Best Right Wingers in World Football and FC 26 (2025)

When EA Sports published its FC 26 right-wing ratings on September 26, 2025, the list sparked immediate debate: Mohamed Salah topped the charts at 91 overall, yet Transfermarkt valued Lamine Yamal higher at €180 million. This guide maps the world’s top right wingers against their virtual counterparts, comparing editorial 2025 rankings against game ratings to reveal where real-world reputation and in-game performance align—and where they diverge.

Highest RW in FC 26 (men’s): Mohamed Salah – 91 OVR · Most valuable RW globally: Lamine Yamal – €180M (Transfermarkt) · Top FC 26 women’s RW: Caroline Graham Hansen – 90 OVR

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts

• Mohamed Salah tops men’s FC 26 right-wing ratings at 91 overall (EA Sports)
• EA’s RW page includes both men’s and women’s players (EA Sports)

2What’s unclear

• Exact “best ever” ranking is subjective—no universal consensus
• Future FC 27 rating changes remain unannounced

3Timeline signal

• FC 26 ratings dropped September 26, 2025 (EA Sports)
• SI editorial ranking published November 7, 2025 (EA Sports)

4What’s next

• FC 27 ratings cycle begins mid-2026
• Lamine Yamal’s market value may climb further after Euro 2024

Key facts: Right wingers in FC 26 and world football

Metric	Value	Source
Highest FC 26 men’s RW OVR	Mohamed Salah (91)	EA Sports
Most valuable RW (real world)	Lamine Yamal (€180M)	Transfermarkt
Top FC 26 women’s RW	Caroline Graham Hansen (90)	EA Sports
SI FC 26 RW ranking size	15 players listed	Sports Illustrated
FC 26 ratings gender coverage	Men’s and women’s included	EA Sports
Best RW all time (consensus)	Lionel Messi	Lentedesportiva

Which players play right wing?

The right winger position sits at the intersection of pace, creativity, and finishing—a player who stretches the pitch wide on the right while often cutting inside onto their stronger foot. In modern football, several players have made this role unmistakably their own.

Current elite right wingers in world soccer

Three names dominate 2025 editorial rankings: Mohamed Salah, Lamine Yamal, and Bukayo Saka. Lentedesportiva’s ranking of the 25 best right wingers places Salah at the summit, describing him as the “gold standard” for the position globally. Chase Your Sport, meanwhile, calls Yamal “the undisputed best right winger in the world of football today” after his breakout Euro 2024 performance.

Right wingers in the Premier League (2025-26)

The Premier League has become the deepest league for right wing talent. Salah continues delivering for Liverpool, Saka anchors Arsenal’s right flank, and new entrants like Michael Olise (rated 86 OVR in FC 26, ranked fourth by Sports Illustrated) push established names down the pecking order. The Premier League’s intensity and global viewership ensure these players remain the most recognizable right wingers to English-speaking audiences.

Who is a good RW in FC 26?

EA Sports FC 26 brought updated ratings that reshuffled the right-wing hierarchy. The EA website’s official right-wing ratings page—published September 26, 2025—shows a clear tier split between elite and solid options.

Top-rated RW in EA FC 26

Sports Illustrated’s editorial ranking of the 15 best right wingers in FC 26 (published November 7, 2025) provides the most complete picture:

• Mohamed Salah – 91 OVR (ranked 1st)
• Lamine Yamal – 89 OVR (ranked 2nd)
• Bukayo Saka – 88 OVR (ranked 3rd)
• Michael Olise – 86 OVR (ranked 4th)
• Lionel Messi – 86 OVR (ranked 5th)
• Bryan Mbeumo – 85 OVR (ranked 6th)
• Désiré Doué – 85 OVR (ranked 7th)
• Phil Foden – 85 OVR (ranked 8th)
• Rodrygo – 85 OVR (ranked 9th)
• Christian Pulisic – 84 OVR (ranked 10th)

On the women’s side, Caroline Graham Hansen leads the RW ratings at 90 overall, with Kadidiatou Diani at 88. EA’s page notably includes men’s and women’s players on the same positional page, making cross-gender comparisons straightforward.

