The most watchable football players in the world in 2025

Football is a collective game, yet individual brilliance can often be the deciding factor between teams.

The year 2025 is full of records and surprises in world football. It also witnessed explosive individual performances that led teams to success.

Below are the most outstanding individual displays of 2025.

Ousmane Dembele (PSG) – the perfect false nine of 2025

If there were an icon for PSG’s treble-winning version, it would be Dembele. In the 2024/25 season, he helped the Parisian club seize the Champions League, Ligue 1, and the French Cup, while closing the year by winning the Ballon d’Or. His personal stats were also “unbelievable”: 35 goals and 16 assists in 53 matches.

Notably, Dembele is no longer seen just as a speedy winger. He entered a new phase, becoming a true false nine. Dembele scores, drops deep to link play, and presses actively. Thus, PSG has a striker who not only finishes but also organizes and unlocks games. The Champions League semi-final against Arsenal is the best example: Dembele’s deep positioning to combine with midfield, pulling defenders out of position and disrupting Arsenal’s defense, confused the opponents and created openings for PSG inside the box.

In the 2025/26 season, despite frequent injuries, Dembele still contributed 8 goals and 6 assists in just over 1,000 minutes. He still knows how to make a difference whenever he steps on the pitch.

Lamine Yamal (Barcelona) – star of today and tomorrow

Barcelona has become reliant on Lamine Yamal, a star only 18 years old. In the 2024/25 season, he helped Barcelona win La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Super Cup, along with impressive stats of 18 goals and 25 assists. In the first half of the 2025/26 season, Yamal continued this performance with 14 goals and 13 assists, confirming his role as the team’s primary playmaker.

What makes Yamal fascinating is not just his technique, but how he creates breakthroughs through rhythm. Changing direction, speed, and decisions within one or two touches, always leaving defenders a step behind. The 2024/25 Copa del Rey final was the clearest showcase: Yamal provided 2 assists and numerous brilliant plays, helping Barca defeat Real Madrid 3-2 after 120 minutes. Big matches often intimidate young players, but Yamal shone brighter.

Yamal’s influence is also measured by his absence: when his form dips, Barca immediately shows problems, as seen early in the 2025/26 season. This marks him as a key player: not only talented but a system shaper.

Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid) – the goal-scoring machine carrying Los Blancos

Mbappé may have ended the year without trophies, but 2025 was a personal feast for him. In the 2024/25 season, he scored 44 goals for Real Madrid; in the first half of 2025/26, he continued to explode with 37 goals. In a turbulent Real Madrid, Mbappé became the lifeline keeping the team afloat.

The most fascinating aspect is that Mbappé not only scores but also adjusts his playing style. He tries to play as a true center forward, staying closer to the center to better connect with teammates like Vinicius. In other words, Mbappé brings not only speed and scoring but also tactical adaptability – a hallmark of enduring superstars.

Regarding influence, Real Madrid is almost impossible to imagine without Mbappé. He contributes most of the goals, especially in 2025/26. Without his brilliance, Los Blancos’ season could have been much worse.

Vitinha (PSG) – the modern maestro, heart of PSG and Portugal

Vitinha is the heart that drives PSG’s engine. In 2025, he entered the ranks of Europe’s most influential midfielders. He helped PSG win the Champions League, Ligue 1, and the French Cup, plus a major honor with Portugal: the Nations League. In 2024/25, Vitinha played 59 matches, scoring 8 goals and 5 assists; the 2025/26 season has been even more impressive: 6 goals and 10 assists in 31 matches.

But Vitinha’s appeal is not just in numbers. He participates in almost every phase of build-up: receiving under pressure, turning away from pressing, distributing wide, or threading balls into gaps. PSG needs control – Vitinha sets the tempo. PSG needs to accelerate – Vitinha ignites the spark. This is the “quality” that makes a team structured and able to change pace at the right moment.

Harry Kane (Bayern Munich) – Europe’s most complete striker

Kane exemplifies the concept of the “modern number nine” at its finest. In 2024/25, he scored 41 goals and 14 assists in 51 matches; in 2025/26, he was even more fearsome with 36 goals and 4 assists in 32 matches (according to your data). Bayern Munich continues to dominate Germany, with Kane at the center of everything.

Kane’s most captivating trait is his ability to drop deep to link play, hold up the ball, orchestrate, and assist – making him more like a creative midfielder than a pure goal scorer. Coach Kompany allows Kane freedom to roam anywhere he deems fit, reflecting absolute trust. Thus, Kane is not just a “finisher” but also a “creator of chances.”