Let us know if we’ve left out any of your favorite footballers!
Let us know if we’ve left out any of your favorite footballers!
With an estimated 3.5bn fans, football is the undisputed most watched sport on the planet. It doesn’t matter whether you are black or white, rich or poor, Muslim or Christian, football is a beautiful game for everyone.
In no particular order here are 10 of the best Muslim football players in the world.
1. Mohamed Salah
Mohammad Salah is probably the best-known Muslim footballer in the world.
Playing for Liverpool and Egypt as a right-winger/striker, Salah is renowned for his intricate dribbling and fantastic finishing which saw him break the single-season record of goals in the 2017/18 season with 32 goals and 10 assists.
2. Paul Pogba
Paul Pogba is widely regarded as one of the most gifted midfielders of this generation.
Representing the French national team, Pogba was integral to the French midfield in their 2018 World Cup run which saw them champion – and in the 21/22 season, he’s started strongly for Manchester United, recording 4 assists in the first game against Leeds United.
3. Mesut Ozil
Known for his pinpoint passing and incredible vision, Mesut Ozil was a key part of the Germany 2014 World Cup-winning squad.
Mesut spent 7 years at Arsenal but was forced out following his comments on the Uyghur Muslims and now plays at his boyhood club Fenerbache in the Turkish super lig. During his time in the Premier League, Mesut broke the record of the quickest player to reach 50 assists.Â
4. Ngolo Kante
A general of the midfield, Ngolo Kante’s rise to the top is quite inspirational. Signed from Caen for just £5.6m in 2015, not many expected the French midfielder to have such an impact that he did in the 15/16 season for Leicester.
En route to winning the league, Ngolo made a season-high 175 tackles and 157 interceptions before making his move to Chelsea the following year. Now a serial winner, Ngolo Kante has proven himself to the world as a modern Central Defensive Midfielder.
5. Sadio Mane
Playing as left winger/striker for Liverpool and Senegal, Sadio Mane is widely known as a complete player with his finishing, pace, and ability to shoot with either foot.
In the 2019 Balandor, Sadio Mane ranked 4th and has formed a great relationship with teammates Mohammad Salah and Roberto Firmino, helping Liverpool win the Champions league in 2019 and Premier league in 2020.
6. Karim Benzema
Regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation, the Real Madrid and France striker is known for his supreme work rate, Aerial ability, playmaking, and finishing.
Playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, Benzema was an integral part of Real Madrid’s champions league successes which saw them win 3 in a row under coach Zinedine Zidane.
7. Kalidou Koulibaly
The large, commanding, strong central defender Kalidou Koulibaly plays for Italian club Napoli and captains the Senegal national team.
Now 30 years old, Koulibaly is widely praised as one of the best and complete defenders in the world and flourished in Maurizio Sarri’s attacking, possession-based system.
8. Wesley Fofana
At just 20 years old, Wesley Fofana has already proven himself to be one of the best defenders in the premier league.
Playing football for Leicester and France’s U21 team, Fofana’s rise to the top has been quite incredible considering his age with his reading of the game, speed, and strength being of a much more experienced defender.
9. Antonio Rudiger
The tall, quick, athletic defender Antonio Rudiger plays for Chelsea FC and the German national team.
Though struggling under Frank Lampard, Rudiger has reinvented himself under Thomas Tuchel, becoming a key part of Chelsea’s impeccable defense that saw them win the 2021 Champions League despite being the huge underdogs throughout the tournament.
10. Ilkay Gundogan
Last but not least is Manchester City and Germany’s midfielder Ilkay Gundogan.
Ilkay is known for his diverse qualities including vision, work rate, and technical skills as well as his versatility – but more recently he’s proven himself to be a goalscorer scoring 13 goals in the 20/21 season which saw Manchester City bring home the premier league title.
