What - and who - really decides who the best footballer in the world is? There are many ways to approach the debate, whether by relying on the eye test, looking at attacking or defensive output, or a combination of the two. For some, however, a statistical approach provides the most objective result.
Not even half of the football season in Europe has been played yet, with stories such as Arsenal’s incredible defence and Bayern Munich’s powerful attack sure to dominate discussions all season. Liverpool, meanwhile, will be hoping some trends are reversed, having lost nine of their previous 12 matches across all competitions.
With a significant number of matches already played across domestic leagues and UEFA competitions, now seems like a good time to reflect on the best performers of the season so far. To remove opinion from the equation, we have used WhoScored, who have provided each player in Europe's top five leagues with an overall rating based on their performances so far in the 2025/26 campaign.
20. Aaron Escandell, Real Oviedo - 7.32
Aaron Escandell
With only three clean sheets in 13 La Liga matches, it would be easy to overlook Real Oviedo’s number one goalkeeper in the debate about the biggest overperformers of the 2025/26 campaign so far. But given the number of shots his side are conceding, it’s remarkable that he has only let in 20 goals, having made 67 saves - 18 more than any other goalkeeper in Spain’s top division.
19. Jeremy Doku, Manchester City - 7.32
jeremy doku
Jeremy Doku has often looked one-dimensional in Manchester City’s attack in recent seasons, with his dribbling ability rarely leading to more than a wasted shot or wayward pass. This term, however, he seems to have refined his final action, and with four goal involvements in eight appearances, he looks more like the player Pep Guardiola hoped he was signing in the first place.
18. Aron Donnum, Toulouse - 7.33
Aron Donnum
From a highly attacking winger to one who doesn’t mind doing the dirty work, Toulouse’s Aron Donnum is in the form of his life this term, scoring twice and assisting a further three goals in Ligue 1. But the reason his rating is so high is that he isn’t afraid to put in the hard yards and track back, with his defensive contributions among the most of any attacking player in France so far.
17. Hakan Calhanoglu, Inter Milan - 7.33
calhanoglu
A set-piece specalist of the highest order, Hakan Calhanoglu is also a vital cog in Inter Milan's engine room, part of a team that has reached two Champions League finals across the last three seasons. Winning the Serie A Player of the Month for October, he has five goals and an assist to his name already.
16. Declan Rice, Arsenal - 7.35
Declan Rice
Declan Rice
Declan Rice is one of the best midfielders in the world right now, and the fact he's such an important player in a team that currently sits top of both the Premier League and Champions League is sufficient evidence of that. Only two midfielders in England's topflight have created more big chances than him this season, while he also does a commendable job of controlling all areas of the middle of the park, defensively and offensively.
15. Christian Pulisic, AC Milan - 7.35
Christian Pulisic
Christian Pulisic
In just five appearances, Christian Pulisic has already tallied five goals and two assists for AC Milan as the Rossoneri embark on a bit of a redemption arc. That’s a remarkable return for the USA’s current best player, who was often electric at Chelsea but could never find the consistency he is now showing in Italy.
14. Fermin Lopez, Barcelona - 7.37
Fermin Lopez celebrates
Despite Barcelona frequently dipping into the transfer market for new attacking players, Fermin Lopez continues to be indispensable in Catalonia. His four goals and two assists in nine La Liga appearances contribute to a total of 11 goal involvements in 15 matches across all competitions, highlighted by a hat-trick against Olympiacos in the Champions League. He may not be as flashy as Lamine Yamal or Raphinha, but he remains as reliable as ever.
13. Alexis Saelemaekers, AC Milan - 7.39
Alexis Saelemaekers
In a world dominated by playmaking full-backs, AC Milan and Belgium’s Alexis Saelemaekers has certainly flown under the radar. Yet, his contributions this season are hard to ignore. With two goals and an assist in Serie A, coupled with a pass success rate of 83.8 per cent - better than half of the players on this list - he has quietly made a significant impact. For his consistency, versatility, and underrated influence on Milan’s play, he very much deserves his flowers.
12. Federico Dimarco, Inter Milan - 7.40
Federico Dimarco
Sadly for Saelemaekers, there’s an even better full-back in Milan, on the other side of the San Siro divide. In a classic case of whatever he can do, they can do slightly better, Federico Dimarco has been a constant for club and country over the years. His tally of two goals and four assists has earned him a 7.40 rating for the season, though his lack of defensive contributions may weigh him down a little, as his attacking output alone suggests he could be rated even higher.
11. Vinicius Jr, Real Madrid - 7.40
Vinicius Junior holds the Real Madrid club badge on his shirt
Rumours are aflutter surrounding the future of Vinicius Junior, who seems to have lost a bit of his star power since narrowly missing out on the Ballon d'Or in 2023, leading to a precarious path that now has him linked with an exit under Xabi Alonso at Real Madrid. But the statistics argue against the idea that he hasn’t been his usual self, with five goals and two assists in seven starts proving he is still a nightmare for opponents.
