Last updated: September 26, 2026. Official information checked on this date. DayZora is an independent editorial publisher, not a FIFA or club partner.
Early 2027 watchlist, published in September 2026. These are 25 players to follow into 2027, not a retrospective assessment of a season that has not happened. Clubs and ages are stated as of September 26, 2026. The main statistical benchmark is the completed 2025/26 UEFA club season.
A useful list of the best soccer players in the world for 2027 needs to explain both its evidence and its limits. DayZora’s early watchlist includes men and women, scorers and creators, center-backs, wide defenders and goalkeepers. It is organized as 25 profiles rather than a claim that a goalkeeper can be precisely ranked against a winger in another competition. Recent European club performance provides a common starting point, supported by current club information and role-specific editorial judgment. Each entry identifies the player’s country, club, position, age and a dated performance reference, then explains what is worth watching next. The selection is deliberately European-club weighted because that is the completed competition sample reviewed here; omission is not a claim that players in other leagues are inferior. For historical influence rather than current form, read our greatest soccer players of all time feature.
How DayZora selected the 25 players
We considered four questions: was there strong recent evidence at a high level; was the contribution sustained rather than a single highlight; what responsibility did the player carry in the team; and what makes the player useful to follow into 2027? Goals and assists support attacking cases. For defenders and goalkeepers, participation, tactical responsibility and UEFA’s technical-observer selections help establish the case without using striker metrics as the only measure.
This is an editorial selection, not a points model, an official FIFA ranking or a prediction of award winners. UEFA awards are supporting evidence, not a list copied as our final order. The watchlist includes players outside UEFA’s selected elevens and explains each inclusion. We did not calculate expected goals, proprietary player ratings or a cross-league adjusted score; none is implied.
Statistics scope: unless a profile explicitly says otherwise, figures refer to the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League or Women’s Champions League main tournament. Qualifying rounds are excluded. Men’s and women’s numbers are not directly compared. Different team runs produce different match opportunities, and minutes demonstrate exposure rather than quality by themselves. Current club and the club responsible for a past statistic may differ.
The source tables are UEFA men’s 2025/26 statistics and UEFA women’s 2025/26 statistics. The men’s scoring and assist summary supplies the leading attacking totals. Current profile links appear with the individual entries.
Quick player comparison
| Player | National team | Current club | Role | Main reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kylian Mbappé | France | Real Madrid | Forward | Finishing and depth-running |
| Harry Kane | England | Bayern Munich | Center-forward | Scoring plus combination play |
| Erling Haaland | Norway | Manchester City | Center-forward | Penalty-area movement |
| Julián Alvarez | Argentina | Atlético de Madrid | Forward | Work across the front line |
| Khvicha Kvaratskhelia | Georgia | Paris Saint-Germain | Winger | One-against-one threat |
| Ousmane Dembélé | France | Paris Saint-Germain | Forward | Two-footed central threat |
| Michael Olise | France | Bayern Munich | Right winger / attacking midfielder | Chance creation |
| Vitinha | Portugal | Paris Saint-Germain | Central midfielder | Control under pressure |
| Nuno Mendes | Portugal | Paris Saint-Germain | Left-back | Two-way wide play |
| Marquinhos | Brazil | Paris Saint-Germain | Center-back | Defensive organization |
| David Raya | Spain | Arsenal | Goalkeeper | Goalkeeping and build-up |
| Vinícius Júnior | Brazil | Real Madrid | Winger | Dribbling with delivery |
| Federico Valverde | Uruguay | Real Madrid | Central / wide midfielder | Balance and transition coverage |
| Achraf Hakimi | Morocco | Paris Saint-Germain | Right-back / wing-back | Attacking width from defense |
| Willian Pacho | Ecuador | Paris Saint-Germain | Center-back | Left-sided defensive continuity |
| Alexia Putellas | Spain | London City Lionesses | Attacking midfielder | Creative leadership in a new setting |
| Ewa Pajor | Poland | Barcelona | Center-forward | Elite finishing movement |
| Alessia Russo | England | Arsenal | Center-forward | Finishing and connection |
| Pernille Harder | Denmark | Bayern Munich | Forward / attacking midfielder | Movement between lines |
| Melchie Dumornay | Haiti | OL Lyonnes | Attacking midfielder / forward | Acceleration through the middle |
| Caroline Graham Hansen | Norway | Barcelona | Winger | Wide creation |
| Linda Caicedo | Colombia | Real Madrid | Winger / attacking midfielder | Creative carrying |
| Wendie Renard | France | OL Lyonnes | Center-back | Defensive command and set pieces |
| Esmee Brugts | Netherlands | Barcelona | Wide defender / midfielder | Versatility with attacking output |
| Cata Coll | Spain | Barcelona | Goalkeeper | Goalkeeping in a possession team |
1. Kylian Mbappé
Country / national team: France · Club: Real Madrid · Position: Forward · Age: 27 (September 26, 2026).
