The best players in the game
The strongest 40 players across all 28 leagues, then the top ten in each position. These are the names that decide matches — and the ones a title challenge usually has to buy.
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Every number here is Gaffa’s own in-game rating, generated for gameplay balance from publicly available squad data. They are not scouting assessments of real footballers and are not sourced from any third-party ratings provider.
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Top 40 overall
| Player | Age | Position | Role | Nation | Club | League | Rating | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M. Salah | 33 | Midfielder | RM | Egypt | Liverpool | Premier League | 91 | £6.8m |
| K. Mbappé | 26 | Forward | ST | France | Real Madrid | La Liga | 91 | £14m |
| V. van Dijk | 33 | Defender | CB | Netherlands | Liverpool | Premier League | 90 | £4.8m |
| Rodri | 29 | Midfielder | CDM | Spain | Manchester City | Premier League | 90 | £8.5m |
| E. Haaland | 24 | Forward | ST | Norway | Manchester City | Premier League | 90 | £13m |
| J. Bellingham | 22 | Midfielder | CAM | England | Real Madrid | La Liga | 90 | £15m |
| O. Dembélé | 28 | Forward | ST | France | Paris Saint-Germain | Ligue 1 | 90 | £10m |
| F. Wirtz | 22 | Midfielder | CAM | Germany | Liverpool | Premier League | 89 | £13m |
| Alisson | 32 | Goalkeeper | GK | Brazil | Liverpool | Premier League | 89 | £4.3m |
| G. Donnarumma | 26 | Goalkeeper | GK | Italy | Manchester City | Premier League | 89 | £8.1m |
| F. Valverde | 26 | Midfielder | CDM | Uruguay | Real Madrid | La Liga | 89 | £10m |
| Vini Jr. | 24 | Midfielder | LM | Brazil | Real Madrid | La Liga | 89 | £12m |
| T. Courtois | 33 | Goalkeeper | GK | Belgium | Real Madrid | La Liga | 89 | £2.8m |
| Raphinha | 28 | Midfielder | LM | Brazil | FC Barcelona | La Liga | 89 | £8.7m |
| Pedri | 22 | Midfielder | CDM | Spain | FC Barcelona | La Liga | 89 | £12m |
| Lamine Yamal | 17 | Midfielder | RM | Spain | FC Barcelona | La Liga | 89 | £12m |
| J. Kimmich | 30 | Midfielder | CDM | Germany | FC Bayern München | Bundesliga | 89 | £7.2m |
| H. Kane | 31 | Forward | ST | England | FC Bayern München | Bundesliga | 89 | £7.3m |
| A. Hakimi | 26 | Defender | RB | Morocco | Paris Saint-Germain | Ligue 1 | 89 | £9.3m |
| Vitinha | 25 | Midfielder | CM | Portugal | Paris Saint-Germain | Ligue 1 | 89 | £11m |
| A. Isak | 25 | Forward | ST | Sweden | Liverpool | Premier League | 88 | £9.3m |
| B. Saka | 23 | Forward | RW | England | Arsenal | Premier League | 88 | £9.9m |
| Gabriel | 27 | Defender | CB | Brazil | Arsenal | Premier League | 88 | £7.0m |
| R. Lewandowski | 36 | Forward | ST | Poland | FC Barcelona | La Liga | 88 | £2.6m |
| J. Oblak | 32 | Goalkeeper | GK | Slovenia | Atlético Madrid | La Liga | 88 | £3.8m |
| L. Martínez | 27 | Forward | ST | Argentina | Inter | Serie A | 88 | £8.3m |
| J. Musiala | 22 | Midfielder | CAM | Germany | FC Bayern München | Bundesliga | 88 | £11m |
| A. Mac Allister | 26 | Midfielder | CDM | Argentina | Liverpool | Premier League | 87 | £7.8m |
| D. Rice | 26 | Midfielder | CM | England | Arsenal | Premier League | 87 | £7.0m |
| M. Ødegaard | 26 | Midfielder | CM | Norway | Arsenal | Premier League | 87 | £8.2m |
| V. Gyökeres | 27 | Forward | ST | Sweden | Arsenal | Premier League | 87 | £7.8m |
| W. Saliba | 24 | Defender | CB | France | Arsenal | Premier League | 87 | £7.7m |
| David Raya | 29 | Goalkeeper | GK | Spain | Arsenal | Premier League | 87 | £4.5m |
| M. Caicedo | 23 | Midfielder | CDM | Ecuador | Chelsea | Premier League | 87 | £7.8m |
| C. Palmer | 23 | Midfielder | CAM | England | Chelsea | Premier League | 87 | £9.1m |
| Bruno Fernandes | 30 | Midfielder | CM | Portugal | Manchester United | Premier League | 87 | £6.4m |
| F. de Jong | 28 | Midfielder | CDM | Netherlands | FC Barcelona | La Liga | 87 | £6.6m |
| J. Koundé | 26 | Defender | RB | France | FC Barcelona | La Liga | 87 | £7.1m |
| J. Alvarez | 25 | Forward | ST | Argentina | Atlético Madrid | La Liga | 87 | £8.9m |
| N. Barella | 28 | Midfielder | CM | Italy | Inter | Serie A | 87 | £6.6m |
