list-21-40-8x5-1.png
CBS Sports design

Our first ever Golazo 100, CBS Sports' attempt to rank the best men's footballers in the sport, is finally complete! An arduous undertaking, more than 30 experts from across CBS Sports picking their peak talent with no criteria other than those they made for themselves, concludes with Kylian Mbappe as its inaugural winner! Not too shabby a start to June then for the man who is set to fulfil his boyhood dream at Real Madrid.

He'll be lining up with several other names from our top 10, one dominated by Real Madrid and in particular Manchester City, who have four representatives on this final selection. There's plenty of big name English talent, an awful lot of goals but remarkably no Ballon d'Or winner in a sign of the changing of the guard at the peak of elite football. Read on to learn more about our top 10 and we'll see you back later in the year for our ranking of the best player's in the women's game. Then roll on 2025 and Golazo 100, year two!

Golazo 100 schedule

Be sure to tune into Golazo Network, including Morning Footy to start your day with a breakdown of each batch of top players released every day. And, of course, make sure to check out the full breakdown and analysis of who was ranked where and why

top-6-10-8x5.png
CBS Sports design

10. Lautaro Martinez -- Forward, Inter

The 26-year-old Argentina international just finished his sixth straight season of at least 19 goals at Inter Milan, putitng away 27 this season, 24 of which came in Serie A. The quick, versatile former Racing Club man can dominate in a variety of ways, but it's his agility and ability to get off quick shots that make him a prolific goalscorer. On the verge of entering his prime, it surely feels like some 30-goal seasons are on the horizon for him, and that is what may be keeping him from being higher on this list. His lack of scoring in Champions League and serving more as a backup for his national team see him failing to reach the heights many think he can, at least for now. But there is no shortage of potential there. Is he a player who doesn't deliver when the lights shine the brightest? Replaced by Julian Alvarez as Argentina's main striker at the 2022 World Cup, he's got one goal in 10 games for his country since 2023. But a strong summer at the Copa America is where it can all chance, and where he can catapult himself into contention as the very best striker in the world. If he starts to deliver a bit more for his national team, he'll crack the top five next season. -- Roger Gonzalez

9. Mohamed Salah -- Right Wing, Liverpool

Salah's season may have been defined by injuries as he had to pull out of the Africa Cup of Nations for Egypt and missed seven matches for Liverpool due to hamstring and muscular issues, but when available, Salah confirmed one thing -- he still one of the best scorers and creators that the Premier League has seen. The fact that 25 goals and 14 assists is just an average season for Salah now shows just how high standards are for the Egyptian. Now entering a new era at Liverpool under Arnie Slot, it will be a chance for a new challenge for Salah as it will truly be his Liverpool team after Jurgen Klopp's departure. How that goes will be largely down to Salah's performances, but as we've seen, there's no reason to doubt him for moving Liverpool forward. The Reds already saw a season during which they had a chance at a quadruple end with no silverware and that's enough to fuel them especially as they return to Champions League play during the next season. -- Chuck Booth

8. Phil Foden -- Winger/Midfield, Manchester City

Winning the Premier League player of the year, Phil Foden has officially arrived. Stepping up when Kevin De Bruyne was injured and then being among the first to score critical goals for City, Foden has repaid the faith that Pep Guardiola has had in him over the years. Growing by the day, there's a chance that sooner than later Foden could become the first English player to win the Ballon d'Or since Michael Owen in 2001 (provided somebody further up this list doesn't do it first). The numbers speak for themselves with 27 goals and 11 assists in all competitions being quite the output for a midfielder and in winning the Premier League Foden has already captured his 17th club trophy by the age of 24 which is quite a collection. It can be easy to take those for granted, but over the past few seasons he has been one of the main reasons for City's success. There's no limit to how high Foden can rise a as he has a fearless style that no one can stop when he decides to go for goal, and in fairness, he's right. Shooting first and asking questions later isn't a bad way to roll around the pitch. -- Chuck Booth

7. Kevin De Bruyne -- Midfield, Manchester City

Manchester City might have fallen short in their quest to defend their UEFA Champions League title and also lost the FA Cup final to bitter rivals United, but they still got another Premier League title across the line which makes that six EPL crowns for the Belgium international. Kevin De Bruyne might no longer be at the peak of his physical form after a season marked by various different injuries which restricted his game time under Pep Guardiola, but the 32-year-old remains a class act and almost unrivaled in his technical brilliance. The City schemer still managed six goals and 12 assists across all competitions and will captain the Red Devils at UEFA Euro 2024 this summer as one of -- if not the -- most influential players on Domenico Tedesco's roster. De Bruyne is now being linked with a move to Saudi Arabia, which is understandable given the uncertainty over Guardiola's future, but also City's current squad needing some fresh blood in certain positions so a move away from Etihad Stadium should not be ruled out. The Belgian himself is certainly not ruling anything out regarding his future so expect that to be an intriguing subplot during what promises to be an eventful summer. -- Jonathan Johnson

6. Harry Kane -- Forward, Bayern Munich

Harry Kane may actually be allergic to silverware after coming to Bayern Munich and seeing their 11-year run of winning the Bundesliga come to a close, but it certainly wasn't due to lack of trying on Kane's end as the England international had one of the most impressive debut seasons statistically of anyone to move to a new club. Kane did nothing but score and assist goals consistently with 44 goals and 12 assists in all competitions. There is no one in the world who can find the back of the net like Kane while also setting up their teammates and even with chaos surrounding him he was consistently excellent for Bayern Munich.

