Top 25 best Muslim football players in the world right now

Football is a prestigious ball game that engages players from all nationalities worldwide. The best Muslim football players are among the best footballers in the world, and they have played for the biggest leagues in the world.

There are over 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide: a quarter of the world’s population. Most people might immediately recognise Muslim players, while others might not. Because of this, the listicle below features players some might have never known are from the Islamic religion. Is your favourite player Muslim? Read on to find out.

Top 25 best Muslim football players in the world

Several high-profile Muslim football players have achieved great success in their careers. Here is a list of the best Muslim football players of all time.

25. Nayef Aguerd - West Ham United

• Date of birth: 30 March 1996
• Age: 27 years old (as of 2023)
• Place of birth: Kenitra, Morocco

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Nayef Aguerd plays as a defender for West Ham United and Morocco national team. He began his career with the Mohammed VI Football Academy before moving to FUS Rabat in 2014. In 2022, Nayef Aguerd signed a five-year contract for a fee of £30 million

24. Amad Diallo - Manchester United

• Date of birth: 11 July 2002
• Age: 21 years old (as of 2023)
• Place of birth: Abidjan, Ivory Coast

Amad Diallo is among the young Muslim football players who play as a midfielder for Manchester United and the Ivory Coast national team. In 2021, Amad Diallo signed a five-year contract with an option of an extra year for a transfer fee of €25 million – €40 million, including bonuses.

23. Arnaut Danjuma - Everton

• Date of birth: 31 January 1997
• Age: 26 years old (as of 2023)
• Place of birth: Lagos, Nigeria

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Arnaut Danjuma is among the talented and best Muslim players in football from Nigeria. He plays as a forward for the Netherlands national team and Everton, on loan from La Liga club Villarreal. In 2021, Arnaut Danjuma signed a five-year contract to join Villarreal for a fee of €25 million.

22. Thomas Partey - Arsenal

• Date of birth: 13 June 1993
• Age: 30 years old (as of 2023)
• Place of birth: Krobo Odumase, Ghana

Thomas Partey is among the most popular England best Muslim football players. He plays for the English team Arsenal and the Ghana national team as a midfielder. After moving to Arsenal for a £45 million fee, Thomas Partey became the most expensive Ghanaian player of all time.

21. Ibrahima Konaté - Liverpool

• Date of birth: 25 May 1999
• Age: 24 years old (as of 2023)
• Place of birth: Paris, France

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Ibrahima Konaté plays as a defender for Liverpool and the France national team. In 2021, Liverpool signed him for a fee of £36 million. Ibrahima Konaté won the EFL Cup and FA Cup in his first season.

20. Kurt Zouma - West Ham United

• Date of birth: 27 October 1994
• Age: 29 years old (as of 2023)
• Place of birth: Lyon, France

He is a French centre-back for the Premier League team West Ham and the France National team. Kurt Zouma is a great defender whose defensive skills are unmatched by most top-league defenders. Most fans and pundits think his style of play is underrated, as he can manoeuvre through different positions and has skills compared to mid-fielders.

19. Xherdan Shaqiri - Chicago Fire

• Date of birth: 10 October 1991
• Age: 32 years old (as of 2023)
• Place of birth: Gjilan

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Xherdan is a Swiss professional footballer who plays for the Major League Soccer club Chicago Fire and the Switzerland national team. Xherdan Shaqiri is a Muslim but celebrates Christmas, which is a mainly Christian celebration. This, he said, is because his family used to celebrate it during his childhood.

18. Edin Dzeko - Fenerbahçe

• Date of birth: 17 March 1986
• Age: 37 years old (as of 2023)
• Place of birth: Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

He is a Bosnian professional footballer who plays as a striker for and captains both Süper Lig club Fenerbahçe and the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team. Edin Dzeko has practised Islam since he was born into a Muslim-faith family originally from Turkey, where most people are Muslims.

