The 10 best left-wingers in the world right now | OneFootball

The best wingers in world football can score, create and change games at will. True entertainers, wingers are often the players who get crowds on their feet, as excitement contagiously spreads through stadiums as they size up a take-on.

Choosing the best in the business was a tough task. We’ve whittled our finest left-wingers down to a top 10.

10. Ademola Lookman – Atalanta

Ademola Lookman has come a long way from the Charlton Athletic academy. After bouncing around a succession of clubs, Lookman landed at Atalanta in 2022 and hasn’t looked back.

The Nigeria international has 50 goals in 111 games and was instrumental in the club’s Europa League success in 2024. He became the first footballer to score a hat-trick in a one-legged UEFA final for 55 years and was named African Footballer of the Year for his achievements.

9. Anthony Gordon – Newcastle

Anthony Gordon’s move to Newcastle raised eyebrows with some questioning the £40m fee for a player who had shone sporadically at Everton. He’s repaid the faith of Eddie Howe, evolving into an electric option for the Magpies with improved end product. Full of intense energy and a desire to take on defenders, Gordon has the tools to nail down a regular role in the England forward line.

8. Luis Diaz – Liverpool

Luis Diaz’s epic chant regularly rings around Anfield for good reason. The Colombian can frustrate with his final ball, but a combination of immaculate close control and hustling hard work have made him hugely popular. This season he’s spent time centrally and has returned a healthy 13 goals and eight assists. That haul includes a memorable Champions League hat-trick against Bayer Leverkusen.

7. Bradley Barcola – Paris Saint-Germain

From out of a Kylian Mbappe-sized shadow has stepped Bradley Barcola this season. One of the faces of a new Paris Saint-Germain project, focused on energy and emerging talent with a homegrown core.

Barcola has had a coming-of-age-campaign in 2024/25, returning 13 goals and a league-leading nine assists in Ligue 1. He’s a big reason why PSG are one of the most watchable teams on the planet right now.

6. Cody Gakpo – Liverpool

After the experimentation of Gakpo as a central striker, Arne Slot has reaped the rewards of moving his compatriot back to the flanks this season. A revelation at PSV from the left, he’s looked right at home on the touchline in a Liverpool team charging towards the title.

Gakpo lacks the explosivity of others on this list, but he combines intelligence with a strong frame and deceptive pace when carrying possession. He’s scored 16 goals this season for the Reds, with only Mohamed Salah netting more.

5. Nico Williams – Athletic Bilbao

Athletic Bilbao hung on to Nico Williams last summer but might struggle to do the same this time around. A rip-roaring success in Spain’s triumphant team at Euro 2024, the wing combination of Williams and Lamine Yamal was the highlight of the tournament.

The 22-year-old is dangerous and dynamic, the sort of winger that full-backs dread coming up against. He’s closing in on double figures for goals and assists this season, with a focus on Champions League qualification and Europa League success with the Basque outfit. Success in the latter tournament would be the perfect send-off for what is looking increasingly like an inevitable move to one of Europe’s elite.

4. Rafael Leao – AC Milan

Rafael Leao is a footballer who must be watched to be truly appreciated. The Portugal international does not gather headline-grabbing numbers, but there are few players anywhere who excite quite like Leao in full flow.

The 25-year-old can take multiple defenders out of the game with one surge, singlehandedly opening up teams with runs packed with pace and power. With AC Milan struggling, suitors might feel this summer is the ideal time to prise him from the San Siro.

For four straight seasons, he’s ranked in the top three players in Serie A for successful take-ons.

3. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia – Paris Saint-Germain

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia appeared almost out of nowhere to the casual fan at Napoli. Signed from Dinamo Batumi for a modest fee, his first season in Naples ended with Serie A’s MVP Award after inspiring a drought-breaking Scudetto success.

Two-and-a-half seasons at Napoli saw the Georgian compared to Diego Maradona before Paris Saint-Germain splashed €70m to sign him in January. He’s fit the French champions live a glove, dovetailing delightfully with Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola in one of Europe’s most exciting frontlines.

2. Raphinha – Barcelona

The clamour for Raphinha to win the Ballon d’Or is getting louder.

Raphinha’s renaissance has been one of the stories of the season. Expected to be pushed out at Barcelona by new signings, the failed pursuit of Nico Williams has instead been the sliding doors moment in his career. Raphinha has been the man for Hansi Flick, filling whatever role is required to a world-class standard.

He’s scored 27 goals and created 20 more in a season that could still end in treble success. Should that materialise, the highest individual acclaim might follow.

1. Vinicius Junior – Real Madrid

Real Madrid’s monumental sulk when Vinicius Junior was overlooked for the Ballon d’Or has left a sour taste for some, detracting from a footballer who has been sublime for the Spanish side in recent campaigns.

A difference-maker in a period of dominance in the Champions League, the Brazilian has regularly decided the biggest games when the pressure is on. He scored the winner in the 2022 Champions League final and added another goal in a man-of-the-match performance in last season’s decider. The very best come to the fore when it matters most and few do so more often than Vinicius. A gem of a footballer.

Read – The 10 best right-wingers in the world right now

See more – The 10 best attacking midfielders in the world right now

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