Our top 10 left-footed players in world football today have all made a resounding impact on a game that values versatility and unpredictability. But who comes out on top?
Of course, left-footed players are in the minority. But they prove invaluable at times, especially when they can play in an inverted role, bomb forward as a traditional winger, and launch Exocets like a prime Kevin Sheedy or John Arne Riise.
Neither of those particular examples makes this list, as it is all about the here and now. So, without further ado, we present our top 10 sensational southpaws.
Please also note that our picks have been inspired by who are currently the favourites to win the 2025 Ballon d'Or, the prestigious trophy awarded to the player deemed the best in the world at the time, based on certain odds from various bookmakers. The likes of Arsenal and Manchester City stars Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden miss out because of this.
Best left-footed players Current club Senior club-level goals Left-footed goalsOusmane Dembele
PSG
105
40
Lamine Yamal
Barcelona
27
22
Mohamed Salah
Liverpool
324
194
Raphinha
Barcelona
119
52
Cole Palmer
Chelsea
92
28
Fabian Ruiz
PSG
44
34
Nuno Mendes
PSG
11
7
Lionel Messi
Inter Miami
772
480
Michael Olise
Bayern Munich
55
34
Erling Haaland
Manchester City
264
139
*Includes only goals classed as a ‘left-footed shot’ on Transfermarkt.
Top 10 left-footed players in world football today: Our picks
It is amazing to think that Manchester City and Norway international superstar Erling Haaland only just makes the list. Indeed, he has been scoring goals for fun ever since making the switch to the Etihad Stadium from Borussia Dortmund.
Haaland's goals helped the Cityzens win an unprecedented treble in the 2022/23 season, and he currently holds the record for most goals scored in a single Premier League campaign (36). Nonetheless, the left-footed beast is sure to terrorise defences for the years to come!
Haaland has enjoyed a great individual start to the 2025/26 season with City, despite them losing two of their opening four games in the Premier League at the time of writing. Indeed, he currently leads the top scorer charts with a total of five goals to his name so far, including a brace in City's 3-0 win at home to bitter local rivals Manchester United in the Manchester derby last time out.
9) Michael Olise (Bayern Munich)
Our first and only representative from the Bundesliga on this list is Bayern Munich and France international winger Michael Olise. Indeed, he enjoyed a superb debut season out in Germany in 2024/25, helping Bayern wrestle the title back off of rivals Bayer Leverkusen.
Olise is a player with a lot of flair and trickery, while he is also very dangerous from a dead ball as shown on a number of occasions in the Premier League in his days as a Crystal Palace player. Nonetheless, he is also still relatively young, and it is somewhat scary to think that he has not quite hit his prime just yet.
Many regard him as the best player of all time, and Lionel Messi still ranks on our list despite being at the final stage of his phenomenal footballing career. The Inter Miami star has still not lost his technical ability, and makes the MLS his personal playground at times.
It should also be noted that Messi is currently the record Ballon d'Or holder, having won the prestigious trophy an astonishing eight times in his footballing career so far.
7) Fabian Ruiz (PSG)
Fabian Ruiz was part of an instrumental midfield that helped PSG win an unprecedented treble in the 2024/25 season. He was also a key player for Spain in their Euro 2024 triumph.
Our second of two defenders on this list is the flying PSG full-back Nuno Mendes. Widely regarded as one of if not the best in his position in world football, the left-back helped the Parisians win a memorable treble in the 2024/25 campaign, and also won the UEFA Nations League (UNL) with Portugal.
5) Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
Cole Palmer's form dipped towards the end of the 2024/25 season, but there is still no denying that the Chelsea man is a super talent. In his debut campaign for the Blues, he produced an alarming number of goals and assists, and has undoubtedly been one of the Premier League's best players over the last two seasons, while he also helped win the UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL) and FIFA Club World Cup (CWC), scoring a brace in the final of the latter to help beat tournament favourites PSG 3-0.
Palmer is already off the mark for the new 2025/26 Premier League campaign despite nursing an injury in its early stages. Indeed, the England international attacking midfield player scored on his return in a 2-2 draw for Chelsea away at West London rivals Brentford last time out.
Raphinha is currently the fourth-favourite to win the 2025 Ballon d'Or, and is hard to argue against him potentially winning it due to Barcelona's La Liga triumph and UCL run in the 2024/25 campaign. The Brazilian not only lights up the big stage with his flair and trickery, but he has also backed it up with a phenomenal number of goals and assists in a Barca shirt this season.
3) Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Considering the season that he has had, it seems so harsh to only have Mohamed Salah in third place in this list. The Egyptian King has put up exceptional numbers for Liverpool in terms of goals and assists, as the Reds won the Premier League title.
He also equalled the Premier League record for most goal contributions in one single season, notching up a combined 47 goals and assists in total in the 2024/25 campaign. Salah has followed those numbers up with a further two goals in Liverpool's opening four league matches in the 2025/26 campaign, helping the Reds make a perfect start in terms of their title defence.
Lamine Yamal is simply a phenomenon considering his tender years, and is currently the bookmakers' second-favourite for the Ballon d'Or after an astonishing performance against Inter Milan in the semi-final first-leg of the UCL in the 2024/25 season, where Barcelona drew 3-3 at home. The Spain prodigy has shone for both club and country on the biggest of stages already, and has such a big future ahead of him.
1) Ousmane Dembele (PSG)
Ousmane Dembele has had an outstanding year, and is currently the favourite with bookmakers to win the 2025 Ballon d'Or. He has helped PSG already wrap up a historic treble, and his volume of goals since the turn of the year has been pivotal.
Given the phenomenal year that he has had, Dembele is also our choice to win this year's Ballon d'Or, and the France international forward also just so happens to be left-footed! However, there is still plenty of time for the other stars on this list to stake their claim before the official award is given out.
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