Deciding the best right-wingers in the world certainly isn't an easy task to answer in the modern age.
The role has become one of the most important in football – and with that, it's hard to quantify what makes a winger tick. With 4-4-2 more or less resigned to history (we're aware of the irony!), a myriad of formations mean wide men are a different breed than the classic crossers of the 1990s.
These days, they're also goalscorers, pressers, raumdeuters and more – and this lot represent the elite collection of difference-makers in the final third
How our experts decided the best right-wingers in the world
We asked our experts to provide a their own top 10 of right-wingers in the world, going by pure ability right now, their form over the last year or so and their historic achievements, just three months after last updating this list. Players who play in multiple positions have been considered across the pitch, appearing on the list in which they received the most votes.
Our esteemed team managed to come up with a long-list of 18 possible candidates. This was then whittled down to the top 10 based on an average scoring system.
We've covered the whole of the attack, too. Aside from right-wingers, we've listed the best left-wingers in the world and the best strikers in the world. We've also ranked the best goalkeepers in the world, while in defence, we've sorted the best centre-backs in the world, we've ranked the best right-backs in the world and the best left-backs in the world.
Ahead of them, we've got lists on the best defensive midfielders in the world, the best central midfielders in the world and the best attacking midfielders in the world. We also have a list of the best footballers in the world right now, regardless of position. Let's go!
10. Xavi Simons (RB Leipzig, on loan from Paris Saint-Germain)
He shares his name with a Barcelona legend, has the La Masia education to match and is learning his trade at a Red Bull club before going back to Paris Saint-Germain. One wonders what kind of player Xavi Simons will be when he matures.
The Dutchman already typifies the Bundesliga bluster both on and off the ball, showing the kind of intensity and threat and that any top-level midfield needs. Now linked with the likes of Manchester City, it seems certain that he’ll go to the very top.
9. Lionel Messi (Inter Miami)
We'll level with you, dear reader. For as long as Lionel Messi lists ‘professional footballer’ as his occupation, there's a high likelihood he'll be on this list, whether he plays with Xavi, Neymar or DeAndre Yedlin.
The GOAT only really plays walking football these days but has still posted numbers at Inter Miami that you'd have expected from his prime. He's still integral to Argentina. If he ever did decide to test himself on a cold night in Stoke or anywhere else on these shores, he'd still sparkle, we're sure. We just cannot give him up just yet. And why should we?
8. Inaki Williams (Athletic Club)
Bilbao-born Williams has established himself as an Athletic legend and a La Liga hero across his 10-year career in the top flight so far. A pacy and versatile forward, Williams’ performances over his career have helped his club regularly fight for European football, while goals at crucial moments have helped cement his place in fans’ hearts.
Perhaps his greatest ability is his availability, with a six-year run of 251 consecutive appearances for the club before picking up an injury in 2023.
7. Ousmane Dembele (Paris Saint-Germain)
Once regarded as the most exciting young attacker on earth, Ousmane Dembele’s unusual development path has finally resulted in his finding his feet as a key cog in Paris Saint Germain’s frontline moving forward. Talent was never an issue for the Frenchman, with a dribbling ability and two-footedness that few on earth could compete with – but constant niggling injuries plagued his career following a career-defining €125 million move to Barcelona in 2017.
Now 27, Dembele still has plenty of his career ahead of him, while regular football at PSG will undoubtedly see him continue to grow closer to his lofty potential. It’s impossible not to imagine what a fully-fit Dembele could have achieved in an alternate universe, though…
6. Leroy Sane (Bayern Munich)
Though he has perhaps not hit the heights of his best Manchester City form since joining Bayern Munich, Leroy Sane remains one of the most devastating wingers on his day. He has consistently hit double figures for goals with both City and Bayern, with two Premier League titles and three Bundesligas to his name so far.
Now 28, his explosive pace may begin to diminish slightly in the coming years, but Sane will still have a big part to play at Bayern in their hunt for more silverware.
5. Michael Olise (Bayern Munich)
Michael Olise’s rise to prominence has been rapid. Only four years ago the winger was playing for Reading in the Championship, where his standout performances earned him a move to Crystal Palace. He went from strength to strength with the Eagles, culminating in a remarkable return of 10 Premier League goals from just 19 appearances in 2023/24.
That earned Olise a move to Bayern Munich, where he has so far been a success under Vincent Kompany. And there could be plenty more to come from the 22-year-old.
4. Rodrygo (Real Madrid)
The 23-year-old Brazilian ticks every box you want to be ticked when it comes to elite wingers, but his work rate and versatility give him an extra dimension from several others on this list.
Rodrygo enjoyed the most prolific season of his career so far last year, operating on both flanks and in a central role. This summer’s arrival of Kylian Mbappe and Endrick means competition for the attacking spots at the Bernabeu will be more fierce than ever, but Rodrygo has the trust of Carlo Ancelotti and will play a significant role again.
3. Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
It's hard to imagine there's a more beloved footballer on Earth by any fanbase right now. Bukayo Saka is the summation of everything Arsenal supporters crave in a player: excitement, passion, end product and an ever-growing leadership among a young group fighting for the title.
Saka can seemingly do almost everything. He's a chief creator for the Gunners but has a wicked shot on him, can take players on either side and famously, can hack a defensive role, too. At just 23, he's only getting started: and he's the nicest man in football, to boot, too.
2. Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
Lamine Yamal’s performance for Spain against France in the Euro 2024 semi-final had echoes of Lionel Messi beating Kylian Mbappe in the World Cup final two years prior. Mbappe used to be the future: now, he’s already old news, with a 17-year-old ready to assume his throne, all things being right over the next few years.
The match-up in future Clasicos may well be Yamal vs Endrick – and that's exciting enough. Lamine Yamal is the complete winger: devastatingly creative, able to beat a man on either side, and unpredictable. Concerns over his workload are valid… but how can you drop a player this good?
1. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Mohamed Salah is generational: it has to be said. Probably the best African player of all time, probably the best winger the Premier League has ever seen.
The level of output is something else, as Salah made himself a household name with his very predictable – yet unstoppable – trademark left-footed swing from the right half-space. The Egyptian King has taken on another lease of life under Arne Slot, however, rounding his game to become the man for all occasions, creating, driving and adapting his game as he ages. He's still as good as ever at 32.
