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2024 has been a sensational year for football as the world witnessed many memorable performances that will go down in history. Many footballers have emerged as breakout stars while renowned players have continued to grace the pitch with exceptional performances.
However, some footballers have consistently performed well in 2024 with their club or country and continued to stand out among others. In this article, Sportz Point explores the five best footballers of 2024.
Vinicius Jr. (Real Madrid)
Vinicius Jr. has been one of the most instrumental assets for Real Madrid's success in recent years. The 24-year-old Brazilian racked up loads of goals and assists for Los Blancos to enlist himself as one of the best players in 2024.
Vinicius Jr. led Madrid's attack along with Jude Bellingham to clinch the 2023-24 La Liga title, having scored 15 goals while providing 6 assists in 26 appearances. He became a walking nightmare for every defensive line-up in Europe with his sublime ball control, acceleration, and footballing skills.
The 2023/24 Player of the Season 💫#UCL pic.twitter.com/JImV2RLKBg
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) June 3, 2024
However, Vinicius unleashed his ultimate best in Real Madrid's UCL-winning campaign in the 2023-24 season. He earned the UCL Player of the Season award with 11 goal contributions by his name. Vini performed well in the group games as well as in crucial knockout games; the semi-final and final, against Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund respectively.
Although his second-place finish in the 2024 Ballon d'Or ranking sparked severe controversies, Vinicius Jr. had no trouble in proving himself as one of the most prolific footballers in 2024.
Lamine Yamal (FC Barcelona)
Lamine Yamal is certainly the most promising young talent in football discussions worldwide. Making his debut for FC Barcelona's senior team in 2023, the 17-year-old winger completed his 50th appearance for Barcelona in April 2024, becoming the youngest footballer to achieve the feat.
However, Lamine's breakout performance for Spain in the UEFA Euro 2024 is the definite highlight of his year. The Spanish teenager, who only turned 17 in July 2024, lifted the 2024 Euro as the youngest winner of the tournament. Lamine won the Young Player of the Tournament award as well, having bagged 1 goal and 4 assists in the competition.
Lamine Yamal has played in the 2023 U17 European Championship and Euro 2024 over the last 14 months.
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 15, 2024
U17 Euros:
⚽️ 4 goals
🤝 2 assists
🏆 Team of the Tournament
Euros:
⚽️ 1 goal
🤝 4 assists
🏆 Young Player of the Tournament
Shining at all levels on the big stage ✨ pic.twitter.com/iD9iJB4Lfj
Lamine has added some more glory to his list of personal accolades in 2024 by winning the 2024 Golden Boy Award and the Kopa Trophy.
The youngster continued his record-breaking stint also for his club, as he became the youngest footballer to score in a Clasico game during Barcelona's 4-0 victory over Real Madrid in October 2024. He has been instrumental for Barcelona since the start of the 2024-25 season as well. It seems that the talented winger will continue to showcase his jaw-dropping capabilities with a football at his feet.
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Mohamed Salah has been one of the most consistent footballers for Liverpool in recent years, and now he is paving the way to enter the globe of all-time Premier League greats.
Since Arne Slot arrived in Anfield as Jurgen Klopp's successor, Salah has been a cheat code for the Reds across all competitions. Although he had a distressing start to 2024, now he has transitioned into an even more complete version of a traditional winger.
The 'Egyptian King' has been responsible for almost 64% of the goals Liverpool scored this season in the league and UCL. It clearly shows his impeccable ability to orchestrate the attack while leading from the front. He has 20 goals and 17 assists by his name in 26 appearances in all competitions so far this season.
Another record broken by Mohamed Salah 😳📊 pic.twitter.com/RbW6qV1ftL
— Sky Sports (@SkySports) December 29, 2024
The 32-year-old forward has also hit the headlines for breaking Premier League legend Wayne Rooney's record for 36 games with a goal and an assist in a single game.
Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)
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In a world where the forwards steal all the limelight, it is simply exceptional for others to ensure themselves in consideration of the top performers without a doubt. Jude Bellingham is the kind of footballer who not only plays well but also ensures his dominance everywhere on the pitch.
Bellingham left Dortmund in 2023 and signed for Real Madrid, where he continued to elevate his footballing prowess. The Englishman finished 4th on Laliga's list of most goal contributions with 19 goals and 6 assists. Nevertheless, he was named the 2023-24 La Liga Player of the Season for his dynamic performances.
Jude Bellingham has won the 2023/24 LaLiga Player of the Season! 🚨🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/NeVcQ8kvuv
— LiveScore (@livescore) May 28, 2024
However, Bellingham could not play in his natural position in the 2024 Euros. This positional shift restricted his goalscoring proficiency but he continued to offer his physical ability, defensive quality, and accurate passing skills to help England reach the Euro final. He also came out on top to assist Cole Palmer who scored the only goal for England in the final.
The 21-year-old youngster also received the prestigious Lareaus World Breakthrough of the Year Award for 2024 to brighten his list of individual honours. Despite finishing third in the 2024 Ballon d'Or ranking, he was certainly one of the best footballers in 2024.
Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)
Harry Kane left Tottenham Hotspur in 2023 to join Bayern Munich, but he did not forget to bring his goalscoring boots to Germany. The 31-year-old striker has comfortably enlisted himself as one of the best footballers of 2024.
The England captain not only possesses lethal finishing skills but also has brilliant positioning sense which helps him to be a very natural number nine. However, Kane found his best version in Bayern and concluded the 2023-24 Bundesliga season with his personal best tally of 36 goals which led him to win his maiden European Golden Boot trophy in 2024.
Kane has already scored 20 goals and provided 9 assists in 20 matches in all competitions this season and continued to be one of the best footballers in 2024.