Ranking the top 15 best playmakers in football in 2023: Who are they?

An IFFHS playmaker award goes to the player with the most assists in a Premier League season. The playmaker trophy is an added honor to one's incredible achievements. It is a highly competitive award, and IFFHS analyzes statistics and uses a points system to create a list of nominees and determine the winner. This article lists the best playmakers in football in 2023.

IFFHS started the best playmaker in football award in 2006. The winning playmaker receives a gold trophy at the World Football Gala. Most footballers would love to be an IFFHS playmaker nominee if not a winner. Being nominated for this high-profile award alone is also an outstanding career achievement.

Who are the best playmakers in football?

Using the IFFHS publications, below are the best playmakers in football in 2023. Some have been nominated for the playmakers' award severally but never won the trophy, while others have received it several times.

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15. Eden Hazard

• Name: Eden Michael Walter Hazard
• Date of birth: 7 January 1991
• Place of birth: La Louvière, Belgium
• Nationality: Belgian
• Age: 32 (as of March 2023)
• Current club: Real Madrid
• Appearances: 620
• Instagram: @hazardeden_10
• Facebook: @edenhazard

Belgian star Eden Hazard has played for Real Madrid for four seasons, made 132 matches, and scored 8 goals during this time. He has been mentioned on the IFFHS best playmaker award list severally. Eden has scored 167 goals, and provided 157 assists in the 620 appearances he has made throughout his career.

14. Andres Iniesta

• Name: Andrés Iniesta Luján
• Date of birth: 11 May 1984
• Place of birth: Fuentealbilla, Spain
• Nationality: Spanish
• Age: 38 (as of March 2023)
• Current club: Vissel Kobe
• Appearances: 851
• Instagram: @andresiniesta8
• Facebook: @AndresIniesta

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Spanish star Andres Iniesta is a two-time IFFHS playmakers winner. He won the award in 2012 and 2013 while playing for Barcelona. Andres is currently Vissel Kobe's midfielder and captain. He has played one season for this club, made 14 appearances, and scored 3 goals. Iniesta has made 851 league appearances, scored 88 goals, and provided 162 assists since July 2018 as a Barcelona player.

13. Toni Kroos

• Name: Toni Kroos
• Date of birth: 4 January 1990
• Place of birth: Greifswald, Germany
• Nationality: German
• Age: 33 (as of March 2023)
• Current club: Real Madrid
• Appearances: 686
• Instagram: @toni.kr8s
• Facebook: @tonikroos

Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos won the playmakers award in 2016 while playing for the same club. He has made 298 appearances for the club, scored 27 goals, and provided 87 assists. He previoulsy played for Bayern Munich and Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Toni Kroos has made 686 appearances his entire career, scored h72 goals, and provided 152 assists.

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12. Mesut Özil

• Name: Mesut Özil
• Date of birth: 15 October 1988
• Place of birth: Gelsenkirchen, Germany
• Nationality: German
• Age: 34 (as of March 2023)
• Current club: İstanbul Başakşehir FK
• Appearances: 645
• Instagram: @m10_official
• Facebook: @mesutoezil

German player Ozil is known for his technical passing skills, creativity, and vision. He currently plays for Süper Lig club İstanbul Başakşehir. He has been at Real Madrid, Arsenal, and FC Schalke 04 II. Mesut Özil has made 645 appearances in his entire career, scored 114 goals, and provided 222 assists.

11. Neymar

• Name: Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior
• Date of birth: 5 February 1992
• Place of birth: São Paulo, Brazil
• Nationality: Brazilian
• Age: 31 (as of March 2023)
• Current club: Paris Saint-Germain
• Appearances: 493
• Instagram: @neymarjr
• Facebook: @neymarjr

Neymar dazzles many with his skills as a forward. He is currently at Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain. Although Neymar Santos has never won the playmakers trophy, fans have always considered him a great choice for the award. The Brazilian has made 493 appearances, scored 293 goals, and provided 188 assists his entire career.

