Football is a team sport that requires a collective responsibility to attract success. However, there’s a central figure who is expected to gather the bunch and make the final calls.
Captains are the leaders of the team, and the success of every team depends on who is in charge of the on-field pep talk, even though he is not great on the pitch. That said, we’ve watched some of the best captains over the years make decisions that have turned out to be invaluable.
In modern football, we’ve had the luxury of watching iconic names like Sergio Ramos, Steven Gerrard, Francesco Totti, and Manuel Neuer put on the armband.
Interesting Football brings you the best captain in world football right now.
1. Lionel Messi
Today marks exactly 110 days since Argentina captained by the GOAT Lionel Messi won the World Cup 🤯🏆 pic.twitter.com/ad0Yx4YAah
— Barça Worldwide (@BarcaWorldwide) April 7, 2023
Lionel Messi is arguably one of the greatest players ever in football. The Argentine has played a significant role in the teams he has played for, including Barcelona, PSG, and the Argentina Men’s National Football team.
He joined Paris Saint-Germain following a successful following his 21-year stay at Barcelona, winning La Liga several times, four Champions League titles, and a Club World Cup trophy.
What are Messi’s contributions as captain lately?
Messi was outstanding as he led Argentina to lift the 2022 FIFA World Cup title during the finals in Qatar. His first attempt ended in a runner-up position in 2014.
It has been awesome how he led Argentina to lift the Copa America in 2021 and the World Cup within two years.
2. Karim Benzema
It is interesting to see how Karim Benzema has evolved into one of the most lethal forwards in world football. The Frenchman was not the main goal-scoring machine at the club, even though he was a key contributor to the team in the past.
However, he is now the main striker for Real Madrid since the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo as he defied the odds to become the best in Europe and eventually won the Ballon d’Or award.
Benzema helped Real Madrid as captain to lift the La Liga Champions League in 2022 and the FIFA Club World Cup in 2023.
His position remains unchallenged and has kept the team going with the presence of Luka Modrić and Toni Kroos.
3. Luka Modric
Luka Modric single handedly leaded the Croatian National Team to glory in the World Cup for two times in a row. For a nation which has a low amount of population is extremely impressive. My Favorite Player for a reason! pic.twitter.com/Nlw03eP8k0
— Fuzzy (@FuzzyRMD) April 4, 2023
Luka Modric continues to reign as one of the greatest team leaders in world football. The Croatian star is also ranked as one of the greatest players in football history.
He plays for Real Madrid, where he has won an unprecedented number of trophies with the club, including La Liga, Champions League, Copa del Rey, UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup.
However, Modrić’s leadership goes beyond club football. At the international level, he leads the Croatian Men’s national football team nicknamed The ‘Blazers.’
Luka Modric took his country to two outstanding finishes at the World Cup finals in 2018 and 2022. The initial tournament saw the Eastern Europeans finish runners while the latter was a fourth-place finish.
4. Romain Saïss
📸Romain Saiss.🛡️ pic.twitter.com/jb10W0OzA5
— Beşiktaş Yetiyor (@BJKYetiyor) April 11, 2023
Roman Saïss is one of the star players for the Moroccan Men’s National Football team at the World Cup in Qatar. The centre-back, while performing his defensive duties, was backing the team with his leadership skills.
Saïss led the Atlas Lions to finish fourth at the World Cup in Qatar after eliminating some of the biggest teams, including Spain and Portugal, in the competition’s knockout stages.
He plays for the Turkish Super Lig club Beşiktaş and is actively involved in the team. This season, he has been a regular in the defence. His contributions to the national team have also helped reshape the countries in international football.
5. Harry Kane
Have you ever wondered why Harry Kane is England’s team captain? Well, many considerations were made, and you may agree with me. He justifies it to some extent depending on how you see it.
He was picked for the top role because he is a guaranteed starter, and the most unquestionable part is his consistent goal-scoring. Kane, before 2018 when he was selected, ended up as the highest goal scorer at the World Cup in 2018.
England finished runners-up in the European Championship following the loss to Italy in 2021.
Fast forward to 2023, and Harry Kane is England’s all-time top scorer. Apart from that, his immense contributions to the Three Lions have been outstanding.
6. Sebastian Rode
Sebastian Rode and Frankfurt with the #MondayMotivation 🏆👏#UELfinal pic.twitter.com/7y3pti9aQx
— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) May 23, 2022
Yeah, fans would be surprised to see his name here, but he deserves to be here. Do you remember Sebastian Rode at Bayern Munich between 2014 and 2016?
He joined the Bavarians after dazzling form at Eintracht Frankfurt. However, he did not remain with the Bavarians and was headed for rivals Dortmund.
Rode returned to the Eagles, where he rose to stardom, initially on loan for his second stint before eventually making it permanent. That said, he became a star player in Oliver Glasner’s team and was handed the captain armband following the decision to the German coach.
Sebastian Rode helped Eintracht Frankfurt lift the UEFA Europa League title at the expense of Scottish giants Rangers FC. The Eagles would be remembered for their evasive fans who attend matches in an overwhelming number.
Frankfurt qualified for the Champions League, got past the Group stages, and made it to the round of 16.
7. Martin Odegaard
Martin Odegaard 🦘 pic.twitter.com/hqb7t2spBV
— Le African Gooner (@leafricangooner) March 30, 2023
Well, every Premier League football fan would acknowledge the contributions of Martin Ødegaard to the team. He was picked to be captain of Arsenal and doubles as captain of the Norwegian men’s football team, a position he has held since 2011.
Ødegaard has been in fine form for the Gunners this season and has matched his qualities on and off the pitch. Thanks to his leadership, Arsenal is in the title race.
8. İlkay Gündoğan
İlkay Gündoğan is arguably one of the best names in world football today. The German has been outstanding for Manchester City since he arrived from Borussia Dortmund in 2016.
The leadership positions at Man City were left vacant following the departure of Fernandinho. Voted by his teammates and under his watch, Manchester City has been thriving just as they’ve been in the last couple of seasons.
Gündogan has won four Premier League titles as a City player and looks like he may lift the trophy with the Citizens as captain after scoring two comeback goals in 2022 to help the club edge Liverpool to the crown.
9. Giovanni Di Lorenzo
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A bullet header from Giovanni Di Lorenzo has @en_sscnapoli ahead at the break! #LecceNapoli pic.twitter.com/6kEgfu7c96
— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) April 7, 2023
Well, Giovanni Di Lorenzo could be hailed as one of the greatest captains in AS Roma history due to his role that helped the club lift its first European football trophy, the UEFA Europa Conference League, in the finals in 2022.
The Italian was picked to lead the team in 2021. He built a good relationship with head coach Jose Mourinho, who brought significant changes to the team.
For Giovanni Di Lorenzo, nothing sweeter than being the captain of his hometown club. And this has made him get better and better.
10. Lorenzo Pellegrini
Lorenzo Pellegrini | #TorinoRoma pic.twitter.com/6VVGAIMhsP
— 𝗔𝗦 𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗔 𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 (@asroma_images) April 8, 2023
Lorenzo Pellegrini is the team captain of Napoli and one of the reasons the team has been thriving in the domestic scene and Europe.
At a time when the club has witnessed the departure of some of its biggest players, including Lorenzo Insigne, Fabián Ruiz, and Dries Mertens, the Partenopei have been a surprise team.
Head coach Luciano Spalletti has done a great job with the current players. He is expected to win the Italian Serie A title, the club’s first in thirty years, after establishing a strong league with few games.
