Having a vision in football is more of a very important non-technical skill of the game that is as important as passing, control, shooting, and every other technique.
A player who has a vision on the pitch of play knows when and when not to run, when to pass and when not to pass, where to pass and where not to pass, among other quick-thinking decisions.
It also involves anticipating the movement and next action of your teammates, making runs that will give their teammates the opportunity to give them a pass, dropping shoulders for defenders in order to create space, and continuously scanning the pitch of play in order to maximize the possession potential of their team.
In this article, we will take a look at the top 10 players in world football at the moment that have a fantastic vision on the pitch. Here are the football players with the best vision in football.
1. Lionel Messi
It’s not surprising that a player considered to be the greatest of all time is the number one on this list, the seven-time Ballon D’or winner, World Cup winner UEFA Champions League winner on multiplication.
Lionel Messi’s vision on the soccer field is described as superb, and one might even say otherworldly. Messi is always scanning the field, looking for the player making the most decisive run that will lead to a goal.
One of the greatest players to ever wear the number 10 jersey created a lot of magic when least expected.
It’s not surprise that Lionel Messi is one of the best playmakers in football and has the most assists in football history.
Messi is one of the players whose vision is top-notch, and he strikes from a tight angle, hitting the back of the net even when it seems impossible. Free kick, long-range goals, the chip, lob, and through passes. He’s done it all.
2. Kevin De Bruyne
Kevin De Bruyne is one of the best ever-attacking midfielders that the game has ever seen.
The Belgian has been in the middle of everything spectacular that Pep Guardiola has done at Manchester City.
When he is not creating goals, he is scoring them himself, and his technical ability is an addition to any team any day.
Kevin De Bruyne’s ability to scan the field, make quick decisions, and strike accurate long range passes has been praised by experts.
De Bruyne has over 200 assists in over 500 appearances in his senior club career.
3. Antoine Griezmann
Antoine Griezmann finished as the highest assists provider in the La Liga in the 2022/23 season, because of his amazing vision.
Due to his technical skills, vision, and ability to drop deep and link-up play between the forwards, he is capable of playing in several offensive positions either in or behind the main attacking line.
Inconsistencies may have made Antoine Griezmann a surprising choice for this list, but for those who know the Frenchman, know he can be a viable means of creating threats on the field of play.
Griezmann helped France to the 2018 FIFA World Cup win and was also instrumental in their run to another final in Qatar.
4. Trent Alexander-Arnold
Undoubtedly one of the best full-backs in the world now, Trent Alexander-Arnold is also one of the players with the best vision.
He is capable to crossing accurate long balls from the flanks and from set-pieces.
It was obvious that Trent Alexander-Arnold’s time as a fullback was limited by the technical ability that he displays often.
It doesn’t matter if it’s free kicks, corner kicks, and stunning goals, Trent just does it.
Jurgen Klopp and Gareth Southgate have both been forced to play him in midfield because of his incredible passing range.
The player will likely be seen in the midfield more than in defense next season.
5. Joshua Kimmich
Although he is one of the best defensive midfielders in the world, Joshua possess superb awareness and passing skills that makes him among the players with the best vision.
Joshua Kimmich’s versatility is one of the best in the game; despite playing in a defensive position, sometimes he is able to break play and read the runnings of his attacking players, setting them up for potential goalscoring chances.
He is one of the players that makes Bayern Munich one of the most difficult teams to beat, and it has shown in their total dominance of the Bundesliga over the last ten years.
6. Martin Odegaard
How close were Arsenal to winning their first Premier League title since 2003, and how influential was Norwegian midfielder Martin Odegaard to that dream going?
Gunners fans couldn’t believe their eyes when they signed Martin Odegaard on a permanent deal some seasons back from Real Madrid.
The midfielder had grown to become a top attacking midfielder in the game and even had a bit of a rumor about a possible return to Real Madrid in the future.
He scored 15 goals and seven assists in 37 Premier League games for Arsenal last season, which is a massive improvement on his seven goals and four assists from the 2021/22 season.
The Norwegian is an intelligent attacking midfielder who is comfortable on the ball and has excellent vision and passing ability.
7. Mohamed Salah
His assists numbers shows how crazy Mohamed Salah’s vision is. Despite being a winger, Salah is involved in playmaking for Liverpool and uses his incredible tactical awareness to pick out key passes.
Mohamed Salah is also one of the most decisive players and ruthless frontmen in the game, and he has been doing it for Liverpool for more than five seasons now.
Salah has been so decisive up to the extent that he is considered selfish by some football fans for his decision to always go for the goal, even when there is an easier route of passing to a teammate who is in a more open position.
Since the 2017/2018 season with Liverpool, he has never scored less than 19 goals in each of every season. And last season, he had 19 goals and 12 assists, the second lowest he has ever had for Liverpool in a Premier League season.
8. Luka Modrić
Luka Modrić is well-known for his exceptional passing ability and vision on the football pitch.
His famous trivelas and outside-of-the-boot passing have been used to deadly effect for both Real Madrid and the Croatia national team.
The veteran midfielder is capable to sending long balls to his forwards from any position on the pitch. Modric’s ability to read the game and anticipate the movements of his teammates is remarkable.
Luka Modrić was part of a trio of Toni Kroos and Casimiro that formed the strength of Real Madrid’s midfield that won four different UEFA Champions League titles together.
9. Bruno Fernandes
Manchester United’s new skipper has had it coming from him since joining the Red Devils from Sporting Lisbon.
Fernandes has been Manchester United’s major attacking outlet from the midfield, and he has justified this by providing at least 15 goals and assisting them in each of the last four seasons at Old Trafford.
In 2021 he scored 18 goals and made 12 assists in 37 Premier League games which is the highest for United in a season, while last season, he scored eight goals and made eight assists in 37 Premier League matches.
The Portuguese is capable of playing a variety of passes, including long-range diagonals, through balls, and short, intricate passes in tight spaces.
10. Dani Parejo
Dani Parejo is the least prominent of all the players on the list, but that doesn’t mean he is not qualified to be on the list based on his technical skills.
The Spaniard is comfortable in possession and capable of dictating the tempo of the game. However, his outstanding vision has been decisive for teams he has played for.
Dani Parejo broke out at Real Madrid after going through the ranks of the B team at Santiago Bernabeu, where he only made a string of appearances before moving to Getafe.
The midfielder went on to feature for Valencia for nine years and has been with Villarreal since 2020.
He is one of the most underrated football players of his generation.