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10. Luka Modric

• Name: Luka Modric
• Date of birth: 9 September 1985
• Place of birth: Zadar, Croatia
• Nationality: Croatian
• Age: 37 (as of March 2023)
• Current club: Real Madrid
• Appearances: 703
• Instagram: @lukamodric10
• Facebook: @ModricLuka10

The midfielder holds the 2018 Ballon D’or and the 2018 best playmaker. He was also named the 3rd best playmaker of the decade. Luka Modric’s top-of-the-line ball distribution skills, excellent vision to spot other players, and impeccable stamina still make him an essential player in Real Madrid. Furthermore, Luka Modric has been named Croatian Footballer of the Year ten times between 2007 and 2021.

9. N’Golo Kante

• Name: N’Golo Kante
• Date of birth: 29 March 1991
• Place of birth: Paris, France
• Nationality: French
• Age: 32 (as of March 2023)
• Current club: Chelsea
• Appearance: 424
• Instagram: @nglkante
• Facebook: @nglkante

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The French midfielder is among the top 10 best playmaker in the world and has been in two premiership-winning teams. N’Golo Kante is considered among the world's deep playmakers. His ability to help other players shine forward was first noticed at Leicester. It was his first Premier League-winning team. Critics and pundits agree that the one-time winner of BBC man of the match is among instrumental players in the Premier League at the moment.

8. Paul Pogba

• Name: Paul Labile Pogba
• Date of birth: 15 March 1993
• Place of birth: Paris, France
• Nationality: French
• Age: 30 (as of March 2023)
• Current club: Juventus
• Appearances: 435
• Instagram: @paulpogba
• Facebook: @PaulPogba

Pogba honed his skills at Manchester United Junior team before transitioning to Juventus. He helped the team secure four consecutive Serie A titles, two Coppa Italia, and two Suppacoppa Italiana titles. At Juventus, Paul Pogba became one of the best playmakers in the world. Man-U wanted him back for a world record transfer fee of $98 million in 2016. He became the highest ever paid by an English club at the time. With nine assists, Paul Pogba had set his eyes on the best playmaker in football award for the 2021/22 Premier League season.

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7. Bernardo Silva

• Name: Bernardo Mota Veiga de Carvalho e Silva
• Date of birth: 10 August 1994
• Place of birth: Lisbon, Portugal
• Nationality: Portuguese
• Age: 28 (as of March 2023)
• Current club: Manchester City
• Appearances: 475
• Instagram: @bernardocarvalhosilva
• Facebook: @BernardoSilvaOficial

Bernardo is among the top 10 best playmakers in the world. He is globally respected for being a tenacious and hardworking playmaker. The Portuguese star was at the Benfica youth academy before moving to Monaco. He was instrumental in helping them win the Ligue 1 title. In 2017, Bernardo Silva joined Manchester City, where he helped it win two Premier League titles, two Carabao cups, an FA Cup, and a Community Shield cup.

6. Dimitri Payet

• Name: Dimitri Payet
• Date of birth: 29 March 1987
• Place of birth: Saint-Pierre, Reunion.
• Nationality: French
• Age: 36 (as of March 2023)
• Current club: Marseille
• Appearances: 663
• Instagram: @payetdimitri27

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Frenchman Dimitri Payet is hailed for his terrific technique and dribbling skills. The attacking midfielder plays in the French Ligue 1 club Marseille. The world saw a taste of Dimitri Payet’s extraordinary skills during his short stint at West Ham, where he played for two seasons.

5. Trent Arnold

• Name: Trent John Alexander-Arnold
• Date of birth: 7 October 1998
• Place of birth: Liverpool, England
• Nationality: English
• Age: 24 (as of March 2023)
• Current club: Liverpool
• Appearance: 278
• Instagram: @trentarnold66
• Facebook: @trentarnold66

Soccer star Trent Arnold joined Liverpool's soccer academy at age 6 and became one of the best right-backs in the world today. He made his senior debut with the club in 2016 at the age of 18 and won the 2019-20 PFA Young Player of the Year and the 2019-20 Premier League Young Player of the Season award. Arnold Trent also helped The Reds end a 30-year Premier League drought by winning it in the 2019-20 season.

