Top 10 most Googled footballers in 2023

Whether you regard him as the undisputed GOAT or not, Lionel Messi is still one of the greatest players to have graced the football pitch in the history of the game. It's a status he has earned by virtue of his incredible achievements, which he continues to stack up even at the age of 36.

Messi fired Argentina to World Cup glory in December 2022, winning the Golden Ball for his exploits in the tournament. He then shocked the sporting world by joining David Beckham's Inter Miami in the MLS after leaving Paris Saint-German, and mesmerised the States with his gifted talents, leading the Herons' to their first-ever silverware in the form of the inaugural Leagues Cup competition.

The Argentine superstar also clinched the 2023 Men's Ballon d'Or award to take his overall count to a record-extending eighth, and being the most recognisable face of football, it's fair to assume that he's also one of the most searched sportsmen in 2023.

While most footballers are winding down in their late thirties, CR7 still seems hungrier than ever. Arguably the most popular sporting personality on the planet, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner was Googled close to 200 million times in 2023. It has been a momentous year for the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo as he turned around his fortunes at Al-Nassr, having departed Manchester United under something of a cloud in January 2023.

The Portuguese legend's move to the Saudi Pro League does appear to have rejuvenated him and has already won his first trophy in the Middle-East after guiding Al-Nassr to a remarkable Arab Club Champions triumph. He currently leads the Saudi top-flight goalscoring standings as things stand, while he finished Euro 2024 qualifying as the competition's leading goal marksman.

His record of 53 goals in 58 appearances for both club and country during the calendar year puts him above European heavyweights like Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, and Harry Kane for the record of most goals in 2023.

Kylian Mbappe has well-and-truly emerged as one of the brightest stars in the football galaxy over the last half a decade or so. The Frenchman has captured the hearts of fans worldwide with his electrifying pace and skills, combined with exceptional goal-scoring potency on the pitch.

As one of the most prolific and dynamic forwards in the game, the Frenchman's popularity has transcended beyond the realm of football and he has truly become a global icon, as evident from the Google search volume of his name, with the speculation over his future making headline news on a constant basis.

Regarded as one of the best players of the 21st century, Mbappe helped Paris Saint-Germain retain the Ligue 1 title this year and also impressed at the 2022 FIFA World Cup at the end of last year by winning the Golden Boot and scoring a hat trick in the final against eventual winners Argentina. With Lionel Messi and Neymar now out of the fray at PSG, Mbappe is very much the main man in the French capital.

Norwegian goal-machine Erling Haaland had an incredible 2023 as he won the Ballon d'Or Gerd Muller Trophy, which recognised him as the best striker last season. He broke the record for the most goals in a single Premier League season with 36 in only 35 appearances.

Powered by Haaland's insatiable hunger for goals, Man City completed a historic treble as the Citizens lifted the FA Cup, Premier League, and a first-ever Champions League, which they had long craved for, but seemed incapable of getting over the line until the arrival of Haaland, who also finished top scorer in Europe's elite competition.

It is hard to argue the result of the 23-year-old scooping the prize, although he was beaten to the prestigious Ballon d'Or honour by Messi in November.

Like Ronaldo, Neymar didn’t get the World Cup fairytale he wanted, he looked back to his usual self and regularly had defenders on the ropes prior to his most recent injury. He surpassed Pele to become Brazil's all-time men's top scorer, with 79 goals from 125 international appearances.

He followed the footsteps of Ronaldo and Benzema to join the Saudi Pro League bandwagon over the summer transfer window, leaving PSG in favour of Al-Hilal. However, his 2022-23 campaign was promptly cut short by injuries, limiting him to just 17 appearances for club and country this year, but he's still as popular today as ever in Google searches.

Over the last couple of years, Brazilian trickster Vinicius Junior has elevated his game to become one of the best footballers in the world. He has undoubtedly become Real Madrid's talisman this season, even more so following the departure of Karim Benzema.

He has also become one of the most widely recognised footballers, not only because of his performances on the pitch, but his commendable actions off of it. In the face of continual incidents of racist abuse, Vinicius has stood strong and held his corner.

Harry Kane shocked the footballing world in August when he left lifelong club Tottenham to sign up for European heavyweights Bayern Munich. Making the jump in a £100million deal, the decision was fascinating for a number of reasons, which has been evident by Google's end of year search rankings.

English players don't fare well overseas, and on top of that Kane has never won a trophy, something that's usually a formality to become Bayern's talisman, with the reigning German champions winners of the last 11 Bundesliga titles.

However, the 30-year-old England captain has made the transition smoothly, and is breaking all sorts of goal-scoring records for fun, with already 21 goals to his name in just 15 Bundesliga games for FC Hollywood.

Jude Bellingham is the footballer everyone is talking about right now, for all the right reasons. After catching eye-balls with his inspiring performances at the 2022 World Cup, the Englishman joined Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund last summer, and has well-and-truly announced himself as a global superstar.

The England international is enjoying a storming start to his career in Spain, where few arrivals have made such an instant impact. Moved up to the No. 10 position by Carlo Ancelotti, Bellingham has lit up La Liga goal-scoring charts at Real Madrid, adding goals to his already impressive skillset.

A European Golden Boy award winner, and now well established as one of the best midfielders in the world, he is already being hailed as a Galactico, such has been his impact at the Bernabeu.

After 14 years with Real Madrid, 2022 Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema embarked on a new challenge in the Middle-East and joined the reigning Pro League champions Al-Ittihad.

Benzema's move to Al-Ittihad has seen a flurry of goals but the team have yet to truly catch fire with the Real Madrid legend leading the line and are now cut adrift of Saudi Pro League title frontrunners Al-Hilal. He has yet to win any silverware with the Saudi club, as they were eliminated from the Club World Cup at the second round stage by Al-Ahly, although they remain in both the AFC Champions League and the King's Cup.

After eight successful seasons with Bayern Munich, Robert Lewandowski joined Barcelona in the summer of 2022 and was a catalyst in their domestic achievements, scoring 25 goals in 31 appearances.

However, this season hasn't gone according to plan for either Barcelona or the Pole, who has seen a slight increase in injuries and a drop in form in general. His heyday back in Munich looks to be now in the rear view, as glorious, prolific, and world-beating as it was. Lewandowski already has one La Liga title to his name, and is still a potent threat in front of goal.