Recent performance — 2025/26 UEFA Champions League: 15 goals in 11 appearances.
Mbappé supplies the clearest scoring case in this selection: he led the 2025/26 Champions League scoring table. The value is not simply shooting often. His acceleration changes how deep opponents can defend, opening space for players receiving between the lines. A team must decide whether to protect the space behind its defense or move forward and risk his runs.
What to watch in 2027: Watch how Madrid balances his central scoring position with the movement of its other attackers. Continued efficiency against compact defenses would be a more meaningful test than adding goals in already decided games.
Current club / official player reference
2. Harry Kane
Country / national team: England · Club: Bayern Munich · Position: Center-forward · Age: 33 (September 26, 2026).
Recent performance — 2025/26 UEFA Champions League: 14 goals.
Kane’s case combines elite finishing with a striker’s ability to make teammates better. Dropping towards midfield can draw a defender out, create a passing option and release a runner beyond him. His European scoring total shows that this deeper involvement need not come at the expense of goals. He is useful to study when comparing a penalty-box specialist with a forward who also organizes attacks.
What to watch in 2027: Watch the balance between linking play and staying high enough to finish moves. At this career stage, continuity of availability and performance against the strongest defenses matter more than speculative career projections.
Current club / official player reference
3. Erling Haaland
Country / national team: Norway · Club: Manchester City · Position: Center-forward · Age: 26 (September 26, 2026).
Recent performance — 2025/26 UEFA Champions League: 8 goals.
Haaland belongs because he can turn a modest opening into a high-value shooting chance. He occupies center-backs, attacks the gap between them and changes direction quickly when a pass is about to arrive. His influence can begin before he touches the ball: a defender tracking his movement cannot simultaneously step into midfield. A pure scorer should therefore be assessed through chance quality and team role as well as touches.
What to watch in 2027: Watch whether City consistently supplies him against deep blocks and how he responds when the first passing lane is closed. A low-touch game is not automatically a poor game for this role.
Current club / official player reference
4. Julián Alvarez
Country / national team: Argentina · Club: Atlético de Madrid · Position: Forward · Age: 26 (September 26, 2026).
Recent performance — 2025/26 UEFA Champions League: 10 goals and 4 assists.
Alvarez brings scoring, combination play and willingness to work without the ball. His European return supports a place beyond the familiar category of a hard-working supporting forward. He can connect with a partner, press the first pass and arrive in the box after the initial attack has moved elsewhere. Those jobs should be considered together rather than reducing the assessment to one finishing percentage.
What to watch in 2027: Watch how his starting position changes against different opponents and whether Atlético can keep him close enough to goal after defensive work. The profile’s current club is verified for 2026/27; transfer speculation is not treated as a completed move.
Current club / official player reference
5. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Country / national team: Georgia · Club: Paris Saint-Germain · Position: Winger · Age: 25 (September 26, 2026).
Recent performance — 2025/26 UEFA Champions League: 10 goals and 6 assists.
Kvaratskhelia combines direct dribbling with end product. UEFA named him its 2025/26 Champions League Player of the Season, reinforcing the statistical case. His threat comes from making a defender commit: he can attack the outside, move inside or release a teammate when a second defender arrives. The resulting chance may belong to someone else, so successful wing play is broader than the winger’s own goals.
What to watch in 2027: Watch how opponents adjust with double coverage and how quickly he turns that attention into opportunities elsewhere. Repeating a major season involves adapting to more detailed defensive plans.
Current club / official player reference
6. Ousmane Dembélé
Country / national team: France · Club: Paris Saint-Germain · Position: Forward · Age: 29 (September 26, 2026).