Now entering the summer with England being one of the favorites to win the Euros, the pressure will again be on Kane to lead his team to the promised land. While his window for silverware isn't one that's closing anytime soon, it has to be something that he thinks about and it feels like that once one team trophy hits Kane's hands, more will quickly follow. -- Chuck Booth

top-5-8x5-1.png
CBS Sports design

5. Rodri -- Midfield, Manchester City

The undefeated streak may be over after 74 games across nearly 18 months. There is, however, no greater affirmation of Rodri's quality than the sheer difficulty Spain and Manchester City had losing in a low-scoring, high variance sport when the most authoritative midfielder was on the field. That sheer undefeatability was one of the reasons that this particular writer had him No.1 on his ballot but there is more to Rodri than just limiting the threat of defeat.

For a midfield anchor he has a rather outsized impact on winning. He averages roughly a goal every four appearances. When he does score it tends to be in the biggest moments: breaking West Ham's resolve on the final day of the Premier League season, a crucial strike against Aston Villa two years earlier and, of course, the goal that ended City's wait for the Champions League crown. When there's silverware up for grabs, Rodri tends to make a big intervention. Honestly I wouldn't be entirely shocked if he nabs this prize at the death. -- Chuck Booth

4. Erling Haaland -- Forward, Manchester City

It might be hard to pinpoint when exactly the lore began, but one can trace it as far back as 2019, when a 19-year-old Erling Haaland scored nine goals against Honduras while representing Norway's U-20 team. The stories about his scoring escapades have barely stopped since.

Haaland's pace may have slowed somewhat during the 2023-24 season, partially through injury, but as far as sophomore slumps in the Premier League go, 38 goals in 45 games is not bad at all. Haaland picked up a second successive golden boot alongside his Premier League winners' medal and also led the league in expected goals, shots and shots on target, demonstrating that he is still worth the hype, even if he was not as sensational as he was during his breakout season in England.

At just 23, Haaland has already proved that he is his generation's greatest striker. It may not have been enough for him to earn top honors in the Golazo 100, but he stands to be in the conversation for individual accolades for years to come. -- Pardeep Cattry

3. Jude Bellingham -- Midfield, Real Madrid

Birmingham City don't look so daft retiring that No.22 now, do they? In the four years since Bellingham traded the Black Country for the Ruhr Valley he has fulfilled that famed promise to his youth coach that he would be a 10, an eight and a four in one package. In his final year with Borussia Dortmund he was the tempo-dictating, ball-progressing player of the season in the Bundesliga. On his arrival at Real Madrid he plugged the great hole that Carlo Ancelotti had at center forward, weighing in with a big goal whenever required on his road to La Liga's player of the season. When Vinicius Junior returned to full fitness and form, Bellingham became the man to bring balance to Madrid taking on a heftier midfield role.

Even some of the greats around him on this list require their team to play in a certain fashion. You can't have Erling Haaland and not reorient tactically to get him shots. Even Kylian Mbappe's presence is going to require you to make allowances defensively. Bellingham requires no such adjustments. Quite the opposite, Bellingham might be the most malleable elite player in the world right now. And Madrid have more than a decade to bend him to their will. This year could be the start of a beautiful friendship. -- James Benge

2. Vinicius Junior -- Left Wing, Real Madrid

The Brazilian superstar could be the next Ballon d'Or winner. And at 23 years of age, that's scary for the rest of the world and fans of teams that aren't Real Madrid and Brazil. The fantastic former Flamengo man had his best ever season with Real Madrid this campaign, scoring a career-high 24 goals in 39 games. He's got at least 22 goals in his last three seasons and has now scored in Real's last two Champions League final appearances. Neck and neck with Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham for that Ballon d'Or, one would think, it may all come down to continental glory this summer. Vini Jr. is a sure-fire starter for Brazil as they look to reclaim the South American throne, and they'll have as good a shot as anybody with him leading the way in attack. His speed, his technical ability, that charisma and flair, no player has embodied that samba stardom like Vini Jr. since probably the early days of Neymar's career. You can make the argument that his club form is up there with Neymar at his best, but where he'll need to improve to be next year's top dog is on the international level. Three goals in 28 games for Brazil won't cut it, but this summer is his best chance yet to become the face of the Selecao and return them to glory. -- Roger Gonzalez

1. Kylian Mbappe -- Forward, Real Madrid

The French superstar is rarely far away from the headlines and he somehow managed to turn the focus away from Real Madrid's 15th UEFA Champions League title and towards himself in the 48 hours following the Spanish giants' win over Borussia Dortmund in the Wembley final. Kylian Mbappe is the best player in soccer now without doubt and his free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain to Los Blancos underlines that status despite the Ligue 1 champions falling just short in their own quest for European glory which could compromise his hopes of a first Ballon d'Or. The 25-year-old signs off at Parc des Princes with a league and Coupe de France double as well as another string of individual accolades and records set, but the time is right for Mbappe to move on from Le Championnat and for the domestic scene to be about more than just one single player. With 44 goals and seven assists across all competitions, the former AS Monaco man's final season in his homeland was a successful one and this summer's UEFA Euro 2024 could offer a shot at Mbappe's first title as France national team captain in Germany. The jury is still out on whether or not we see Les Bleus' talisman at this summer's Olympic Games in Paris, but one thing is now certain: Mbappe's future will be in Real white and expectations for the coming years at Santiago Bernabeu have been set extremely high with the Frenchman's arrival years in the making. -- Jonathan Johnson

Don't miss CBS Sports Golazo Network's Morning Footy, now in podcast form! Our crew brings you all the news, views, highlights and laughs you need to follow the Beautiful Game in every corner of the globe, every Monday-Friday all year long.