Who Is the King of Football? A List of True Legends

Humans are social animals. In every era, humans choose one amongst themselves to be a worthy ruler who leads them forward. The title “King” is bestowed upon them. Such is the importance of the term. The honourable word is not only restricted to people in one place. We do have it in our football world as well. The ever-lasting question is, who is the king of football?

Though there is no conclusive evidence to answer this question, we at Sportsdunia will give you a great perspective on it. Imagine everything a King does for his people. Leading them, inspiring them, broadening their horizons, and forging an everlasting legacy. Now, we can extrapolate all those real-life qualities onto our beloved pitch.

We will surely find some suitable candidates for the question of who is the king of football of all time, since we are blessed to be in the era of modern-day greats like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Our beautiful game is evolving rapidly, and soon the baton of the king of football is about to be passed. Sit back and relax as we go through the gears to find out the answers to much-needed questions.

What Makes a Player the King of Football?

Let us take a look at some of the most revered qualities that we are looking for in our hunt for the king of football.

Leading From The Front: A king is the first soldier of any army. He is the front line of his forces, and his words must inspire his players to run through brick walls for them. The kings on our list are exceptional leaders for their teams.

A Long-Lasting Legacy: How dearly we talk about the kings from some 1000 years ago, right? Our Kings have forged a legacy that will be spoken of as long as the game is alive around the planet.

A Battle-Hardened Warrior: What defines a king sometimes is that one legendary battle where they have gone against the odds to turn the tide. The kings on the list have had multiple battles where they have single-handedly won them.

Spoils of War: What better way to judge a king than his impressive spoils of war? Our kings have won so much from their wars that the coffers started overflowing sometimes. It truly is an incredible achievement and helps us differentiate them from the rest.

Top Contenders for the King of Football

With all the factors seen above, let us try to make a list of the top contenders for the tag of King of Football.

Cristiano Ronaldo

The legendary Portuguese international is a force of nature. Right from his breakout at Sporting CP to his ascension at Real Madrid, he was special. Ronaldo started as an electric winger who had pace, dribbling, and tons of attacking threat in Portugal. He worked for countless hours on the training ground to become the first billionaire in football.

He earned a move to Manchester United, where he won the first of his five legendary Ballon d’Ors. But it was at Real Madrid in Spain that he truly became a king of football. As a Galactico, he helped Los Blancos win one UEFA Champions League title after another. Ronaldo also won the Euros with Portugal to cap off a sensational 2016.

Ronaldo later moved to Juventus before transitioning to a striker. He became a poacher to compensate for the lack of pace in his 40s. Ronaldo is also known for his flamboyance and never-give-up attitude on the pitch as he single-handedly dragged his team to victories at times.

Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi is a walking and moving football entity, according to some. The mercurial Argentine is considered the finest playmaker and finest dribbler of all time. Messi’s prodigious talents were well-noted around the world. Barcelona were the first to make a move as they offered a contract to Messi’s family on a tissue paper. Leo moved to Spain, and what followed was history.

Messi started as a starry-eyed youngster in a Barcelona team full of stars already. By the time he broke out, they knew he had some otherworldly powers. Messi’s eye for a pass and the goal helped Barcelona win trophies like never before. Messi became the best player in the world and developed into a leader of few words and all action.

Though he failed to win an international trophy for a large part of his career, he broke his duck with the Copa America in 2021. He followed it up with a legendary World Cup campaign in Qatar in 2022 by lifting the FIFA World Cup trophy as the best player of the tournament. He cemented his status as one of the kings of football with a record eighth Ballon d’Or trophy in 2023.

Mohamed Salah

Moving on to one of the more modern-day kings of football, we have Mohamed Salah on this list. The Egyptian is fondly called the Egyptian King by his fans and followers alike. Salah’s roots were deep in Egyptian culture before making it big in Europe. His path wasn’t easy, though, as he had a failed stint in England with Chelsea first. He used it as a stepping stone and then found his redemption in England again.

Salah took Switzerland by storm by displaying his speed, agility, and goal-scoring prowess. He had a move to Chelsea that turned out into a nightmare, and he was exiled to Italy. The winger turned into a world-beater and then returned to England again. This time, he conquered the world with Liverpool and helped them to two league titles and a Champions League title. Salah’s splendid season in 2024/2025 sees him in the running for his first Ballon d’Or.

Kevin De Bruyne

The Belgian playmaker’s recent decision to leave Manchester City has brought a tear to every true football fan. Fondly called King Kev by the Citizens, De Bruyne has forced himself into the all-time Premier League great list. It was not without struggle, mind you. Just like Mohamed Salah, Kevin de Bruyne had a flop spell at Chelsea as well.

The Ginger Pele then moved to the Bundesliga to rediscover his spark. De Bruyne’s insane creativity, elite finishing, and excellent two-footedness made him stand a cut above everyone else when he was on the pitch. After helping Wolfsburg to a German Cup title, he moved to rule England once again. He had the tag of a Chelsea reject given by the media at Manchester City. But like a true king, he found his redemption by helping City establish an era of hitherto unheard-of domination in the country.