17. Benjamin Mendy - Lorient

• Date of birth: 17 July 1994
• Age: 29 years old (as of 2023)
• Place of birth: Longjumeau, France

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He is a French professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Ligue 1 club Lorient and the French national team. The great defender is a devoted Muslim who has performed the Hajj in Mecca. Benjamin Mendy won the Premier League in his first season in England.

16. Granit Xhaka - Bayer Leverkusen

• Date of birth: 27 September 1992
• Age: 31 years old (as of 2023)
• Place of birth: Basel, Switzerland

Xhaka is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen and the Switzerland national team. Granit Xhaka is of the Islam faith from a Baklan background alongside most of his Arsenal teammates.

15. Ousmane Dembele - Paris Saint-Germain

• Date of birth: 15 May 1997
• Age: 26 years old (as of 2023)
• Place of birth: Vernon, France

Masour Ousmane Dembele is a French professional footballer who plays as a winger for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the France national team. Ousmane Dembele is a practising Muslim who married a Moroccan wife in a traditional ceremony in 2019.

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14. Sadio Mane - Al Nassr

• Date of birth: 10 April 1992
• Age: 31 years old (as of 2023)
• Place of birth: Bambali, Senegal

Sadio Mane is a Senegalese professional footballer who plays as a forward for the Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr and the Senegal national team. He is a generous man who uses a great amount of his salary for donations and projects. Sadio Mane is a Muslim and is seen making d’au before the start of each match.

13. Riyad Mahrez - Al-Ahli

• Date of birth: 21 February 1991
• Age: 32 years old (as of 2023)
• Place of birth: Sarcelles, France

Riyad Karim Mahrez plays as a right winger for Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli and captains the Algeria national team. Mostly known for his dribbling techniques, Riyad Mahrez is a practising Muslim who made the Umrah pilgrimage to Mecca.

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12. Ilkay Gundogan - Barcelona

• Date of birth: 24 October 1990
• Age: 33 years old (as of 2023)
• Place of birth: Gelsenkirchen, Germany

Ilkay Gundogan plays as a midfielder for La Liga club Barcelona and captains the German national team. Ilkay Gundogan says that his Muslim family and migrants motivate him to be who he is today.

11. Antonio Rudiger - Real Madrid

• Date of birth: 3 March 1993
• Age: 30 years old (as of 2023)
• Place of birth: Berlin, Germany

He is a professional German footballer for the La Liga club Real Madrid and the German national team. Unlike most of his fans know, Antonio Rudiger is a practising Muslim born in Berlin to a German father and a Sierra Leonean mother.

10. Saïd Benrahma - West Ham United

• Date of birth: 10 August 1995
• Age: 28 years old (as of 2023)
• Place of birth: Aïn Témouchent, Algeria

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Saïd Benrahma is among the top 10 best Muslim football players. He plays for West Ham United and the Algeria national team as a midfielder. West Ham paid a transfer fee of £23.1 million for Saïd Benrahma.

9. Mohamed Elneny - Arsenal

• Date of birth: 11 July 1992
• Age: 31 years old (as of 2023)
• Place of birth: El Mahalla El Kubra, Egypt

Mohamed Elneny is a defensive midfielder for Arsenal and the Egyptian Premier League. Having begun his career with the Egyptian team Al Mokawloon, Mohamed Elneny won four league titles in Switzerland.

8. Islam Slimani - Coritiba

• Date of birth: 18 June 1988
• Age: 35 years old (as of 2023)
• Place of birth: Algiers [El Djazaïr], Algeria

Islam Slimani plays for Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Coritiba and the Algeria national team as a forward. In August 2023, he moved from Anderlecht to Coritiba. During his time there, Islam Slimani made ten league appearances and scored eight goals.

