Nowadays, footballers come in all shapes and sizes; though, it’s such variation that makes the beautiful game so engrossing. Back in the day, the plan was simple: find the skillful winger with a long pass, watch them bamboozle a defender and then whip it into the box for the focal point to nod it home.
There are now wingers who consider themselves goalscorers, pressers, inside forwards and much more. From your silky Brazilians to your undeviating Englishmen, there are a host of skill-sets that are lighting up the Premier League and European football at the current moment.
And that got us thinking: who are the best wingers in world football right now? By no means an easy task with the traditional 4-4-2 formation seldom in play and the emergence of sub-categorised wide men, below is a list of the 15 best wingers in world football, ranked in order and based on the following factors.
Ranking factors
- Goals – how many times has a player found the back of the net in the last 12 months.
- Assists – how many goals has a player created in the last 12 months.
- Success – Has the player guided them to trophies and the latter stages of knockout football, both domestically and continentally.
- Notable moments – Has the player had a standout moment which caught the eyes of fans.
- Importance to their respective team – how reliant a team is on the individual for success.
A quick caveat: to be included, each player’s main position must be listed as either ‘Right Winger’ or ‘Left Winger’ on Transfermarkt. As such, the exclusion of Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe is by virtue of him being classed as a ‘Centre-Forward’.
15 Jarrad Bowen
Current club: Westham
14 Bradley Barcola
Current club: Paris Saint-Germain
Contrary to popular belief, it wasn’t during his current PSG stint when Bradley Barcola, 22, first caught the eye of and captivated the footballing world. Lyon-born, he rose through Olympique Lyonnais’ academy ranks between 2018 and 2022 before getting a crack at senior proceedings, and he couldn’t help himself but to bamboozle right-backs on a week-by-week basis upon graduating.
A poacher of the best talent France, as a nation, has to offer, PSG won the race for Barcola’s hotly contested signature in the summer of 2023 and, well, it didn’t take long for the Frenchman to settle in. Kylian Mbappe’s departure opened up a world of opportunity for the youngster, and he’s been at his roaring best ever since. In fact, this season alone, he’s plundered 18 goals and 16 assists in 45 appearances.
13 Leroy Sane
Current club: Bayern Munich
Every Premier League aficionado can remember the explosive nature of Leroy Sane during his illustrious stint at Manchester City, can’t they? The German winger, now 29 years of age, won silverware aplenty in England – but has since gone about his business quietly at Bayern Munich as one of the most destructive wingers in the beautiful game, as he’s matured greatly since his one-dimensional days, or so it was perceived.
Sane, who is persistently linked with a move back to the English top tier, has enjoyed a steady output of goals and assists since jumping ship in the summer of 2020. Still viewed as a big game player, the lightning-quick right-winger still possesses a nasty turn of pace but, in combining with the talismanic Harry Kane, has come on leaps and bounds in terms of his creativity and ability to be the link between teammates.
12 Rafael Leao
Current club: AC Milan
After a stellar campaign in 2022/23, Rafael Leao emerged as a truly world-class talent for AC Milan. His numbers dropped somewhat the following year, with 13 goals and 13 assists last season. This time around, he’s been scintillating and his impressive start to proceedings have been carried through into the latter stages of 2024/25. Make no mistake about it, he is one of the very best wingers on the planet.
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His blistering pace down the left flank causes all sorts of problems for opposition defenders and while the last 12 months haven’t been great for the Rossoneri, it would have been a lot worse without Leao. At just 25 years old, the Portugal international is only going to continue getting better and that should be a scary notion for just about everyone else in Serie A right now.
11 Nico Williams
Current club: Athletic Club
Along with Lamine Yamal, the Athletic Club’s speed demon was one of the shining lights last summer for Spain. Nico Williams is a highly sought-after prospect in world football with his exceptional performances in the 2023/24 season being added to with some dazzling displays at Euro 2024.
While Yamal may have stolen a lot of the spotlight thanks to what he’s doing at a young age, Williams’ efforts during La Roja’s triumph were equally impressive. It was the winger who opened the scoring against England in the final, which ensured that he was named UEFA’s Player of the Match.
