We Ranked the World's Greatest Soccer Players

This article appeared in simplyurbans.com and has been published here with permission.

Soccer is a game with rules and traditions, but at its heart, it is a game of passion. From Germán Cano to Lionel Messi, we consider these to be the best soccer players in the world. All fans have their own opinion, but we have based our list on the player’s stats and what we feel they bring to the game. We feel these players not only play with heart, but they bring their best to the field and their fans.

Germán Cano (#45)

Germán Ezequiel Cano Recalde is an Argentine who plays as a striker for Fluminense. He was born on January 2nd, 1988, in Lomas de Zamora, Argentina. Cano is one of the world's top scorers. He's a rare example of a soccer player who has reached his peak at a more advanced age. During his time with Independiente de Medellin, he scored a spectacular 54 goals in 94 matches.

Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA // Getty Images

Cano became well-known in Columbia and Mexico, but it wasn't until he joined Vasco da Gama in 2020 that he came into his own. He gave his best to the team, but they finished 10th place, and in 2022, Cano joined their rivals, Fluminense. The Fluminense coach, Fernando Diniz, called him one of the best strikers in the world.

Virgil van Dijk (#44)

Virgil van Dijk was born July 8th, 1991 in Breda, Netherlands, plays as a center-back for Liverpool. He's widely known as one of the best defenders of his generation. He is fast, strong, and a great leader. Liverpool's manager said of him, "Virg is the best defender in the world."

Instagram // @virgilvandijk

Van Dijk often uses only his first name on his kit. According to his uncle, this is because his father abandoned the family during his childhood. This clearly isn't keeping him back, as he is considered the obvious choice to succeed Jordan Henderson as the team's captain.

Eduardo Camavinga (#43)

Eduardo Camivinga was born November 10th, 2002, in Cabinda, Angola. He plays as a central midfielder for Real Madrid. He was born in a refugee camp and fled with his family to France when he was only two. His family's home burnt down in 2013, and Camavinga stated this was a source of motivation for him to do well in soccer.

Instagram // @camavinga

He signed his first professional contract when he was only 16, which made him the youngest professional for the club at that time. Real Madrid's coach says of Camavinga, "He has extraordinary quality in every sense: physically, technically... tactically, he's improving,"

Bruno Fernandes (#42)

Bruno Fernandes - born September 8th, 1990 - in Maia, Portugal, plays as a midfielder and captain for Manchester United. As a child, Fernandes played soccer on the streets with his older brother, who was also a professional soccer player.

In 2012, Fernandes joined Novara in Italy, but at first, he had a hard time fitting in and struggled with the Italian language until his girlfriend joined him. As the team captain, Fernandes leads them to a lot of goals, but his on-pitch manner often leaves something to be desired.