Lionel Messi may have won the Ballon d’Or once again, but in 2023 football fans witnessed a changing of the guard at the top of the beautiful game.
The next generation of talent ascended to superstardom during 2023, with Erling Haaland breaking goalscoring record after goalscoring record, Jude Bellingham dominating La Liga despite being just 20, and Kylian Mbappe continuing to be Kylian Mbappe (AKA bloody outrageously good at football).
After a significant year of change in the footballing world, we at 90min have decided to rank the 20 best footballers of 2023.
Top defender / Richard Heathcote/GettyImages
He’s won it all already / Eurasia Sport Images/GettyImages
The best signing Arsenal have made in a long time / Julian Finney/GettyImages
Superstar in the making / Marvin Ibo Guengoer – GES Sportfoto/GettyImages
Starboy / Alex Pantling/GettyImages
Stones was fantastic at the end of last season / Visionhaus/GettyImages
Back to his best / Flor Tan Jun/GettyImages
Superstar / Quality Sport Images/GettyImages
Inter’s star man / Danilo Di Giovanni/GettyImages
The GOAT / Jam Media/GettyImages
Goalscorer / Yasser Bakhsh/GettyImages
A true Premier League great / James Gill – Danehouse/GettyImages
Serie A winner / MB Media/GettyImages
The man who fired Napoli to their first Scudetto in over three decades, Victor Osimhen won the Capocannoniere during their historic 2022/23 campaign, becoming a true club legend in the process.
World class / Naomi Baker/GettyImages
Out injured at the moment / Copa/GettyImages
A sublime footballer / Xavier Laine/GettyImages
New Bayern man / Marvin Ibo Guengoer – GES Sportfoto/GettyImages
Man City’s most important player / Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/GettyImages
Bellingham is outrageous / Denis Doyle/GettyImages