Kylian Mbappe

The French sensation is a worthy candidate for the passing of the baton. Mbappe broke onto the scene as a teenage star by helping his Monaco side to a Ligue 1 title against PSG. He was soon rewarded with an eye-watering move to PSG, where he shattered scoring records. Mbappe was a phenomenon full of electric speed and mind-bending dribbling. He used to leave defenders in his wake and find the back of the net with ease.

Mbappe’s World Cup campaign in 2018 was iconic as he led the French side to the ultimate World Cup trophy. He won everything there is to be won except the Champions League. After many years at PSG, he left for Spain to his dream club, Real Madrid. He faltered in the first step at Madrid, but be sure that Mbappe will bounce back and lead Madrid to glory again.

Jude Bellingham

When Jude Bellingham left Birmingham at 17 years of age, his shirt number 22 was retired by the club. It sent the footballing world into a frenzy as Bellingham became the most expensive 17-year-old. His growth at Borussia Dortmund into one of the world’s best players in front of our own eyes was a heartwarming story. Bellingham’s engine to run from box to box, combined with his technique and vision, made him a player beyond his age.

Bellingham then moved to Real Madrid in 2023 to realise his career potential at the best club in the world. Bellingham took shirt number 5, worn by the legendary Zinedine Zidane at Real Madrid. It symbolically represented the passing of the baton as Bellingham unlocked a whole new level at Madrid in his first season. He scored sensational late winners and crucial goals as Los Blancos won the league and the Champions League in his first season.

Together with Kylian Mbappe at Real Madrid, Bellingham has a chance to lead the new class of Galacticos. They will be the worthy candidates to become the next king of football.

Erling Haaland

Norway is famous for Vikings. A few Viking kings have made their names around the world, and from the same land came Erling Haaland. He started as a force of nature who used to score a freakish number of goals at youth levels. His speed, physicality, and finishing made him a nightmare for his colleagues. Haaland didn’t have to wait long to get a real breakthrough at the senior level.

He was the mainstay of Jesse Marsch’s exciting RB Salzburg team that had an incredible Champions League run in 2019. Haaland used to average more than a goal a game in the Austrian Bundesliga. He created history by becoming the first player to play for two clubs in the same Champions League campaign when he moved to Borussia Dortmund in January 2020.

Haaland made the Bundesliga look like child’s play for him by scoring for fun. He earned a big money move to Manchester City. Many thought he would struggle in the Premier League, but little did they know that there was no defence strong enough to contain Alf-Inge Haaland’s son. Haaland became the quickest player to have 100-goal involvements in the Premier League and helped them win back-to-back league titles and also win the Champions League.

Bukayo Saka

Arsenal’s famed Hale End academy had been crying out for a star for ages. Arsenal too desperately needed someone to come and lift the club out of mediocrity, which they’ve been stuck in for years. Their calls were answered when Bukayo Saka made his debut for the club. The extremely talented right-winger started his career as a left-back. Mikel Arteta noticed his world-class talent and converted him to a right-winger.

Reminds of Garteh Bale’s transformation, doesn’t it? Saka has all the qualities you’d expect in a winger. He is quick, strong, and can take rocket shots from tight angles. His creativity and mentality make him stand out as he performs on big stages regularly. Saka’s emergence inspired others at the academy to follow suit, as Arsenal are on the right track again after two decades.

Lamine Yamal

There is a picture of Lionel Messi baptising a young Lamine Yamal. Dubbed the football baptism, it literally passed Lionel Messi’s powers to Yamal as he became one of the best players in the world at just sixteen years of age. Yamal walked into a Barcelona team suffering an identity crisis and made them stand on the verge of a sensational treble in just his second season.

The youngster has a first touch blessed by god and ball manipulation beyond his age. He breezes past defenders just like Messi and uses his left foot to create or score astonishing goals. Yamal performed on the biggest of stages for Barcelona and Spain, already leading them to epic titles. His breakout at Euro 2024 was a joy to watch, and many recollected it was like watching Messi grow into his stature all over again. If Yamal can truly live to his potential, he will be fit to bear the title of king of football for the next decade or so.

Pedri

Spain’s love affair with producing world-class midfielders is a never-ending one. The newest in their long list of nimble wizards is Pedri. Born and bred in the Canary Islands, Pedri represented Las Palmas before Barcelona scouted him and sought his services. His low centre of gravity helps him trap the ball like a magnet and spread it with ease. He also has an eye for the Hollywood pass and break defences with ease.

Pedri’s debut season with Barcelona in 2020 was one to remember for ages. He dominated world beaters like they were his age and won midfield battles single-handedly. His club became so dependent on him that they lost any game when he was not on the pitch. Pedri’s meteoric rise saw him play 73 games for club and country in 2020, breaking numerous club and country records.

The high workload had an impact as he slightly became injury-prone after growing up. He has regained supreme fitness again and is helping Barcelona win the treble with his awe-inspiring performances.

List of Kings of Football