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7. Marouane Fellaini-Bakkioui - Shandong Taishan

• Date of birth: 22 November 1987
• Age: 35 years old (as of 2023)
• Place of birth: Etterbeek, Germany

Fellaini is a former Manchester United player who recently played plays as a mid-fielder for the Chinese club Shandong Taishan. Marouane Fellaini-Bakkioui is of Moroccan heritage and a practising Muslim.

6. Mohamed Salah Ghaly - Liverpool FC

• Date of birth: 15 June 1992
• Age: 31 years old (as of 2023)
• Place of birth: Nagrig, Egypt

Mohamed Salah Hamed Mahrous Ghaly is a professional footballer for Liverpool FC in the Premier League and captains the Egypt national team. The Egyptian is one of the most elite African footballers, and unlike some of his fans know, he is a Muslim. This is evident by how Mohamed Salah Ghaly bows down to thank God every time he scores.

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5. N’Golo Kante - Al-Ittihad

• Date of birth: 29 March 1991
• Age: 32 years old (as of 2023)
• Place of birth: Paris, France

N’Golo Kante plays for the Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad and France national team. Known for his humble, down-to-earth figure off the pitch, N’Golo Kante is widely considered one of the best central midfielders in the world, with an amazing work rate and defensive acumen. He is also a Muslim born to Milan parents who migrated from Mali to France in 1980.

4. Paul Pogba - Juventus

• Date of birth: 15 March 1993
• Age: 30 years old (as of 2023)
• Place of birth: Lagny-Sur-Marne, France

Paul Labile Pogba is an amazing midfielder for Serie A club Juventus and the France national team. His prowess in the game can be seen in his ability to switch positions from the central mid-field position to the left winger, attacking midfielder, defensive mid-fielder and deep-laying playmaker. Paul Pogba converted to Islam and said it had made him a ‘better person’.

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3. Mesut Ozil - Retired

• Date of birth: 15 October 1988
• Age: 35 years old (as of 2023)
• Place of birth: Gelsenkirchen, Germany

Mesut Ozil is a former attacking midfielder. Rivalled by few, his soft touch, control and precision, blended with his technical skills, creativity and vision, have made him one of the most successful players in the world. Also, he is a Muslim and is occasionally seen reciting the Quran before his matches. Mesut Ozil announced his retirement from professional football on 22 March 2023.

2. Karim Benzema - Al-Ittihad

• Date of birth: 19 December 1987
• Age: 35 years old (as of 2023)
• Place of birth: Lyon, France

Karim Mostafa Benzema is a French professional footballer who plays as a striker for and captains the Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad. The 2022 Ballon d’Or winner is often regarded as a complete player and one of the best strikers of all time. Karim Benzema is one of the world’s best Muslim football players.

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1. Wahbi Khazri - Montpellier

• Date of birth: 8 February 1991
• Age: 32 years as of 2023
• Place of birth: Ajaccio, Corsica, France

Wahbi Khazri plays as a midfielder for Ligue 1 club Montpellier. Between 2013 and 2022, he participated in 74 games and scored 25 goals for the national team, serving as its previous captain. Wahbi Khazri competed for Tunisia in five Africa Cup of Nations competitions and the FIFA World Cups of 2018 and 2022.

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Who is the best Muslim footballer of all time?

Zinedine Zidane is regarded as one of the most popular Muslim footballers of all time, thanks to his prowess in the game. Born in a poor neighbourhood in Marseilles, Zinedine Zidane became the greatest Real Madrid legend and one of the most successful players in history.

Who are the top 10 Muslim football players?

Some of the top 10 Muslim footballers include:

1. Wahbi Khazri
2. Karim Benzema
3. Mesut Ozil
4. Paul Pogba
5. N’Golo Kante
6. Mohamed Salah Ghaly
7. Marouane Fellaini-Bakkioui
8. Islam Slimani
9. Mohamed Elneny
10. Saïd Benrahma

The best Muslim football players have repeatedly proven to be the best in the game. Despite the difference in religion with teammates, they have been able to do their best and bring out the best in others.

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