African nations may not be powerhouses on the international stage, but they have long produced some of the world’s most devastating footballers.
You only need to look back over the last two decades of the Premier League to see the superstars Africa has provided the world’s most prestigious division, with the likes of Didier Drogba, Yaya Toure and Michael Essien dazzling English audiences.
However, some of Africa’s best talents continue to ply their trade at an elite level, with a new generation of up-and-coming standouts rubbing shoulders with the continent’s exceptional veterans.
Here are the best African footballers in the world right now: ranked.
Only one African player, George Weah, has won the Ballon d’Or before, but Sadio Mané came close in 2022. After a sensational campaign for club and country, the Senegal star finished second in the vote behind runaway winner Karim Benzema.
Mane had already left Liverpool by the time they won silverware, with his actions having taken a hit in the years since his departure from Anfield. A terrible season at Bayern Munich saw him make the lucrative switch to Al Nassr in 2023, with the experienced winger no longer being tested against the world’s best.
Alongside fellow African midfielder Pape Matar Sarr, Mali international Yves Bissouma continues to impress in the Tottenham Hotspur midfield Combative and tireless, the former Brighton & Hove Albion man is among the most impressive players in the Premier League when he sings.
Being more consistent is the challenge facing Bissouma, who, like the Spurs, tends to blow hot and cold. Still, he is a superior talent and an integral cog in Ange Postecoglou’s machine with his appetite for a challenge.
Free transfers don’t come much better than Omar Marmoush. The Egyptian had already proved to be a live wire for Wolfsburg in the 2022/23 season before playing for Eintracht Frankfurt for nothing. It’s fair to say he’s hit the ground running with the Eagles.
Marmoush dazzled in his first season in Frankfurt, scoring 17 goals in all competitions, a tally he is set to smash this season. The versatile striker has terrorized Bundesliga defenses with his pace and ferocity and has developed into an exceptional striker.
In case you missed it, yes, Brahim Diaz is now representing Morocco on the international stage. Having made a single appearance with the Spanish selection, the Real Madrid The forward switched allegiance in 2024 and is already racking up an impressive number of goals for the Atlas Lions.
DÃaz’s utility at club level has diminished since his return to the Santiago Bernabéu, with the attacking midfielder used as a part-time player by Carlo Ancelotti in recent years. Regardless, he has often shown his ability to replace superstars in the Spanish capital.
Bryan Mbeumo has quietly been one of the Premier LeagueThe most impactful and consistent forwards of recent years. The Cameroon international has a powerful left foot, but the skill required for world-class players.
Thomas Frank often used Mbeumo alongside the clinical Ivan Toney, but the winger has thrived in his former team-mate’s absence, developing an equally impressive relationship with fellow African star Yoane Wissa.
Victor Boniface was an integral part of the mind-blowing Bayer Leverkusen Bundesliga triumph in 2023/24. The Nigerian scored goals for fun early in the campaign for Die Werkself, although injuries limited his effectiveness down the stretch.
The towering centre-forward has proven to be a very astute signing from Belgium’s Union Saint-Gilloise and is already tapping into his huge potential. Boniface is a defender’s nightmare when fit and firing.
Bayer Leverkusen’s African talent is not limited to Boniface, with Burkina Faso international Edmond Tapsoba organizing their defense at the other end of the pitch. Having formed part of a central trio under Xabi Alonso, Tapsoba was also crucial in Leverkusen’s first Bundesliga triumph.
Tapsoba’s athleticism and aggressiveness in the challenge make him a tough man to beat, with many of Europe’s more traditional giants closely following his progress in Germany.
West Ham United fought off some of Europe’s biggest teams to secure the signature of Mohammed Kudus in 2023, with the former Ajax striker attracting domestic and European attention for the Amsterdam club.
Kudus quickly endeared himself to the West Ham fans with his combination of style, energy and clean hitting of the ball, impressing with 14 goals in his first season in London. There is still more to come from the excellent Ghanaian, be it with the Hammers or elsewhere.
Andre Onana’s first season in Manchester United it was, well, extremely difficult. However, even towards the end of his debut campaign, the Cameroon international began to show evidence of the £47.2m goalkeeper the Red Devils had been looking for at Inter.
The 2024/25 season has seen Onana grow in confidence and is far and away the strongest striker in Africa after making some remarkable saves (and double saves) for United during the current campaign.
The much maligned Nicolas Jackson has transformed his reputation in 2024/25. Having become synonymous with flagrant fouls in his debut campaign a Chelseathe Senegalese striker obviously worked hard to fix his mess over the summer and came back a different player.
Jackson still boasts the athleticism, pace and work ethic that made him a huge threat in 2023/24, but has added the relentless finishing of an elite goalscorer. £32m now looks like an absolute steal for the Blues.
Serhou Guirassy’s first stage in German football was nothing special. He scored nine goals in 45 appearances for Koln before returning to France. However, Stuttgart took a chance on the Guinea international in 2023/24 and it proved a transformative addition.
Guirassy scored 30 goals in 30 games as Stuttgart finished runners-up in the Bundesliga and qualified for the Champions League, giving the attacking centre-forward a high profile in Borussia Dortmund. He has already found goals easy to come by at Signal Iduna Park.
Ademola Lookman was the only African player nominated for 2024 Ballon d’Or. This was largely due to his heroics in the 2023/24 Europa League final, which saw him bag a sensational hat-trick for Atalanta against hitherto unbeaten Leverkusen.
A respectable 14th-place finish highlights the strides Lookman has made since several unsuccessful spells with various English clubs, with the Wandsworth-born winger and Nigerian international finding a loving home in Bergamo.
Achraf Hakimi is not only the most talented defender in Africa, he is one the best right backs in world football. The Moroccan, who caught the eye in his country’s run to the 2022 World Cup semi-finals, shone at Dortmund before moving to Inter in 2020.
A year, seven goals and a Serie A title later, Hakimi moved on Paris Saint-Germainwhere he has only grown his reputation as an exceptional attack-minded full-back. Few can burst up and down the flanks with the same quality and intensity as Hakimi.
African footballer of the year 2023, Victor Osimhen built a reputation as one of the the most impressive strikers in the world during his time in Naples. However, a rather public row has seen him loaned to Galatasaray for the 2024/25 campaign.
Naturally, the Nigeria international has made a quick goal-scoring start in Istanbul, once again attracting the interest of the European giants. Should he get his next move right, Osimhen could rival Erling Haaland for the next decade.
There can be no debate about Africa’s greatest talent: Mohamed Salah.
Having been one of football’s most consistent and lethal strikers for the past eight years, the multiple African Footballer of the Year winner has set the standard in Liverpool and shows little sign of slowing down in the near future.
With extraordinary physicality, turbo-charged pace and an earth-shattering left foot, Salah may be the greatest African player of all time after a sensational spell on Merseyside.