Recent performance — 2025/26 UEFA Champions League: 8 goals.
Dembélé’s ability to threaten with either foot makes his next action difficult to predict. His move into a more central attacking role adds off-ball movement and finishing to the dribbling associated with his earlier career. He can drift away from a center-back and then arrive where a traditional striker would have waited. That flexibility helps explain why his role deserves analysis beyond a conventional winger’s assist total.
What to watch in 2027: Watch how he alternates between connecting the attack and finishing it. The strongest evidence will be repeatable movement and decision-making against organized opponents, not only spectacular individual moments.
Current club / official player reference
7. Michael Olise
Country / national team: France · Club: Bayern Munich · Position: Right winger / attacking midfielder · Age: 24 (September 26, 2026).
Recent performance — 2025/26 UEFA Champions League: 8 assists, joint-most in the competition.
Olise offers a creator’s case for inclusion. His left foot from the right side allows him to threaten a shot, slide a pass inside or deliver towards a forward. A defender who closes one option can open another. The European assist total is strong evidence, but it still depends on teammates converting chances; it should not be mistaken for a complete measurement of all the opportunities he creates.
What to watch in 2027: Watch the timing of his combination play with Kane and his response when teams deny the inside channel. Sustaining influence when the obvious shooting angle is blocked is an important creative test.
Current club / official player reference
8. Vitinha
Country / national team: Portugal · Club: Paris Saint-Germain · Position: Central midfielder · Age: 26 (September 26, 2026).
Recent performance — 2025/26 UEFA Champions League: 1,544 minutes in 17 appearances.
Vitinha’s contribution is often the pass before the visible chance. He offers a receiver behind the first press, changes the angle of possession and helps a team avoid becoming stretched. His European workload is evidence of continuity, not a claim that minutes alone establish quality. UEFA’s Team of the Season recognition adds role-specific support. Watching his position before receiving is often more revealing than counting his final passes.
What to watch in 2027: Watch how he maintains control when opponents press man-to-man and when PSG has to protect a lead. Progressing possession without exposing the defense is central to this midfield role.
Current club / official player reference
9. Nuno Mendes
Country / national team: Portugal · Club: Paris Saint-Germain · Position: Left-back · Age: 24 (September 26, 2026).
Recent performance — 2025/26 UEFA Champions League: 1,403 minutes in 17 appearances.
Mendes earns consideration through a demanding combination: defending a wide channel and contributing to attacks on the same flank. Recovery speed matters, but positioning determines how often recovery is necessary. His season-long European involvement and UEFA selection support the case for a defender who affects both phases. Judging him only by crosses or goals would miss the work that allows the winger ahead of him to take risks.
What to watch in 2027: Watch the timing of his forward runs and whether he can remain an attacking option without leaving large transition spaces. Different opponents may demand a more restrained or more aggressive version of his role.
Current club / official player reference
10. Marquinhos
Country / national team: Brazil · Club: Paris Saint-Germain · Position: Center-back · Age: 32 (September 26, 2026).
Recent performance — 2025/26 UEFA Champions League: 1,320 minutes in 15 appearances.
Marquinhos represents the organizer’s contribution. A center-back must judge when to follow a forward, when to hold the line and how to support the teammate stepping out. The best decision can prevent a dangerous pass altogether, leaving no tackle for a highlights package. His sustained Champions League involvement and UEFA Team of the Season place provide evidence appropriate to that role.
What to watch in 2027: Watch how he manages the space behind an ambitious press and coordinates with his defensive partner. A defender’s influence should be assessed through the shape of the unit, not isolated duels alone.
Current club / official player reference
11. David Raya
Country / national team: Spain · Club: Arsenal · Position: Goalkeeper · Age: 31 (September 26, 2026).
Recent performance — 2025/26 UEFA Champions League: 1,290 minutes in 14 appearances.
Raya’s inclusion gives the goalkeeper’s role its own criteria. Shot-stopping is essential, but claiming a cross, starting an attack and positioning behind a high defensive line can also change a game. His European workload and UEFA Team of the Season selection support the case. Minutes are included as participation context; they are not a substitute for a save-quality analysis or a claim that Arsenal’s defensive record belongs to one player.