Best value RW for Ultimate Team

Value in Ultimate Team depends on cost-to-rating ratio. Rodrygo at 85 OVR costs significantly less than Saka at 88, making him the preferred budget pick. Christian Pulisic (84 OVR) offers similar output to Riyad Mahrez (84 OVR) but with faster pace, a crucial meta factor. For WL qualification, Salah or Yamal are non-negotiable; for divisional climbing, Doué or Mbeumo provide 90% of the output at 60% of the price.

Who is the best right wing right now?

The debate between Salah and Yamal reflects a broader tension in football: sustained excellence versus explosive potential. Both have compelling cases.

Current form and market value

Transfermarkt places Yamal at €180 million, the highest valuation for any right winger globally. Salah sits lower in market terms due to age (32), yet his on-pitch output remains elite. The implication: market value increasingly rewards youth and potential over current production—a trend that has quietly reshaped how clubs value wide attackers.

Comparison: Lamine Yamal vs Bukayo Saka vs Mohamed Salah

Three top right wingers compared across key dimensions

Attribute	Yamal	Saka	Salah
FC 26 OVR	89	88	91
Market value	€180M	€120M	€35M
Age	17	23	32
Primary club	Barcelona	Arsenal	Liverpool
League	La Liga	Premier League	Premier League
SI ranking (FC 26)	2nd	3rd	1st

What this means: Salah wins on current overall rating and proven consistency, Yamal wins on market value and age-adjusted ceiling, and Saka sits in the middle—perhaps the most balanced option for a club building for 2028 rather than 2025. Forzafootball and Sports Illustrated rankings consistently place all three in the top five, confirming their status as the tier-one right wingers in world football.

Is Messi a right or left wing?

Lionel Messi presents a unique case because his position has shifted throughout his career. Understanding where he plays—and where EA rates him—matters for both real-world analysis and Ultimate Team squad building.

Messi’s positional history

Throughout his Barcelona years, Messi operated primarily as a right winger before evolving into a false nine and eventually a central playmaker. At Paris Saint-Germain and now Inter Miami, he reverted to a more central attacking role. For Inter Miami and the Argentina national team, Messi plays right wing in certain formations while drifting centrally in others—a positional fluidity that confounds traditional categorization.

Messi’s switch to right wing during Argentina vs. Colombia 2024

During the 2024 Copa América match against Colombia, Argentina’s tactical setup placed Messi on the right flank to exploit space behind Colombia’s left-back. This wasn’t unusual—Argentina has used Messi wide before to stretch opposition defenses. The implication for FC 26: EA rates Messi at 86 OVR specifically as a right winger, reflecting his occasional use in that position rather than his primary role.

Who is the best right winger ever?

Ranking all-time greats invites debate, but consensus exists around a handful of names. The methodology matters: are we measuring peak performance, career longevity, trophies won, or influence on the position itself?

All-time greats: Messi, Best, Figo, Robben

Lionel Messi dominates all-time right winger rankings. His 700+ career goals (many scored from the right flank) and eight Ballon d’Or awards make him the consensus pick. George Best popularized the role at Manchester United in the 1960s, combining pace with trickery that still defines the archetype. Luis Figo’s longevity and crosses defined Real Madrid’s Galáctico era, while Arjen Robben’s signature cut-inside movement influenced an entire generation of Dutch and German wingers.

Criteria for ‘best ever’ right winger

Three metrics matter most: goals per season from the right flank, assist creation, and trophies won while primarily playing right wing. Messi leads on all three, but Best edges him on cultural impact, and Figo surpasses him on positional longevity (Best retired at 26 due to alcoholism). The honest answer: no single “best ever” exists, but Messi is the safest consensus pick.

Comparison: FC 26 Ratings vs. Real-World Rankings

A striking pattern emerges when comparing EA’s FC 26 right-wing ratings against editorial world rankings: the two lists largely agree on the top five names, though order varies. This convergence suggests EA’s raters and human scouts use similar evaluation criteria—production, consistency, and technical skill—despite different methodologies.