The 22-year-old looks to have made that spot his own for the next decade and could slot into any team in world football, instantly elevating the dribbling ability and energy of the front line. His potency in front of goal has been righfully questioned, as evidenced by his haul of nine goals and seven assists this term, but there are just a handful of wingers on planet earth that boast the same level of unpredictability.
10 Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Current club: Paris Saint-Germain
Napoli did a great job holding onto Khvicha Kvaratskhelia for as long as they did, but with Europe’s most prestigious clubs taking a liking to the Georgian ace, it was only a matter of time before he landed a move away and that eventually saw him move to PSG. After playing a key role in the Napoli’s domestic triumph in 2022/23, with 25 goal contributions in 34 appearances, his numbers dwindled a little in Italy, but he’s hit the ground running in France.
When in possession of the ball, the tricky wide man excels with his feint dribbling and his ability to weave in and out of oncoming pressure like it is second nature is frightening. That frightening blend of pace and potency was on full display against Liverpool in the Champions League too, as he demonstrated why Arne Slot was so interested in him earlier this season. Fundamentally, there’s a sense of inevitability in Kvaratskhelia’s play.
9 Rodrygo
Current club: Real Madrid
Real Madrid’s left-wing wonder is often pushed to the side thanks to the ever-growing brilliance of his partner in crime, Vinicius Jr, but it would be remiss to breeze past Rodrygo without waxing poetically. Albeit the introverted half of the duo, his turn of pace and magic in his feet make him a solid option for this list, with him also considered one of the best South Americans currently plying their trade.
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Rodrygo’s concoction of a low centre of gravity and his ability to dance on either foot make him a nuisance for whichever full-back dares to stand up to him. At just 24 years of age, the Brazilian has north of 200 appearances for Los Blancos, two La Liga titles and two Champions League crowns on his CV – but it’s only the beginning for the deadly winger, who has every right to be on this star-studded list.
8 Cole Palmer
Current club: Chelsea
Cole Palmer was always rated as an exciting young player at Manchester City, but there’s every chance the Englishman would’ve struggled to reach the heights he’s capable of if he hadn’t departed the Etihad and moved to Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge. The 22-year-old registered an incredible 33 goal contributions in his first full season as a Premier League player, perhaps proving that Pep Guardiola let go of his goalscoring services too early.
Palmer’s wonderful vision, creativity and eye for goal were enough to force his way into Gareth Southgate’s plans for Euro 2024. While he had to settle to be the backup to Bukayo Saka throughout the tournament, the former Man City academy prospect still managed to have a telling impact on the Three Lions’ brilliant run to the final, even scoring against Spain to temporarily get England back on level terms. This season, he’s not been at his best – but fear not, he’s plundered 14 goals and seven assists as the Blues search for top four credentials.
7 Michael Olise
Current club: Bayern Munich
Michael Olise was expected to be the subject of a bidding war involving some of Europe’s elite clubs in the summer just gone after the Frenchman’s incredible form towards the conclusion of the 2023/24 campaign. Linking up with Eberechi Eze and Jean-Philippe Mateta at Selhurst Park, Olise caught the eye of many with his silky skills and innate composure on the ball shining through.
Bayern Munich wrapped up a deal for the ex-Eagles talisman, beating the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United to his signature, and he’s thriving in Bavaria. The Frenchman, as we approach the end of his maiden campaign in Germany, has notched 26 contributions for the club across all competitions. The move is already looking like a major success as the German media have already waxed lyrical about the youngster.
6 Ousmane Dembele
Current club: Paris Saint-Germain
If Kylian Mbappe’s PSG departure has benefited anyone the most, it’s Ousmane Dembele. After several rough years at Barcelona, he moved to Ligue 1 in August 2023, but again struggled to make much of an impact. Once Mbappe left for Real Madrid, though, he came alive and, in response to the Frenchman’s departure, he has quickly become one of the best wingers on the planet.
Dembele has been in ridiculous form for Les Parisiens throughout the 2024/25 season, picking up a very impressive 39 contributions as his side run away with the Ligue 1 title. Losing someone like Paris-born Mbappe could have been a disaster for PSG, but they’ve actually looked fantastic as of late and Dembele, who’s playing the best football of his career right now, is a large reason for that.
