Son Heung-min is a household name in the Premier League due to his consistency and attitude. Lamine Yamal is 17 and the next soccer superstar with skills like Messi and Neymar.
Featured football players like Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane, Mohamed Salah and Kylian Mbappe are shining globally in their respective clubs. In every league, certain football players are more memorable than others. In the case of Son Heung-min he is one of the Premier League‘s most famous.
He joined Tottenham Hotspur 10 years ago and left his mark on a generation through his consistency—he is one of the best wingers in the world—and attitude. And while he’s a star himself, there’s nothing stopping him from having a lot of respect for many of his peers.
When asked by GOAL to name the 5 football players he thinks are the best in the world today the Chuncheon native was quick to share the choices of many.
Son Heung-min Reveals His Top Five Footballers in 2025
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
At 17 he’s already a superstar of world football. A brilliant player since his debut for Barcelona, the young winger also got to showcase himself to the world at Euro 2024 where he played a key role in Spain’s victory.
Lively, instinctive, and unhinged, the Catalan is already seen as the heir to Lionel Messi, considered by many as the greatest of all time, but it’s his admiration for Neymar Jr that shines through in the way he plays and behaves. Now it’s up to him to match the two geniuses and more importantly supplant them. But there’s a long way to go and he’s just started. But he has only just begun.
Lamine Yamal 2024/25 Stats at Barcelona:
- Appearances: 37
- Goals: 12
- Career Span: 17
- Minutes played: 3,002*
Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)
The maturity and high standards Jude Bellingham has set since the start of his career make us almost forget that he’s only 21. A legend with his parent club Birmingham City, the England international (40 caps, 6 goals) shone in the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund before conquering Europe with Real Madrid.
Now a regular in Carlo Ancelotti’s team, the attacking midfielder who was La Liga’s best player last season wants to continue to shine as he cements his status as a generational talent. Already all the hallmarks of a great player.
Jude Bellingham 2024/25 Stats at Real Madrid:
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- Appearances: 37
- Goals: 11
- Career Span: 11
- Minutes played: 3,066
Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)
With a small smile on his face, Son named his former team-mate Harry Kane as one of the best footballers in the world today. But the fact that they spent seven years together at Tottenham Hotspur is certainly not the only reason for the Englishman’s presence.
Since joining Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023, the Three Lions’ all-time top scorer has been breaking records—both at club level and in the Bundesliga. This is yet further proof of his immense talent which may soon get rewarded with his first major trophy.
Harry Kane 2024/25 Stats at Bayern Munich:
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- Games: 36
- Goals: 32
- Career: 11
- Minutes: 2,778
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
There are few footballers better placed than Son to comment on how good Mohamed Salah has been since he joined the Premier League. The two have played each other many times (17) and Salah has won most of them (11, 3 draws, 3 defeats). But perhaps the former Roma player has never been as good as he is this 2024/25 season.
As the Premier League’s top scorer and top playmaker, he will probably get the Player of the Season award too. An award which will then crown a very likely title (his second with Liverpool) so well deserved by Arne Slot’s team and in which Salah will have played a big part.
Mohamed Salah 2024/25 Stats at Liverpool:
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- Games: 42
- Goals: 32
- Career: 22
- Minutes: 3,606
Son Heung-min ranks his top five players in the world right now @adidas pic.twitter.com/eULUaqBnUF
— GOAL (@goal) March 12, 2025
Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid)
Kylian Mbappe’s reputation is enough. His performances are the proof. An amazing player and Ballon d’Or favorite, the French striker joined Real Madrid this summer after seven years at Paris Saint-Germain. Explaining himself, Son said:
“Way too many good players. But I’ll say Mbappe. He is just phenomenal, the ability, the speed, he’s skilful. He does almost everything.”
And although his debut at the Bernabeu wasn’t the one he’d have liked, it didn’t take long for the Los Blancos’ No.9 to show everyone why he’s one of the best footballers in the world. Already with 18 league goals, he now has 28 in total. It’s a nice number that should be added to four assists, a Club World Cup, and a European Super Cup. And that’s just the start.
Kylian Mbappe 2024/25 Stats at Real Madrid:
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- Games: 42
- Goals: 28
- Career: 4
- Minutes: 3,490
