While the next generation of megastars compete for position, the Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo war seems to have entered modern football mythology, leaving us no closer to a solution.
Our list is the result of a number of considerations. We have considered recent performance, but in many situations, exceptionally strong or weak 2021/22 seasons have been disregarded to prevent players with a lengthy history of outstanding performances from being dropped at the first chance.
Trophies, league power, raw statistics, intangible magic, and a variety of other factors have combined to construct our qualifications for the listing, and we are certain that you will completely disagree with it.
We have left off defensive colossi Rben Dias and Virgil van Dijk, Manchester United’s creative titan Bruno Fernandes, and PSG superstar Neymar from our rankings to further whet your appetite and show the absolute strength of the top 10.
- Christiano Ronaldo (Man Utd)
Ronaldo, who spent more than a decade consistently ranking in the top two, is one of the major movers on this list.
Though it has been a difficult start to the new season, it is safe to conclude that his finest days are ahead of him as he enters the concluding gambits of his career. Nevertheless, there is no shame in that and he still remains a devastating tool in United’s inventory.
Ronaldo, who changed from a quick winger to a talismanic center forward, continues to be among the greatest in the game at maintaining composure and scoring crucial goals in the dying minutes.
- Sadio Mane (Bayern Munich)
Given the conflict the Reds are currently experiencing, Mane’s influence at Liverpool is developing long after his departure. Despite some of the bristled new talents on Merseyside, it feels like his loss is really noticeable.
The Senegalese winger, who scored 16 goals in the Premier League last season, has started off in the Bundesliga with 3 consecutive goals to make a strong first impression on his new team, where he is unquestionably the star player.
Mane has pierced numerous teams during his career with his incisive running, and his massive move gives him another another opportunity to destroy a division.
- Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
After nearly 20 years in the game, Benzema has made a roaring comeback and is currently enjoying an Indian summer.
Madrid has recently preferred big-money Galactico-style players over the Real Madrid star, but they always come back to the dependable Frenchman who had one of his best seasons of his career in 2021–2022.
He has produced four consecutive 20-goal seasons prior to this one, along with a stack of assists that are evidence of his work rate, altruism, and importance in determining Madrid’s success, so he hasn’t merely made our list just on his 27 goals in 32 La Liga games last season.
- Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Football snobs might consider Salah’s direct running to be crude, but there’s no questioning his effectiveness.
There are few players in the world who are better at picking up the ball out wide and driving across – or into – the box at pace. He may not have the all-around game that many players ahead of him on this list have developed.
He is the Egyptian king, the talisman, and the symbol of Liverpool. He may have reached his full potential later in his career than many other household names, but there is no doubt he will go down as one of the all-time greats of the Premier League.
- Harry Kane (Tottenham)
Simply put, Kane is among the best strikers in the world and is deserving of a spot at the top of the heap of global talent.
Every time Kane has performed more than 30 Premier League games for Tottenham in a season, he has easily scored more than 20 goals. He has nonetheless racked up significant totals over the past campaigns despite being severely hindered by ailments.
But the England talisman is much more than numbers. He stands apart from practically all other strikers on the planet thanks to his wide variety of passes, technique, vision, and playmaking skills. He is a phenomenal talent who merits having awards in his locker.
- Erling Haaland (Man City)
We now come the first player on the list, who has a very good chance of eventually winning the coveted No. 1 slot.
Since breaking onto the professional football world, Haaland has excelled. At Red Bull Salzburg, he was productive, and while wearing a Dortmund jersey, he dissed the Bundesliga. For the latter, he scored 86 goals in 89 games.
He is a force that few people can contain at 6’4″ tall. As he transfers his excellent form, defenses throughout the Premier League are learning this lesson the hard way.
- Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Undoubtedly, Kylian Mbappe is Haaland’s major rival for the title of “greatest player in the world.” The top 3 players on this ranking are all older than 29, which will allow the Frenchman to continue to rule for many years.
At the age of 23, he already has 110 goals in 117 PSG league games and 27 goals in 57 appearances for the France national team. He also boasts quickness that would put Doc Brown’s DeLorean to shame.
There isn’t much you can do when Mbappe is charging towards you other than sob and ask for help. His unmatched close control and clinical finishing ability are the cherry on top.
- Kevin De Bruyne (Man City)
You may argue that Salah should be ranked ahead of De Bruyne in terms of raw success, but De Bruyne may very well be the No. 1 complete player on the planet right now in terms of skill set, technical skill, physical attributes, and mental tenacity.
He has made some of the most incredible pass you’re ever likely to see and is the best football crosser in Premier League history. In addition to scoring goals, he is also capable of tearing nets away from their stanchions.
This is all well and great, but De Bruyne’s unexpected quickness and physicality are what really set him apart from the group of guys who play similarly.
- Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona)
There is no denying that Lewandowski is one of the world’s top players right now in terms of form. And he has been doing so for a while. He had a wild career, so it feels like a tremendous dishonor that he hasn’t won a Ballon d’Or.
The legendary Polish boxer moves with exquisite grace within the ring and possesses a well-balanced combination of strength, speed, and technical ability. There is no one you would more trust in a one-on-one situation than him because his positioning is always spot-on.
Even though we are aware that raw statistics are not everything, we will provide you with some explosive Lewandowski statistics to consider. In 375 games across all competitions for Bayern Munich, he scored 344 goals, including 41 Bundesliga goals in just 29 games in 2020–21. He seemed to be adjusting well to Barcelona as well.
- Lionel Messi (PSG)
But Ronaldo fell to tenth? I hear you sobbing. There is no way to disguise the truth that, at least by his absurd standards, Lionel Messi failed to light up Paris last season.
There is little question that Ronaldo and Messi, together with the late great Diego Maradona, will rank among the top three football players of all time. However, while Ronaldo’s position has been somewhat reduced, we are still seeing the real version of Messi.
After an incredible final season in Barcelona and after finally winning a trophy with Argentina, Messi is the current Ballon d’Or winner. His talent should never be minimized, and his influence should never be questioned. Despite having a tough start at PSG, he still managed to turn things around last season, appearing in 33 games across all leagues, including the Champions League, and contributing to 11 goals and 14 assists. He has already began 2022/23 with 3 goals and two assists in three games, signifying we could be about to see another spectacular season from the little wizard.
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