What to watch in 2027: Watch his decisions when a press removes the short pass and when opponents deliberately target the penalty area with deliveries. Goalkeeping quality includes choosing the right action before a save becomes necessary.
Current club / official player reference
12. Vinícius Júnior
Country / national team: Brazil · Club: Real Madrid · Position: Winger · Age: 26 (September 26, 2026).
Recent performance — 2025/26 UEFA Champions League: 5 goals and 8 assists.
Vinícius gives a team a route forward when its passing structure is under pressure. Carrying the ball past a defender can force the next opponent to leave position, creating a chain of openings. His joint-leading European assist total underlines the importance of what follows the dribble. A winger’s value is not just the number of opponents beaten but whether the action produces a useful next pass or shot.
What to watch in 2027: Watch his choices after attracting a second defender, particularly the timing of cutbacks and combinations. Consistent decision-making can be more consequential than attempting an extra take-on.
Current club / official player reference
13. Federico Valverde
Country / national team: Uruguay · Club: Real Madrid · Position: Central / wide midfielder · Age: 28 (September 26, 2026).
Recent performance — 2025/26 UEFA Champions League: 1,162 minutes, 3 goals and 4 assists.
Valverde makes this list for the range of problems he helps solve. He can support a wide attack, cover an advancing teammate and carry possession through a transition. Those tasks do not fit neatly into a single attacking statistic. His European minutes and goal contributions establish a recent performance base, while the editorial case rests on his ability to connect parts of a team that might otherwise become separated.
What to watch in 2027: Watch how his responsibilities shift with Madrid’s midfield balance. The useful question is whether the team remains connected when he moves forward, not simply whether his shooting total increases.
Current club / official player reference
14. Achraf Hakimi
Country / national team: Morocco · Club: Paris Saint-Germain · Position: Right-back / wing-back · Age: 27 (September 26, 2026).
Recent performance — 2025/26 UEFA Champions League: 6 assists in 13 appearances.
Hakimi offers attacking output from a nominal defensive position. His runs can stretch the back line even when a teammate keeps the ball, and the timing of an overlap changes a winger’s options. The assist total supports that attacking influence, but a full assessment must also consider the space left behind. A productive full-back is part of a coordinated system rather than an extra forward operating without consequences.
What to watch in 2027: Watch how PSG protects his forward movement and how he balances aggressive positioning with recovery. The most revealing matches are those in which the opposing winger threatens the same channel.
Current club / official player reference
15. Willian Pacho
Country / national team: Ecuador · Club: Paris Saint-Germain · Position: Center-back · Age: 24 (September 26, 2026).
Recent performance — 2025/26 UEFA Champions League: 1,560 minutes in 17 appearances.
Pacho adds a different defensive profile and a useful counterweight to an attack-heavy shortlist. His European minutes show sustained involvement at the highest club level. As a left-footed center-back, he also helps shape the passing angles available from the back. That does not automatically make every pass progressive; the important judgment is whether possession advances while the defense retains a stable position.
What to watch in 2027: Watch his decisions when pulled towards the touchline and his ability to find the next pass under pressure. Development in those situations matters more than a center-back accumulating occasional goals.
Current club / official player reference
16. Alexia Putellas
Country / national team: Spain · Club: London City Lionesses · Position: Attacking midfielder · Age: 32 (September 26, 2026).
Recent performance — 2025/26 UEFA Women’s Champions League: 7 goals and 7 assists for Barcelona.
Putellas combines final-third passing with well-timed arrivals in scoring positions. Her 2025/26 European output and UEFA Player of the Season award make the recent case clear. The important current detail is the club change: she joined London City Lionesses in July 2026. Her Barcelona statistics remain evidence of the completed season; they must not be relabeled as London City performances.
What to watch in 2027: Watch how she adapts her combinations and positional freedom to a different team. Spain has qualified for Brazil 2027, but qualification does not confirm any individual player’s selection for the final squad.
Current club / official player reference
17. Ewa Pajor
Country / national team: Poland · Club: Barcelona · Position: Center-forward · Age: 29 (September 26, 2026).
Recent performance — 2025/26 UEFA Women’s Champions League: 11 goals and 2 assists.
