Starting with Manchester United as an eighteen-year-old in 2003, Cristiano Ronaldo is often considered the best soccer player in the world today. A member of Portugal's national team, he is currently a forward for Juventus in Italy. Awarded both the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year Awards in 2008, his goal tally is three hundred and ninety-five, and he holds the record for most goals scored in Europe's top five leagues. Ronaldo has won five League titles plus five Union of European Football Association Champion League titles.

Ranked by Guardian in 2017 as the fourth best player in the world, Kevin De Bruyn is described by coaches and colleagues as a 'complete' football player. He is a midfielder for both Manchester City and the Belgium national team which won the playoff for third place in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. After signing with Wolfsburg, in 2015 he was named Footballer of the Year in Germany. Manchester City named him Player of the Year in both 2016 and 2018.

The son of a Portuguese mother and a French father, Antoine Griezmann plays for Atletico Madrid and internationally, represents France. He was a member of the French team who was crowned World Cup champions in 2018. Griezmann scored four goals for France, was awarded the Bronze Ball and in the final was named Man of the Match. Previously he played on the wing before being promoted to a forward position.

Adept at both attack and wide positions, Eden Hazard is a midfielder for Chelsea. He was captain of the Belgium national team which placed third in the World Cup. He was the winner of the Silver Ball after being named Second Best Player of the tournament. Hazard is noted for excellent ball control, plus his speed and creativity on the pitch. He has been compared with both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

Captain of the English national side, Harry Kane is England's only nominee for the 2018 FIFA Player of the Year Award. A striker for Tottenham Hotspur, he has scored over one hundred goals for the club and in 2015 was named Player of the Year by the Professional Footballer's Association. As the highest goal scorer in the 2018 World Cup tournament, Kane was the winner of the 2018 FIFA Golden Boot award.

Mohammed Salah plays for Liverpool and the Egyptian national team. He is the record holder for the most goals scored in a thirty-eight game season and winner of the Premier League's Golden Boot award. Salah has played for Chelsea and two Italian clubs: Fiorentina and Roma and is a strong contender for the 2018 FIFA award.

Kylian Mbappe is a forward for Paris St Germaine. He was a member of the team which claimed the 2018 FIFA World Cup for France. He is the youngest French player to score a goal in a World Cup tournament and winner of the Best Young Player award. Aged nineteen, Mbappe is world's most expensive teenage player and the second most expensive soccer player in the world.

Lionel Messi is captain of Barcelona and of Argentina's national team which qualified for the 2018 World Cup. A striker, he is renowned for his goal-scoring ability and on-field creativity. He has won five Ballon d'Or awards. Messi has been cited as the best soccer player in the world and one of the all-time greats of the game.

Raphael Varane is a defender for Real Madrid and France's international team. Positioned as a center-back, his on-field playing style has been described as both tactical and technical. Varane has Appeared on the pitch more than two hundred times for Real Madrid. In 2017 he won the UEFA Champion's League trophy for the third time.