Best goalkeepers
| Player | Age | Role | Club | League | Rating | Potential | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alisson | 32 | GK | Liverpool | Premier League | 89 | 89 | £4.3m |
| G. Donnarumma | 26 | GK | Manchester City | Premier League | 89 | 91 | £8.1m |
| T. Courtois | 33 | GK | Real Madrid | La Liga | 89 | 89 | £2.8m |
| J. Oblak | 32 | GK | Atlético Madrid | La Liga | 88 | 88 | £3.8m |
| David Raya | 29 | GK | Arsenal | Premier League | 87 | 87 | £4.5m |
| Y. Sommer | 36 | GK | Inter | Serie A | 87 | 87 | £750k |
| M. Maignan | 29 | GK | AC Milan | Serie A | 87 | 88 | £5.1m |
| M. ter Stegen | 33 | GK | FC Barcelona | La Liga | 86 | 86 | £1.8m |
| G. Kobel | 27 | GK | Borussia Dortmund | Bundesliga | 86 | 89 | £5.5m |
| E. Martínez | 32 | GK | Aston Villa | Premier League | 85 | 85 | £2.2m |
Best defenders
| Player | Age | Role | Club | League | Rating | Potential | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V. van Dijk | 33 | CB | Liverpool | Premier League | 90 | 90 | £4.8m |
| A. Hakimi | 26 | RB | Paris Saint-Germain | Ligue 1 | 89 | 90 | £9.3m |
| Gabriel | 27 | CB | Arsenal | Premier League | 88 | 88 | £7.0m |
| W. Saliba | 24 | CB | Arsenal | Premier League | 87 | 89 | £7.7m |
| J. Koundé | 26 | RB | FC Barcelona | La Liga | 87 | 88 | £7.1m |
| A. Bastoni | 26 | CB | Inter | Serie A | 87 | 89 | £7.3m |
| J. Tah | 29 | CB | FC Bayern München | Bundesliga | 87 | 87 | £5.5m |
| Marquinhos | 31 | CB | Paris Saint-Germain | Ligue 1 | 87 | 87 | £4.5m |
| I. Konaté | 26 | CB | Liverpool | Premier League | 86 | 87 | £5.8m |
| Rúben Dias | 28 | CB | Manchester City | Premier League | 86 | 87 | £5.4m |
Best midfielders
| Player | Age | Role | Club | League | Rating | Potential | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M. Salah | 33 | RM | Liverpool | Premier League | 91 | 91 | £6.8m |
| Rodri | 29 | CDM | Manchester City | Premier League | 90 | 90 | £8.5m |
| J. Bellingham | 22 | CAM | Real Madrid | La Liga | 90 | 94 | £15m |
| F. Wirtz | 22 | CAM | Liverpool | Premier League | 89 | 93 | £13m |
| F. Valverde | 26 | CDM | Real Madrid | La Liga | 89 | 90 | £10m |
| Vini Jr. | 24 | LM | Real Madrid | La Liga | 89 | 92 | £12m |
| Raphinha | 28 | LM | FC Barcelona | La Liga | 89 | 89 | £8.7m |
| Pedri | 22 | CDM | FC Barcelona | La Liga | 89 | 93 | £12m |
| Lamine Yamal | 17 | RM | FC Barcelona | La Liga | 89 | 95 | £12m |
| J. Kimmich | 30 | CDM | FC Bayern München | Bundesliga | 89 | 89 | £7.2m |
Best forwards
| Player | Age | Role | Club | League | Rating | Potential | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| K. Mbappé | 26 | ST | Real Madrid | La Liga | 91 | 94 | £14m |
| E. Haaland | 24 | ST | Manchester City | Premier League | 90 | 92 | £13m |
| O. Dembélé | 28 | ST | Paris Saint-Germain | Ligue 1 | 90 | 90 | £10m |
| H. Kane | 31 | ST | FC Bayern München | Bundesliga | 89 | 89 | £7.3m |
| A. Isak | 25 | ST | Liverpool | Premier League | 88 | 89 | £9.3m |
| B. Saka | 23 | RW | Arsenal | Premier League | 88 | 90 | £9.9m |
| R. Lewandowski | 36 | ST | FC Barcelona | La Liga | 88 | 88 | £2.6m |
| L. Martínez | 27 | ST | Inter | Serie A | 88 | 88 | £8.3m |
| V. Gyökeres | 27 | ST | Arsenal | Premier League | 87 | 88 | £7.8m |
| J. Alvarez | 25 | ST | Atlético Madrid | La Liga | 87 | 90 | £8.9m |
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Common questions
Can I sign any of these players?
In principle, if you can afford the fee and the wages and they fancy the move. In practice the very top of this list is out of reach for most clubs in their first season, which is rather the point of a career save.
Do these ratings match other football games?
No. They are Gaffa’s own numbers, built for balance inside this match engine from public squad data. Comparing them to another game’s ratings is not meaningful.
How often does this list change?
It is regenerated whenever the squad data is rebuilt, which happens each season. Within a save, ratings move as players develop, age and lose form.
Go and sign them
Pick a club, open the transfer market and see how far the budget stretches. Free, in your browser, nothing to install.