When considering whether to sign a player from a club or free transfer, one of the qualities that most coaches look at is if the player speeds up when it is necessary.
Looking steadily and closely, you will notice that the coaches and teams that make such signings are either playing a counterattack football or they feel if a player can not run, then the player is lazy which is a discipline for them.
Well, it is true that players that run faster have a higher chance of scoring goals, creating big chances, assisting their teammates to score, or covering up space when needed.
Overall, speed matters a lot and it is the reason most clubs in the Spanish League have been performing great, and also why notable players such as Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembele, Daniel James, Mohammed Salah, Antonio Rudiger, Adama Traore, and other speed stars have been performing well in their positions.
READ: What Does FT Mean In Soccer?
However, in this article, I will be listing the fastest soccer players in the world.
10 Fastest Soccer Players In The World
1. Kylian Mbappé
- Speed: 36.6 km/h
- Country: France
- Club: Paris Saint Germain(PSG)
Kylian Mbappé, a one-time FIFA World Cup winner with the France national team is often said to be the fastest soccer young player.
The 22-year-old Frenchman has shown his capabilities such as speed, dribbling, goal assisting, scoring goals, and others on many occasions.
In the 2022 FIFA World Cup final, Kylian Mbappé managed to play a comeback for France from 2 nil to 3 : 3 although he could not get the FIFA trophy for France in the penalty shootout due to how some of his teammates missed their penalty shootout.
2. Antonio Rudiger
- Speed: 36.7 km/h
- Country: Germany
- Club: Real Madrid
Former Chelsea center-back, Antonio Rudiger has surpassed an average speed of 36 km/h though this part of his qualities was often seen when he was playing under Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea.
Before leaving for Real Madrid, Antonio Rudiger had played different finals for Chelsea in which he won the most important ones, the Champions League, Super Cup, and Club World Cup, and lost the Carabao and FA Cup final against a rival side, Liverpool FC.
3. Mohamed Salah
- Speed: 36.6 km/h
- Country: Egypt
- Club: Liverpool
Egyptian football king and Liverpool forward, Mohammed Salah is one of the best signings in Liverpool’s history.
The player in his first season for Liverpool scored 32 goals. The Liverpool forward is reportedly one of the fastest soccer players in modern football.
The former Chelsea player has won numerous Titles with Liverpool such as Premier League, Super Cup, Club World Cup, Champions League, Carabao Cup, FA Cup, and Community Shield. However, it is safe to say that Mohammed Salah has won all trophies with Liverpool.
In the individual statistics part, Mohammed Salah has won several awards such as Golden boots, best playmaker, and others.
4. Adama Traore
- Speed: 36.6 km/h
- Country: Spain
- Club: Wolves
Wolverhampton Wanderers and Spanish player, Adama Traore is best known for his speed which is 36.6 km/h.
Although the 2021/2022 soccer season can not be listed as one of Adama Traore’s best seasons. The player has been awful from the start of this season, he was loaned to FC Barcelona early this season with a clause to sign him from Wolves at the end of the season but he could not impress the club and had to return to Wolves.
5. Ousmane Dembele
- Speed: 36.6 km/h
- Country: France
- Club: FC Barcelona
2022 FIFA World Cup silver medalist, Ousmane Dembele is one of the forwards that play in La Liga with an average speed of 36 km/h.
The Barcelona player is already having somewhat of a good season since recovery from his previous injury.
During the last transfer window, rumors had it that the Player had intentions of moving from Barcelona, La Liga to Chelsea, Premier League.
READ: 10 Best Soccer Video Games For Soccer Lovers
6. Daniel James
- Speed: 36.6 km/h
- Country: Wales
- Club: Leeds United
Former Manchester United and Wales forward, Daniel James has shown soccer his speed level being an average of 36.6 km/h. Although Daniel James runs faster with the ball, many soccer fans feel he has nothing more than speed to offer.
The Leeds United player was called up to represent his national team, Wales in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in which he played alongside Real Madrid’s former player, Gareth Bale.
7. Darwin Nunez
- Speed: 36.5 km/h
- Country: Uruguay
- Club: Liverpool
Another Liverpool new signing that is trying to find his best form for the club, Darwin Nunez has an average speed of 36.5 km/h.
Darwin Nunez is a Uruguayan that Liverpool signed from Benfica before the start of the 2022/2023 season.
The player has been tagged as the worst Liverpool player this season so far due to the clear-cut chances that he has missed.
8. Achraf Hakimi
- Speed: 36.48 km/h
- Country: Morocco
- Club: Paris Saint Germain(PSG)
Morocco and PSG wing-back, Achraf Hakimi joins the list of the fastest soccer players in the world with an average speed of 36.48 km/h.
READ: Top 10 Tallest Soccer Players In The World
The wing-back is already having a good season with PSG after making it to the 2022 FIFA World Cup semis with the Morocco national team, kicking out Cristiano Ronaldo’s side, Portugal in the Quarterfinal, and being kicked out by France in the semis.
The player has been playing at a top level for a while now due to his qualities such as crosses, tracking backward, scoring freekicks, and others.
9. Rafael Leao
- Speed: 36.5 km/h
- Country: Portugal
- Club: AC Milan
Portuguese and AC Milan young forward, Rafael Leao is another player that entertains the soccer fans with his dribbling skills, chance-creating, accurate passes, goals scoring, crosses, and speed.
The player appears almost every season in the Champions League to compete for AC Milan and was called to represent Portugal in the 2022 FIFA World Cup which he did.
10. Mykhailo Mudryk
- Speed: 36.6 km/h
- Country: Ukraine
- Club: Chelsea
Arsenal transfer target, Mykhailo Mudryk makes it to the list of fastest soccer players in the world with an average speed of 36.6 km/h.
The Ukraine player plays for Shakhtar Donetsk and is rated by a lot of big clubs such as Chelsea who have joined Arsenal in the race of signing the promising young footballer.
READ: Teams That Have Been Coached By Thomas Tuchel
Chelsea ended up acquiring the player to the chagrin of Arsenal and the player signed a whopping 8-and-a-half-year deal. He is expected to make his debut when Chelsea face Liverpool in the Premier League on January 21, 2023 at Anfield in a match that can be tagged the clash of elite strugglers.
Other Notable Soccer Players With Speed
- Theo Hernandez
- Nuno Taraves
- Federico Valverde
- Micky Van De Ven
- Rafa Silva
- Sheraldo Becker
- Moussa Diaby
- Karim Adeyemi
- Erling Haaland
- Alphonso Davies
- Phil Foden
Conclusion
The players that have been mentioned in this article are very speedy players who can pass for speed merchants. As the years go by, it is expected that some players will drop as they age whilst new players will make the list.
Kenny is an experienced blogger and sports writer who majors in soccer articles amongst other trending niches. Do well to stay updated with his updates and that of his team of editors on Readsoccer.