10 Best Field Hockey Players Today: Men & Women Ranked

Field hockey has one of the richest legacies in any sport and dates centuries back. Gradually with the turn of the 21st century, however, the game has completely changed. This game is now faster, physical, tactical, and much more intriguing as the world follows it from the Olympics to elite domestic leagues like the Dutch Hoofdklasse and the Hockey India League.

And with the change came a blossoming new breed of players whose talent is a concoction of classical technical prowess and a dose of modern athleticism and tactical savvy. A player is not simply a performer anymore, but rather an actor, captain, innovator, and standard-bearer for an exciting future in the sport of hockey.

Through this article, we will showcase ten contemporary players in the game of field hockey-five men and five women-that are impacting the modern age of the sport. These players have been proved best at club and international levels and consistent on the biggest of stages, so even now, their immense contribution on how hockey is played today ranks them within the world's elite.

10 Best Field Hockey Players Today (Men & Women)

Harmanpreet Singh

Very few players have given such gravitas to modern Indian hockey as Harmanpreet Singh. A defender evidently by name and an goal-scorer by instinct, Singh has reinvented what modern backline leadership should mean.

He burst into the world stage in 2014 at the Sultan of Johor Cup when he flaunted his flair and proficiency in drag-flicking to emerge Player of the Tournament. His honour reached its zenith during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics when he really stole the show with an important role in the Indian bronze medal-winning team that ended 41 years of deprivation in Olympic medals.

Singh again continued the legacy when he led India to gold at the Asian Games in 2022. He maintained that level of performance with his other Olympic bronze in Paris 2024, where he also shine at the penalty corners and taught the art of leading calmly, thus becoming India's most prolific goal-hitting defender in this era of hockey.

An FIH Player of the Year multiple time to his name, Harmanpreet Singh remains the inner pulse of Indian hockey and one of the most feared penalty corner specialists in the world.

Yibbi Jansen

Yibbi Jansen, just entering her twenties, is already the most complete player in women's field hockey. Besides possessing a superb defensive midfield skillset, she is lethal at penalty corners; her rise has been astonishing.

She began her first team career at the tender age of 15 with HC Den Bosch, where she honed her skills with HC Oranje Rood. Quick advancement gave Jansen a ready entry into international hockey, and she became one of the keys to the Netherlands set-up.

Her golden moment arrived when at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Under Jansen's weighty yet consistent combination of coolness, the Netherlands retained the gold medal. The 2023/24 season became a special milestone in Jansen's history as she became crowned as FIH's Best Player, following in the footsteps of her father, a two-time Olympic champion, Ronald Jansen.

Combining tactical intelligence with technical sharpness and leadership, Yibbi Jansen defines the future of excellence in Dutch hockey.

Joep de Mol

For nearly a decade, Joep de Mol has been prolific in his defensive skills and he has shown his prowess time and again for Dutch Hockey. He was born in Tilburg, and his journey in hockey started at the tender age of 5. Early in his career at Oranje Zwart, he was a Hoofdklasse and Euro Hockey League champion by 20.

Then there is the international cv of de Mol. He played a key role in both of the Netherlands' successful campaigns during the European Championships of 2017 and 2021, before marking himself to the hall of fame with Olympic gold in 2024, held in Paris.

Over 155 internationals, de Mol is celebrated for his reading of the game, clean tackling, and composure under pressure. This era is marked more and more by attacking flair, so his defensive mastery remains invaluable.

Charlotte Englebert

Charlotte commenced her domestic career with Royal Racing Club before making her international debut. She then represented youth teams from Belgium and won the U-18 and U-21 European Championships with two silver medals.

Further skyrocketed into popularity during the first co-ed Hockey India League 2024-25, where she was the star of Soorma Hockey Club and went on to finish joint top-scorer with Yibbi Jansen to take her team to the finals.

Widely known for her agility, vision, and precision in passing, Englebert is someone who thrives under pressure. Her tempo restriction and spaces opened up make her a pivotal cog in Belgium's upward movement in hockey prowess.

Thierry Brinkman

Little versatility and consistent quality feature in the same package as Thierry Brinkman. Consider the track record that Brinkman has amassed with Bloemendaal, racking up one title after another in the Euro Hockey League and Dutch championships.

Brinkman has always been an important name for the Netherlands since his first senior appearance in 2015. His best quality, though it mainly puts him out in the limelight, is his versatility of forward and midfielder skills, meaning he can cause havoc in a match in different ways.

He netted a whopping four goals at the 2018 World Cup and is a vital cog of the bronze medal-winning squad that will represent the Netherlands at the 2019 EuroHockey Championship. It's his intelligent movement, his sharp finishing, and his tactical discipline that make him one of the most well-rounded attackers in modern hockey.

Xan de Waard

A bastion of power, Xan de Waard was a staple of Dutch women's hockey ever since 2013. Along with her three World Cups, her three European Championships, she also is a holder of Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020.

De Waard received the armband in 2023, allowing proof of her stature and impact as both a leader and influencer. Whether in midfield or attack, she makes her presence felt by controlling matches with her positioning, passing range, and game intelligence.

In December 2023, she was recognized through the world as the Best Female Hockey Player, immortalizing her in the ranks of the very great in the game.

Hannes Müller

Hannes Müller is one of the great names in the next generation of hockey talent. From Cöthener HC, he progressed through Uhlenhorster HC to making his senior debut for Germany at just 18.

At the 2023 World Cup, where Müller was a prominent player in the title-winning campaign, this included turning in a pressure penalty in the final. He succeeded with a silver medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Although from an international father, with a brother also playing hockey professionally, he brings calmness, creativity, and youthful spontaneity-the characteristics that will mark him as the sport's future icon.

Nike Lorenz

Debuting internationally in 2014, Nike Lorenz was an essential cog in the wheel of German defense during that time. She was an inspiring factor behind Germany winning bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics earning her the prestigious Silver Laurel Leaf.

Unlike the past, she will not be seen in an international tournament after 2024 because she has hung her boots from international hockey, and much to her glory, she continues to captain her team in Cologne. Outside the pitch, she is a zealous campaigner for sustainability, taking projects like Sports4Trees, proving that her impact transcends much further than hockey.

Zachary Wallace

One of the most exciting contemporary players in England is Zachary Wallace. He earned his stripes originating from Surbiton, turning into a midfielder and making his way to the Dutch Hoofdklasse, where he represented the twin structures known as HGC and later Bloemendaal.

With Hockey India League, he was certainly not left behind and has gained invaluable experience through that league. Since he debuted on the big stage in 2018, Wallace has gained prominence at the EuroHockey Championship and has made himself known all over Great Britain in the Paris 2024 Olympics.

He was nominated for FIH Rising Star. Speed, creativity, and vision make him a game-changer at both club and international levels.

Stephanie Vanden Borre

An anchor of women's hockey for Belgium, Stephanie Vanden Borre is a penalty-corner magician who can also defend solidly. Accumulating more than 190 international caps, with 76 goals, she has played an integral role in Belgium's ascendance.

Her efforts have aided Belgium to gain two European silver medals while also determining a best-ever World Cup semi-finals result for her nation with the 2022 tournament, the first such result in four decades. Remarkably, she scored almost half of that national tally during that competition.

Vanden Borre is well known for delivering under pressure and remains one of the world's toughest defenders in hockey.