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

Football’s ever-evolving state has impacted wingers more than most since the turn of the century.

The classic ‘head to the byline and cross’ wingers are a rarity, with the trend now for inverted wide players, capable of twisting and turning either way past opponents. Perhaps that has never been epitomised more than our list of the best right-wingers in world football right now, with a staggering eight of our top 10 left-footers.

Here are our rankings of the 10 best right-wingers in the world right now.

10. Bryan Mbeumo – Brentford

Bryan Mbeumo might just be one of the most under-appreciated players in the Premier League. A success story of Brentford’s “Moneyball” recruitment, Mbeumo has evolved into a top-class wide option in West London.

The sale of Ivan Toney has barely been felt at Brentford, in large part thanks to Mbeumo who has scored 15 goals and created five more in 29 league appearances this season. The Cameroonian combines upper body strength with work ethic and a lovely left foot. This season, he leads the Premier League for sprints and ranks third for the highest-clocked speed (36.6 km/h). A big move beckons.

9. Dejan Kulusevski – Tottenham

Juventus have erred when it comes to sales in recent windows. Dean Huijsen, Moise Kean, Koni De Winter and Matias Soule are among the names regrettably allowed to leave. Before them, came Dejan Kulusevki.

Since signing for Spurs, Kulusevski has often been a shining light in an up-and-down side. Performing across multiple roles, he’s mixed dainty footwork with deceptive strength and regular chance creation.

8. Leroy Sane – Bayern Munich

Leroy Sane’s game has required tweaks to combat an injury-induced physical decline, but the once-electric German can still turn on the gas when required. Now, however, Sane’s game is more well-rounded, floating into pockets to pull strings.

The 29-year-old was once a jet-heeled whippet with tantalising delivery, before evolving into a more modern winger, equally at home centrally as he is on the touchline. Out of contract in the summer, Sane will be snapped up quickly if his deal is allowed to expire.

7. Lionel Messi – Inter Miami

It feels alien to place Lionel Messi at seven, a footballer who for the bulk of his career has been head-and-shoulders above everyone else. But Messi will turn 38 in the summer, while a move to MLS has allowed the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner a step down from Europe to ease him toward retirement.

Still, he remains the talisman for Argentina, arguably the world’s best international side right now. Off-the-ball movement might be minimal from the modern Messi, but with it, he can still be untouchable.

6. Michael Olise – Bayern Munich

Less than four years ago, Michael Olise was playing Championship football. Now, the flying Frenchman is wowing crowds in the colours of France and Bayern Munich.

A summer move to the German giants from Crystal Palace has proved Olise belongs on the big stage with the 23-year-old’s adaptation effortless. He’s silky in tight spaces and has a penchant for the spectacular, proving himself regularly to be worth the Allianz Arena admission fee.

5. Rodrygo – Real Madrid

Rodrygo rarely gets the headlines of his Real Madrid teammates, as the Brazilian jostles for status alongside Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior. It’s time, however, that he got his flowers.

The Brazilian is a box of tricks and goal threat, but he brings an added selflessness that his attacking companions can lack. He leads both Vinicius and Mbappe for duels won and ball recoveries this season.

“Rodrygo, so underrated,” teammate Jude Bellingham said recently.

“For me, he’s probably the most talented and most gifted player in the squad. The things he can do with the football — we’ll be messing around and he’ll flick the ball up somehow and you’re like, ‘How do you do that?’. I’m trying to do it, twisting up my ankles and everything like that. He’s a pleasure to play with.”

4. Bukayo Saka – Arsenal

The poster boy of Arsenal and, arguably, one of the Premier League. Saka has shone ever since he emerged from the Arsenal academy with a level of consistency rarely found in players of his age.

After breaching 20 goals in all competitions for the first time last season, Saka started the current campaign on fire before a hamstring issue. That spell on the sidelines was a rarity for a winger who is as reliable and robust as they come. He’s a maker and taker of chances and happy to shoulder responsibility for club and country.

3. Lamine Yamal – Barcelona

At the risk of mundane repetition, we are forced to remind ourselves that Lamine Yamal is still just 17 years old whenever watching him in action. Yamal’s rapid rise is something we have not seen before. Ronaldo Nazario and Lionel Messi were tantalising teenage talents but neither were doing this, at this level.

Yamal, already, is one of the best wingers in the world and certainly among the most watchable. After a key role in Spain’s success at Euro 2024, he’s cemented his position as irreplaceable at Barcelona this season. Utterly unpredictable with the ball at his feet, he’s a privilege to watch at a time when football has become more robotic than ever. It’s scary how high his ceiling could be.

2. Ousmane Dembele – Paris Saint-Germain

Ousmane Dembele appeared in danger of becoming a player of unfulfilled potential. Injuries had restricted us to just fleeting periods of brilliance, but now it appears to all be coming together.

Dembele has taken the baton from Kylian Mbappe at Paris Saint-Germain to explode as a genuine superstar. He has 32 goals and seven assists in 39 appearances this season, a realisation of the talent Barcelona were prepared to break the bank for in 2017. Almost impossibly two-footed, he’s the definition of a nightmare to play against.

1. Mohamed Salah – Liverpool

This is an all-timer season from Mohamed Salah, who has a genuine argument as the best player in the world right now. He’s scored more goals and provided more assists than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues, to fire Liverpool within touching distance of the Premier League title.

With nine games to go, there’s a strong chance Salah smashes the single-season assist record and adds a record-equalling fourth Golden Boot to his collection. Salah was once dubbed a goal machine but now he’s the creative hub of the Liverpool side too. With delicious outside-of-the-boot balls into the box and threaded passes between lines, he could have had even greater numbers had it not been for some wayward finishing from teammates at Anfield.

A relatively early Champions League exit could hinder his hopes of the Ballon d’Or but there are few footballers to rival him right now. That his contract situation at Liverpool is still to be resolved is astounding.

Read – The 10 best attacking midfielders in the world right now

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

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