Pajor finished as the 2025/26 Women’s Champions League top scorer. Her case starts with the ability to find the space a passing team is trying to create. Rather than waiting in one location, a striker can adjust across the defensive line and turn a cutback into a clear finish. The goal total is compelling evidence, while the movement leading to those opportunities explains why she fits this particular attack.
What to watch in 2027: Watch her combinations with Barcelona’s wide creators and whether she can remain decisive against opponents who protect the center. Poland’s World Cup participation should not be assumed while qualification remains unfinished.
Current club / official player reference
18. Alessia Russo
Country / national team: England · Club: Arsenal · Position: Center-forward · Age: 27 (September 26, 2026).
Recent performance — 2025/26 UEFA Women’s Champions League: 9 goals and 2 assists.
Russo combines a striker’s scoring responsibilities with work that connects midfield and attack. Her European output is supported by a separate domestic reference: the WSL lists 13 goals in 22 appearances in 2025/26. Those are different competition totals and are not merged here. A forward can help a team progress by securing the ball under pressure before making a second movement towards the goal.
What to watch in 2027: Watch her effectiveness when Arsenal faces a compact defense and has to create through combinations. England’s qualifying status and the eventual World Cup squad should be checked separately from her club form.
Current club / official player reference
19. Pernille Harder
Country / national team: Denmark · Club: Bayern Munich · Position: Forward / attacking midfielder · Age: 33 (September 26, 2026).
Recent performance — 2025/26 UEFA Women’s Champions League: 8 goals and 3 assists.
Harder is included for her ability to influence attacks from more than one starting position. She can receive between midfield and defense, combine with a striker or arrive as the finisher herself. That flexibility makes a conventional position label incomplete. Her European goal contributions provide recent evidence, while the quality of her movement helps explain how those contributions arise within a team structure.
What to watch in 2027: Watch how Bayern uses her against opponents that defend narrowly and how Denmark builds around its attacking options. Denmark is qualified for Brazil, but individual selection and availability remain matters for the national coach.
Current club / official player reference
20. Melchie Dumornay
Country / national team: Haiti · Club: OL Lyonnes · Position: Attacking midfielder / forward · Age: 23 (September 26, 2026).
Recent performance — 2025/26 UEFA Women’s Champions League: 5 goals and 1 assist.
Dumornay offers the ability to change the pace of an attack. She can receive in a crowded area and carry the ball towards the defense rather than merely circulating possession around it. Her European output and UEFA Team of the Season selection support the case, but her role is broader than a scorer’s. The threat of a direct run can create passing space for teammates beside her.
What to watch in 2027: Watch her decisions at the end of those carries and how opponents try to prevent her receiving on the turn. Haiti still has qualification work to do, so a Brazil appearance is not a confirmed fact.
Current club / official player reference
21. Caroline Graham Hansen
Country / national team: Norway · Club: Barcelona · Position: Winger · Age: 31 (September 26, 2026).
Recent performance — 2025/26 UEFA Women’s Champions League: 4 goals and 4 assists.
Graham Hansen provides a route around a defense rather than only through its center. Her close control invites a defender to commit, and her next action can be a delivery, combination or run towards the box. The balanced European goal and assist figures give a recent reference point, but the larger tactical value is the space she helps open for Barcelona’s central players.
What to watch in 2027: Watch how she responds to double coverage and whether the far-side movement gives her useful targets. Norway’s qualification remains separate from the individual quality that earns her a place in this watchlist.
Current club / official player reference
22. Linda Caicedo
Country / national team: Colombia · Club: Real Madrid · Position: Winger / attacking midfielder · Age: 21 (September 26, 2026).
Recent performance — 2025/26 UEFA Women’s Champions League: 4 goals and 4 assists.
Caicedo supplies a younger creative profile without being selected merely for potential. Her completed European campaign already contains meaningful output. She can change direction in tight spaces and carry possession from an awkward starting position into an attacking one. That ability is especially valuable when an opponent’s shape has blocked the obvious pass. The next decision after the carry determines how much the opening is worth.
What to watch in 2027: Watch her consistency against defenses that focus their coverage on her flank. Colombia has qualified for Brazil, creating a major national-team context, but this is not confirmation of her place in the tournament squad.