10. David Raum, RB Leipzig - 7.42
David Raum playing for Leipzig
From the 12 Bundesliga appearances that David Raum has made this season, he has ended up winning the Man of the Mwatch award three times. That's good going for a team currently second in the league behind Bayern Munich, where Christoph Baumgartner, Romulo, and Yan Diomande are the more usual suspects for attention.
9. Luis Diaz, Bayern Munich - 7.49
bayern munich luis diaz
While he was always productive at Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp and then Arne Slot, Luis Diaz has gone up several gears since making his £65.5 million switch to Bayern Munich. Among his six goals in 11 Bundesliga appearances, his strike against Union Berlin must go down as a Goal of the Season contender after he fell, got back up, and still found impossible wriggle room to smash the ball into the net. Forming one-third of an attacking trio with Harry Kane and Michael Olise, the German champions are one hell of a side with the Colombian at their disposal.
8. Mason Greenwood, Marseille - 7.62
Marseille winger Mason Greenwood during a pre-match warm-up
With 10 goals in 12 Ligue 1 appearances, Mason Greenwood is the competition’s top goalscorer this season, bringing his total for Marseille to 33 goals and 10 assists in 53 appearances. Off-field controversies mean he may never be welcomed back to England, but he is making light work of his new surroundings, proving that he is a rare case of a wonderkid who actually realises their dizzy potential.
7. Alejandro Grimaldo, Bayer Leverkusen - 7.62
Alejandro Grimaldo Bayer Leverkusen
Where would Bayer Leverkusen be without Alejandro Grimaldo? After a summer in which Florian Wirtz, Granit Xhaka, Jeremie Frimpong and others followed manager Xabi Alonso out the door, it would have been easy for the Spaniard to step away from the chaos. Instead, he has produced four goals and four assists in 10 matches from left wing-back, helping his side hold on to some of their past glory and stay inside the top three.
6. Erling Haaland, Manchester City - 7.78
Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring a goal for Manchester City
Erling Haaland, for club and country, is a serial goal-getter – and he's firing on all cylinders in 2025/26 following a season without trophies last time out. The Norway international, likened to a robot given how rampant he is in front of goal, has already plundered 14 goals in 12 league outings and that tally is only poised to rise exponentially as he continues to prove he more than fits in with the AI generation.
5. Michael Olise, Bayern Munich - 7.82
michael olise
There might not be a team in world football that wouldn’t benefit from having Michael Olise. Just as phenomenal at crossing from wide areas as he is cutting inside and curling one into the top corner, the former Crystal Palace winger is one of the most unpredictable attackers in the game. The Hammersmith-born star’s tally of six goals and six assists in 11 league matches shows just how frighteningly productive he is in the final third. Even scarier is the fact he’s still only 23 years old.
4. Nico Paz, Como - 7.93
Nico Paz
Heavily linked with a switch to Chelsea, Nico Paz is one of the most sought-after youngsters in world football. The Argentine attacking midfielder has five goals and five assists in 13 league matches for Como this season, thriving in Cesc Fabregas’ free-flowing setup, earning an astonishing six Man of the Match awards. Just 21 years old, he’s the jewel everyone wants in their crown, and the rest of the world will envy whichever club manages to sign him - whether in January or next summer.
3. Kylian Mbappe, Real Madrid - 8.06
Kylian Mbappe in action for Real Madrid against Juventus
The first of three players to break the 8.00 average rating benchmark, Kylian Mbappe currently seems best-placed to win next year's Ballon d'Or if both Real Madrid and France can find success. He's scored 13 goals in 13 La Liga outings so far, and with Los Blancos sitting nicely at the top of the table, it's business as usual as far as he's concerned.
2. Lamine Yamal, Barcelona - 8.08
lamine yamal
As the natural heir to Lionel Messi, Lamine Yamal has great expectations placed on him - ones he's currently meeting with worrying ease. His tally of 10 goal involvements in seven La Liga starts is only the tip of the iceberg for the teenage sensation, who, remarkably, passes the eye test even more than he does the statistical one, such is how effortlessly brilliant he looks on the pitch.
1. Harry Kane, Bayern Munich - 8.33
Harry Kane celebrating after scoring a brace for Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League against Chelsea
In first place - and by a landslide - is Harry Kane. The best striker in the world right now, capable of creating as well as scoring, he is the primary reason England can feel optimistic about ending their 60-year hoodoo at next year’s World Cup. A tally of 17 goal involvements in 10 appearances is out of this world, and you could never run out of superlatives for the former Tottenham talisman, who is the dictionary definition of a phenomenon.