Right wingers: FC 26 game ratings versus real-world editorial rankings

Player	FC 26 OVR	Real-world rank (editors)	Assessment
Mohamed Salah	91	1st	Matches—both sides agree
Lamine Yamal	89	1st–2nd	Close; youth ceiling vs. current OVR
Bukayo Saka	88	2nd–3rd	Close; slight FC 26 discount
Michael Olise	86	4th–5th	FC 26 rates higher than some editors
Lionel Messi	86	Top 5 all-time	Rating reflects age decline
Désiré Doué	85	Emerging top 10	EA and editors aligned

The pattern: FC 26 ratings and real-world editorial lists agree on elite tier (Salah, Yamal, Saka) but diverge on emerging talent like Olise and Doué, where potential ratings create upward pressure that current production doesn’t yet justify. For squad builders, this gap represents opportunity—players rated slightly below their real-world standing offer value if you trust EA to update mid-cycle.

Related reading: Kjente fotballspillere – Topp 10, beste spiss, posisjoner og mer

Frequently asked questions

What is the role of a right winger in football?

A right winger (RW) is a wide attacking player stationed on the right side of midfield or the front line. Primary responsibilities include hugging the touchline to stretch defenses, delivering crosses into the penalty area, cutting inside to shoot on their stronger left foot, and tracking back to support the right-back. Modern right wingers must also press high, create chances from wide positions, and occasionally invert into central attacking roles.

Which right winger has the most assists in the Premier League?

Mohamed Salah holds the record for the most assists by a right winger in Premier League history, surpassing 70 assists as of the 2024-25 season. His combination of pace, dribbling, and vision makes him Liverpool’s primary chance creator from the right flank. Kevin De Bruyne (primarily central) has more total assists, but among dedicated right wingers, Salah leads.

How do right wingers differ from right midfielders?

The distinction has blurred in modern football. Traditionally, a right winger plays higher up the pitch as part of the front three, while a right midfielder operates in the middle line with more defensive responsibilities. In FC 26, EA often lists the same player in both positions with different ratings—right wingers typically have higher pace and shooting, right midfielders higher stamina and passing. In practice, players like Saka function as both depending on formation and tactical instructions.

Are left-footed right wingers more effective?

Left-footed right wingers are rarer but often more effective at cutting inside onto their stronger foot. Arjen Robben’s legendary cut-inside movement came from his left foot on the right flank. However, right-footed right wingers (like Salah and Saka) offer superior crossing ability and are more common because they can overlap the right-back and deliver early crosses with their stronger foot. Effectiveness depends more on tactical system than footedness.

What makes a good right winger in EA FC?

In FC 26 Ultimate Team, the meta right winger prioritizes pace (85+), dribbling (80+), and either shooting (for inside-forward playstyles) or crossing (for wide-target man formations). Weak foot rating matters significantly—two-star weak foot limits shooting options when defenders force you onto your weaker side. Chemistry style recommendations: Engine or Artist for playmaking, Hunter or Anchor for pace-boosting depending on whether you’re building for Division Rivals or Weekend League.

Who is the best young right winger under 21?

Lamine Yamal is the clear answer at 17 years old, valued at €180 million by Transfermarkt and rated 89 OVR in FC 26. Désiré Doué (19) at PSG represents the second tier, rated 85 OVR in FC 26 and climbing in real-world rankings. For readers building long-term Ultimate Team squads, Yamal’s combination of age, rating, and market trajectory makes him the single best under-21 RW investment available.

For Ultimate Team players targeting Weekend League qualification, Mohamed Salah remains the safest pick at 91 OVR—his consistency across seasons justifies the coin investment even at high price points. For club builders constructing a long-term project, Lamine Yamal offers superior age-adjusted value despite his 89 OVR; EA’s historical pattern favors boosting young players mid-cycle, meaning his rating will likely climb before FC 27 arrives. The gap between Yamal’s €180 million real-world valuation and his 89 OVR suggests EA still undervalues him relative to market consensus—a buy signal for anyone patient enough to hold cards through rating updates.