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4. Thomas Muller

• Name: Thomas Muller
• Date of birth: 13 September 1989
• Place of birth: Weilheim in Oberbayern, Germany
• Nationality: German
• Age: 33 (as of March 2023)
• Current club: Bayern Munich
• Appearance: 738
• Instagram: @esmuellert
• Facebook: @es.muellert

The German star has been among soccer hotcakes for over a decade. Thomas Muller joined Bayern at age 10 in 2000 and debuted on the senior team in the 2009-10 Bundesliga Season. Since then, he has shown the world that he is versatile by putting impeccable gameplay as a midfielder and forward. Thomas Muller has been instrumental in many of Bayern’s trophy wins and holds the record for the player with the most assist in Europe’s top 5 leagues since 2019/20.

3. Bruno Fernandes

• Name: Bruno Miguel Borges Fernandes
• Date of birth: 8 September 1994
• Place of birth: Maia, Portugal
• Nationality: Portuguese
• Age: 28 (as of March 2023)
• Current club: Manchester United
• Appearance: 466
• Instagram: @brunofernandes.10
• Facebook: @BrunoFernandesOfficial

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Portuguese star Bruno Fernandes is among the best young playmakers in football. He is praised for his incredible skills in goal-scoring, playmaking, team leadership, penalty-taking, etc. The star joined FC Porto's rivals, Boavista academy, and got a breakthrough in the Italian Serie B club Novara in 2012. After that, Bruno Fernandes moved to various European clubs before settling at Sporting CP. His performance sparked the interest of several Premier League clubs. Fernandes signed for Manchester in January 2020 and has been one of its key players.

2. Lionel Messi

• Name: Lionel Andrés Messi
• Date of birth: 24 June 1987
• Place of birth: Rosario, Argentina
• Nationality: Argentine
• Age: 35 (as of March 2023)
• Current club: Paris Saint-Germain
• Appearance: 862
• Instagram: @leomessi
• Facebook: @leomessi

Lionel is considered the best player of this generation, with 862 total career appearances, 706 goals, and 335 assists. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner has dominated the playmakers’ award since 2007. Lionel Messi is one of the best creative playmakers in football history. He has won the playmakers award four times in the past decade and was named the best playmaker of the decade.

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1. Kevin De Bruyne

• Name: Kevin De Bruyne
• Date of birth: 28 June 1991
• Place of birth: Drongen, Belgium
• Nationality: Belgian
• Age: 31 (as of March 2023)
• Current club: Manchester City
• Appearance: 568
• Instagram: @kevindebruyne
• Facebook: @KevinDeBruyne

Kevin has dominated the playmakers’ award list for three years in a row and has made 568 appearances in his entire career. He began his senior career at the Belgium club Genk in 2009. He helped it win the Belgium Pro League before moving to Chelsea in 2012. De Bruyne later signed with Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga side, where he was named Bundesliga Player of the year. In 2015, he joined Man-City and has helped them win three Premier League titles, an FA Cup, and the only Premier League club to attain 100 in a single season.

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Who is the best playmaker in the world?

• Kevin De Bruyne
• Lionel Messi
• Bruno Fernandes
• Thomas Muller
• Trent Arnold
• Dimitri Payet
• Bernardo Silva
• Paul Pogba
• N’Golo Kante
• Luka Modric
• Neymar
• Mesut Özil
• Toni Kroos
• Andres Iniesta
• Eden Hazard

Who is the greatest playmaker of all time in soccer?

Below are the best playmakers in football history:

Is Messi a playmaker?

Lionel Messi is the world's best playmaker. The Argentine star scored 170 points in the 2022 IFFHS playmaker award ranking and won the award for the fifth time.

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Who is the best playmaker in the world?

Lionel Messi has bagged the playmaker award five times and holds the world record of the player with the most IFFHS playmaker awards in history. Spanish player Xavi comes second with four IFFHS playmaker awards.

The best playmakers in football use a wide range of skills and creativity on the pitch. Watching players dominate the IFFHS playmakers' nominees or winners lists for years motivates many, especially the youth, to put more effort into their sports talents.

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