5 Bukayo Saka
Current club: Arsenal
Arsenal’s star boy has continued to go from strength to strength under the guidance of current Gunners boss, Mikel Arteta. Bukayo Saka is often seen gliding across the turf leaving defenders in the dust – but he also has a talismanic instinct in the box, which sees him boast impressive numbers from wide. In 2024/25, despite missing a chunk of the campaign through injury, he has recorded 10 goals and 14 assists, all while filling in his side’s creative duties while Martin Odegaard was injured.
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More impressively, Saka rarely lets his sky-high standards drop – and has become all but indispensable for his side as they continually look to secure Premier League gold for the first time since the 2003/04 campaign. His journey from boy to man has been a sight to behold, especially for those of the Emirates Stadium persuasion, but the 23-year-old is perfectly poised to grow even further in the coming years.
4 Raphinha
Current club: Barcelona
Barcelona’s Raphinha scored a world-class free-kick for Brazil at Copa America 2024 and this reminded a lot of supporters just how classy the Barcelona wide player is. During his time at Leeds United, Raphinha displayed his superior technique and ice-cold nature on the ball – but the recent addition of firepower has taken his career to the next level in Spain.
In the early stages of his move Camp Nou stint, things were more up-and-down for the Brazilian as he contributed to Barca winning La Liga during his debut campaign with his employers before the next season saw that title surrendered to fierce rivals Real Madrid. This season, though, he’s performed magically, scoring a hat-trick against Bayern Munich, and he’s reached the milestone of 47 goal contributions (27 goals and 20 assists) as we approach the end of the campaign.
3 Lamine Yamal
Current club: Barcelona
Lamine Yamal has burst onto the scene as a teenage sensation over the past 18 months. The young – and somewhat inexperienced – Spaniard starred for La Roja at Euro 2024 as part of one of the most efficient attacking units in the international competition, recording the most assists in the competition (four) as Luis de la Fuente’s side lifted the trophy in Germany.
The 17-year-old has already won La Liga and become a Champions League player while garnering comparisons to some of the best players the game has seen in the past 20 years. Yamal is now viewed as the heir to Lionel Messi’s throne with his silky dribbling ability and wand of a left foot similar to a younger version of the greatest player of all time. He’s already adding silverware to his name, and if he can achieve even a fraction of what the Argentine wizard has managed in his career, he could go down in history as a Spanish all-time great.
2 Vinicius Jr
Current club: Real Madrid
Many Real Madrid supporters were dubious when their club parted ways with £38 million for a 16-year-old Vinicius Jr – but, in truth, the scintillating Brazilian has paid every single penny back plus interest. One of the standout stars for Los Blancos and certainly Brazil’s crown jewel, the dazzling winger has magic in his boots and pace aplenty to burn.
Despite being handed a silver medal in the 2024 Ballon d’Or rankings, Vinicius’ lightning-quick speed is nightmare-inducing – and when in full flow, he is unstoppable. The former Flamengo man is a creative force to be reckoned with too, with a grand total of 18 goals and 13 assists in all competitions this season, which is a true testament to just how impactful he can be a) in front of goal and b) finding his teammates in the final third.
1 Mohamed Salah
Current club: Liverpool
An ever-present feature in some of Liverpool’s most illustrious sides, Mohamed Salah comfortably earns himself a podium spot among some of the world’s brightest men who ply their trade out wide. By virtue of his, in hindsight, measly £34.3 million price tag, Jurgen Klopp’s acquisition of the free-scoring Egyptian can be considered one of the coups of the century.
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In the truest sense, there is no ‘winger’ more potent than Salah. The two-time Golden Boot winner’s goals continue to flow at a spectacular rate – and hence why he is considered the greatest winger that has ever graced the Premier League. On top of winning all the major trophies at club level, Salah has scooped up his fair share of individual honours, all while becoming Liverpool’s record Premier League goalscorer. Life under Arne Slot is also proving very sweet with the record-setter showing his best form.
