he could soon be joined in the Middle East by former tem-mate Casemiro, which would probably be for the best, given the Brazilian’s dramatic decline.
Luka Modric, meanwhile, has extended his Madrid contract for another year, but he’s no longer a certain starter at the Bernabeu as he succumbs to inevitable ravages of time. At 35, Robert Lewandowski is three years younger than Modric, but he’s also nowhere near as effective as he once was and it will be fascinating to see how he fares at Barcelona next season.
Finally, credit must go to Toni Kroos, who would have retained his membership thanks to his outstanding performances for Madrid and Germany over the past year – but instead decided to walk away from the game while still at the peak of his powers.
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