Current club / official player reference
23. Wendie Renard
Country / national team: France · Club: OL Lyonnes · Position: Center-back · Age: 36 (September 26, 2026).
Recent performance — 2025/26 UEFA Women’s Champions League: 4 goals.
Renard’s four European goals are an additional contribution, not the reason to judge her as a defender. The central case is organization, aerial responsibility and the ability to manage a back line through different phases. UEFA’s Team of the Season selection provides role-specific recognition. Set-piece threat can change an opponent’s marking plan, but defensive positioning remains the primary job against the strongest attacks.
What to watch in 2027: Watch how Lyonnes and France organize the space around her and manage transitions. France has qualified for the World Cup; any assessment of tournament participation still needs the final squad and current availability.
Current club / official player reference
24. Esmee Brugts
Country / national team: Netherlands · Club: Barcelona · Position: Wide defender / midfielder · Age: 23 (September 26, 2026).
Recent performance — 2025/26 UEFA Women’s Champions League: 4 goals and 4 assists.
Brugts makes the selection because her role crosses a simple forward-versus-defender divide. Barcelona lists her with its defenders, while UEFA’s season table uses a forward category. This guide describes the role rather than forcing those labels to agree. Her European output demonstrates attacking involvement, but evaluating her also requires attention to the position she leaves and how she recovers when possession changes.
What to watch in 2027: Watch the balance between width, inside movement and defensive responsibility. A versatile player’s progress is best judged by how well the different tasks fit together, not by treating every appearance as the same position.
Current club / official player reference
25. Cata Coll
Country / national team: Spain · Club: Barcelona · Position: Goalkeeper · Age: 25 (September 26, 2026).
Recent performance — 2025/26 UEFA Women’s Champions League: 11 appearances; 8 goals conceded.
Coll gives the women’s game a goalkeeper in this selection. UEFA named her to its 2025/26 Team of the Season. Her goals-conceded total is provided with appearances because a raw number without exposure is misleading, and it remains a team-context statistic. A goalkeeper behind a possession-dominant side can face long quiet periods followed by a demanding intervention, making concentration and starting position especially important.
What to watch in 2027: Watch her distribution under a coordinated press and her judgment when leaving the line. Spain’s qualification provides World Cup context, but no goalkeeper’s selection should be treated as settled before the squad announcement.
Current club / official player reference
How to use this watchlist while watching a match
Pick one player and observe a sequence without following only the ball. For a winger, watch the moment a defender turns their hips. For a midfielder, look at the space available before the pass arrives. For a center-back, notice whether the first step is forward, sideways or towards goal. Those small decisions help explain the statistics after the match and distinguish repeatable quality from a memorable single action.
Then compare the player against the demands of that match. A full-back asked to stay behind the ball should not be criticized simply for producing fewer crosses. A striker facing a deep defense may contribute by holding a center-back in place. The role can change within one game; a rigid label is only a starting point.
2027 context: what is confirmed and what is not
The Women’s World Cup in Brazil is scheduled for June 24–July 25, 2027. Some national teams represented here have qualified, while others are still in the qualification process. No profile is a confirmed tournament squad announcement. The continuation of club seasons into 2027 is also a sporting context, not a guarantee that every club will reach a particular European round.
Current injuries, future transfers and expected lineups are not guessed. A useful update to this page should recheck the club, role, availability and new performance sample together. Simply changing the year in the title would leave the evidence misleading. Until a later review, the dated 2025/26 figures remain the benchmark shown here.
Frequently asked questions
Is this an official ranking?
No. It is DayZora’s editorial watchlist. The numbers help navigation and do not establish an objective order across roles or between men’s and women’s football.
Why use 2026 evidence in a 2027 article?
The article is an early watchlist published before 2027. It labels that timing prominently and does not invent future goals, trophies or appearances.
Why are so many players based in Europe?
The reviewed performance sample is the completed UEFA club season. That creates a disclosed selection bias. This is not an exhaustive scouting assessment of every league in the world.
Are the goals and assists full-season club totals?
No. Unless otherwise identified, they are UEFA main-tournament figures for 2025/26. Domestic league numbers are separately labeled and should not be mixed with them.
Does a World Cup reference mean the player will participate?
No. The team must qualify and the player must be selected and available. The final squad announcements are separate from both this watchlist and the qualifying results.
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