10 Hardest Players in Football Right Now (Ranked)

Gone are the days of Vinnie Jones, Duncan Ferguson and Roy Keane ruling the landscape of English football as the wildcard fear factor for the shirt they adorned. The threshold for physicality in football has evolved over the years, as a result of referees calling for the softest of fouls and players exaggerating challenges to no avail. The combination of these factors makes it unfeasible for players of that classic mould to exist in the modern game today.

Ranking Factors:

• Competitive level – this element will consider what elite leagues the players have been in, and their longevity at the top level.
• Disciplinary record – as a result of physicality, an extraordinary accumulation of cards over their career is an indication of how physically imposing a player is.

We’ve ranked 10 of the hardest footballers in the world right now. They are some of the very last of this archetype whose names strike fear on the teamsheets.

10

Erling Haaland

Current club: Manchester City (England)

Erling Haaland might not be the ultimate hardman in the traditional sense, such as the calibre of players his father Alfie played against, but certainly as an elite unstoppable force up front. His dominant physicality, aggression, and ruthless finishing have made him a nightmare for defenders at the highest level in the Premier League and Champions League. Towering at 6’4”, Haaland’s speed and intelligence on the pitch, along with being a serious threat in aerial and ground duels makes him the complete striker in world football today.

Haaland embodies the modern-day football warrior and, as such, this is the way that football these days has gone to redefine the definition of what a ‘hard man’ looks like from this current generation. The Norwegian striker has what it takes to become an imposing footballer in the modern era. Cold, unshakable and built like a stone-cold killer who has a cabinet of silverware to back it all up.

9

Aleksandar Mitrovic

Current club: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)

Next on the list is Serbian striker Alexsandar Mitrovic, who plied his trade in England for many years before making the big-money move to Saudi Arabia in 2023. Standing at 6ft 2″, the former Fulham forward has used his physical skillset to tower over defences. More remarkably, it complements his other attributes, such as his poacher’s instinct and impeccable work rate as a number nine. In 2021/22, Mitrovic scored 43 goals in 44 appearances for Fulham in the Championship, and up until that point had struggled to translate that form into the Premier League. However, the following season under Marco Silva proved to be one of his best to date as he helped Fulham finish in 10th position with his 14 Premier League goals.

The Al-Hilal striker was a key player for Serbia in the 2022 World Cup despite a foot injury, highlighting his resilience as a seasoned striker across multiple continents. Since then, he has become one of Saudi Pro League’s lethal finishers, using his physical frame to play as an ideal target man. He overshadowed Neymar Jr, who joined and left the Saudi side in the meantime.

8

Kalidou Koulibaly

Current club: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)

Following his Al Hilal teammate onto this list as a connoisseur of the modern game across multiple continents is Kalidou Koulibaly. Standing at 6ft 5″, the defender enjoyed his prime years as a stalwart under Maurizio Sarri in Napoli’s defence between 2014 and 2022. This forged his reputation as one of the world’s best defenders during that period, earning him the nickname of “The Wall” for his ability to shut out opponents. What makes Koulibaly special is his aggressive pace and his reading of the game to step out confidently with and without the ball. Despite missing out on the Scudetto, he won the Coppa Italia in 2020 and the African Cup of Nations with Senegal in 2021.

After his turbulent experience in the Premier League with Chelsea, these days he is excelling at Al Hilal as one of the league’s finest defenders. He helped the club win the Saudi Pro League in 2023/24. His embodiment of the old-school style of defence with a technical layer still makes him one of the most feared names to opponents.

7

Dusan Vlahovic

Current club: Juventus (Italy)

Dusan Vlahovic embodies the definition of a physically imposing striker in the modern game. In comparison to the others on our list, the Serbian striker is fairly new to the elite game, having only been at Juventus since 2022. Standing at 6ft 3″, Vlahovic uses his physical frame to hold up and link up play with midfielders and fellow attackers. On his day, he is potent in front of goal, and there are not too many target men at his height these days playing at the best clubs in Europe.

In recent times, Vlahovic has faced tougher times with Randall Kolo Muani providing stern competition in the striking department under manager Thiago Motta. Ever since his breakthrough from Fiorentina, he has been linked with a move to the Premier League. As far as stereotypes go, there is no better fit for a league than for Vlahovic to test his physical assets in a domestic league such as England’s.

6

Romelu Lukaku

Current club: Napoli (Italy)

Ever since his breakthrough at Anderlecht and subsequent move to Chelsea in 2011, Romelu Lukaku and the Premier League have felt like a match made in heaven due to his physical frame. He has mainly succeeded in stints at Chelsea, Everton, West Brom and Manchester United throughout his career. Lukaku’s mental resilience has taken him through rocky periods, especially at Old Trafford and his second stint with the Blues. Despite this, his most successful season came in Italy at Inter Milan, where he was part of a deadly partnership with the pacy Lautaro Martinez that took Nerazzuri to the UEFA Champions League final in 2022/23.

Despite the mark on his legacy being his first touch or ability to score in big games, Lukaku has shown that he is willing to go to war in a team where self-belief is apparent. A 6’3″ powerhouse is not everyone’s cup of tea in the modern game, but bullying opponents with his frame has been a trademark of Lukaku for the past 15 years – perhaps more so in his 30’s now.

5

Diego Costa

Current club: Unemployed (free agent)

Diego Costa remains one of football’s toughest and most fearless strikers. This earns him a spot on our list as he is still an active footballer, despite leaving Brazilian side Gremio in early 2025. The 36-year-old is known for his aggressive style, physicality, and relentless mentality, which has made him a nightmare for defenders at the elite level. During his prime years at Atletico Madrid and Chelsea, he combined being a nuisance with lethal finishing, winning Premier League and La Liga titles along the way.

His infamous brawls with Gabriel Paulista, Sergio Ramos, and Gareth Barry earned him a reputation as a top dog of football brawls – along with some match bans that left his team reeling over the loss of his quality at times. Since injuries caught up with him in later years, he was never the same – which was hugely apparent in his brief stint at Wolves in 2022. Yet, Costa is still the closest treasure left in world football to the likes of Roy Keane and Duncan Ferguson.

4

Adama Traore

Current club: Fulham (England)

From a purely physical perspective, Adama Traore is the undisputed number one on this list. However, the end product of using his physique to translate into a world-class footballer has been missing throughout his career, which knocks him down our list. The winger is a spectacle, using his renowned speed, explosiveness and muscles to bulldoze past fullbacks. If not for inconsistency, his time at Barcelona, Wolves or Fulham at present would have left a devastating taste in an opponent’s mouth more often.

At Wolves, he terrorised defences by combining with Raul Jimenez. Both are at Fulham together, but Traore is mainly used as an explosive threat against tired legs from the bench. Despite being the Schwarzenegger of football, Traore once said: “I don’t go to the gym – it’s just genetics.” The modern-day ‘hard man’ is still 29 years old, and still has a few more years of physical strength and explosiveness at the top level to utilise.

3

Granit Xhaka

Current club: Bayer Leverkusen (Germany)

Narrowly missing out on the top spot is Bayer Leverkusen’s Granit Xhaka. Aggression is truly in his DNA. Last season, he was instrumental in Xabi Alonso’s undefeated side in their title-winning Bundesliga season. Having the platform to become a fierce leader, and assisting in nurturing talents like Florian Wirtz, Xhaka has thrived in his return to the Bundesliga since 2023.

Away from the pitch, Xhaka has had his share of confrontations with fans. As Arsenal captain, he clashed with Arsenal fans in 2019, reacting angrily to being booed and eventually stripped of the armband. On the international stage, he has courted controversy with Switzerland’s national team. In particular, it was for his celebrations against Serbia at the 2018 and 2022 World Cup’s, where he provocatively taunted opposition players and the Serbian crowd – adding fuel to long-standing political tensions between Albania and Serbia. Love him or hate him, Xhaka is a player who has thrived in chaos.

2

Lisandro Martinez

Current club: Manchester United (England)

One of the hardest players in world football right now is Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez. Nicknamed ‘The Butcher’ for his fearless tackling and non-nonsense approach, the Argentinian is a technical defender who reads the game from the back with his intelligence as well as his true grit on the pitch.

In 2023, shortly after returning to England after winning the World Cup with Argentina in Qatar, 5ft 9″ Martinez suffered a head injury from contesting a duel with 6ft 4″ Jean-Phillipe Mateta. After receiving lengthy treatment, the defender finished the rest of the game with a flailing bandage and played days later against Arsenal. From the psychological side, the Argentinian is mentally tough, having dealt with lengthy metatarsal and foot injuries that kept him out for around 6 months in total last season. In a 2-0 loss to Crystal Palace in January, Martinez suffered an ACL injury which was a monumental setback to Ruben Amorim’s side and their woes as it has ruled him out for the rest of the 2024/25 season.

1

Antonio Rudiger

Current club: Real Madrid (Spain)

Antonio Rudiger is one of the toughest and most successful defenders in football today. Whether at Chelsea, Real Madrid, or for Germany, Rudiger thrives on intimidating strikers, using his strength, pace, aggressive tackling, and psychological games to unsettle opponents. His hard-man reputation is backed by fiery clashes, like his alleged bite on Paul Pogba at Euro 2020 or slapping Frenkie De Jong in the head unprovoked in El Clasico for no reason in 2023.

He is often at the heart of shoving matches and tough duels, never backing down – previously having used pushing, shoving and the dark arts to stop lethal strikers like Erling Haaland on big European nights. Despite his aggressive style, Rudiger is a leader in dressing rooms and well-respected among peers, making him one of the most successful players on our list.