Over the past year, Di Maria has produced some of his best performances since his days with Real Madrid, and he started the current campaign brilliantly following 12 league goals and 11 assists in 2018-19. In just 18 games this term, Gnabry has 10 goals, four of which came in one game against Tottenham in the Champions League, and seven assists. The Egyptian hit 44 goals in all competitions during the 2017/18 campaign, winning both the Premier League Golden Boot and the PFA Player of the Year. The Brazilian is still indispensable; however, four seasons of doing twice as much running in order to cover for slack team-mates has taken its toll, and he deserves better. The greatest there ever has, and ever will be. Players ranking during the Premier League 2019/2020 season on AS.com However, given City is now third in the Premier League and trailing leaders Liverpool by 14 points, Guardiola may be wise to reinstate the 25-year-old. “Poetry in motion” is how you would describe Kevin De Bruyne playing football. 9. You’ll rarely ever see him the news, he seldom does interviews, and his social media accounts are, quite frankly, boring. The Dutchman was many people’s pick for the Ballon d’Or after a superb year in which he played a big part in pushing Liverpool to a Champions League title and the brink of a Premier League triumph. TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD. The Dutch national team is enjoying a golden generation of talent coming through its ranks, and its brightest star is defender Matthijs de Ligt. Timo. Belgium’s all-time top scorer made an instant impact, equalling Ronaldo’s record of nine goals in his first 11 games to help the Nerazzurri launch a title challenge. His velvet touch and metronomic qualities have come to the fore with club and country, leading to his contract in France recently being extended until 2024. Whilst many of his peers of yesteryear have either moved on or retired, the Argentine has still managed to keep up his outrageously high-performance levels amongst a new, and vastly more inexperienced, roster. The Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo debate has been raging on for the last decade with both camps becoming more entrenched over time. “He is his successor. He also won the PFA Player of the Year. He thought he'd achieved the best possible recognition when he was handed a record sixth Ballon d’Or earlier this month. Van Dijk told cameras he was “extremely proud to be in the same company as two of the greatest players to ever play” after finishing second, between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, in this year’s Ballon d’Or standings. The English youngster has taken the Bundesliga by storm since the move, scoring 26 goals and producing 36 assists in just 78 games. Megan Rapinoe was named The Best FIFA Women’s Player for 2019 while Jill Ellis was named The Best Women’s Coach. Machiavelli would surely approve. Occasionally deployed on the left of defence despite his disdain for the position, the 25-year-old’s midfield displays have suffered in turn – yet he remains a trusted lieutenant. He has still managed 17 goals this year, seven of which have come for his new club, and he’s only likely to improve as he settles into life at the Camp Nou. So, let’s take a look at the ten most stand-out soccer players of … Not Dembele. It was the second-best haul of his career, including three of Spurs’ four goals in the two-legged Champions League success against Manchester City. Leicester’s marksman is firing the Foxes towards another surprise Champions League appearance, and he remains a scourge of the league. So far this season, he’s scored another ten to take his total to 81 to 141 games for the club – the fastest any player in its history has hit that number. Maradona won a joint award with Pelé for the FIFA player of the 20th Century. Statistically, it’s been his worst in a decade. After all, does one good – or bad – year define a player? So much is made of Bale’s off-field relationship with Los Blancos that it’s easy to forget how decisive he can still be. The best players deliver when it matters most; the truly elite do it consistently. This year, he’s been no different, scoring 40 and assisting 17, guiding Barcelona to the 2018/19 La Liga title, as well as to the top of the league this term. He … Ruiz has enjoyed a rather smashing 2019. “Everyone’s work ethic is incredible, but Koke does so much running – I just don’t know how he does it.” So eulogised his new team-mate, Kieran Trippier, who has been liberated by the Rojiblancos’ captain. Such woes have been put behind him in recent months, however, and he’s been back to his best for PSG, scoring eight times in his last 11 games, three which were the only goals in 1-0 wins for the French champion. Outstanding in Manchester City’s 2-1 January win over Liverpool that swung the Premier League title race back in their favour, Fernandinho is still conspicuous by his absence whenever he is unavailable. He kept his cool to score a penalty in the final against Tottenham, and kept his name on the Premier League Golden Boot. The Frenchman seemed distracted in his final days in Atleti and has endured a somewhat difficult period of adjustment at his new club this term. As Manchester City’s most-used outfield player after Aymeric Laporte last season, Silva combined graft and guile, encapsulated in his superb performance against Liverpool in January. More importantly, however, his symbiosis with Roberto Firmino and Mo Salah has made Liverpool’s attack the most feared in Europe, of which Mane is the epitome. Our ranking generated by goals, assists, shots and passes from past 3 years. Oh my word, Luis Suarez!Barca are RAMPANT!It's 4-1 at HT as Leo Messi goal also got his second and Barca's third pic.twitter.com/gTxk2C6TmE— Watch El Clásico live on Premier Sports (@PremierSportsTV) December 7, 2019. First at Roma, then at Juventus, he has become a truly excellent goalkeeper who now does the simple things well on top of those wonderful saves. Still, he has done more than enough to prove his doubters wrong at Bayern Munich. By James Israelsen, Associate Writer Published July 20, 2019 Updated March 9, 2020 Pele, Messi, Maradona, Nazario, and Ronaldo all make this list of the top ten soccer players in the world. That has inspired our article on the greatest soccer players of all-time. But soccer fans can’t even agree who is the best right now! He turns 31 in January, yet 2019 has arguably been his best-ever year: the midfielder was a constant as Lucien Favre’s team went close to glory last season. Can you name Andrea Pirlo's most frequent teammates? He has unbelievable shot-stopping abilities and reactions coming to the rescue for Barcelona on more than one occasion over the year. Ronaldo’s performances in recent years have meant that alongside Messi, he is considered by some distance the best soccer player in the world. Copyright © 2021 Business Insider Nederland. He is essential to City’s Champions League ambitions. yet the goals still flowed. But, even with some disagreement, there are some players that will consistently appear on most people’s idea of a top 10. Hummels’ 2019 had been a nightmare, with Germany boss Joachim Löw publicly and prematurely axing him alongside Jerome Boateng and Thomas Muller, before difficulties with Robert Kovac forced him to quit Bayern Munich and rejoin Dortmund. The Yorkshireman’s remarkable rise continued in 2019 as he was made the world’s most expensive defender at £80 million, as well as the cornerstone of England’s rearguard. His injury problems were so terrible that it’s genuinely remarkable Cazorla is even playing again. Should City want him back, he’ll cost as much as $222 million, according to the CIES Football Observatory. His balletic grace, positional intelligence and adaptability have each come to the fore under Pep Guardiola. Top 5 highest paid soccer players in the world. Averaging 35 goals per season at Barça, Uruguay’s top dog has proved the perfect foil for Lionel Messi. As is the case for most of Real Madrid’s squad, it hasn’t been the easiest of periods for Casemiro – but, boy, do they notice when he isn’t around to plug the gaps. You may (see also: will almost certainly) disagree. The 28-year-old already has six goals and nine assists to his name in the Premier League, the latter being the highest total in the division. The Dortmund star is a veteran now, having celebrated his 30th birthday, and he is mainly used as a creative midfielder rather than a forward. Barcelona’s goalkeepers must not only dominate their area, but also demonstrate proficiency in possession. View the full 100 below ... Fri 20 Dec 2019 05.01 EST First published on Tue 17 Dec 2019 05.00 EST. With Marc-Andre ter Stegen consistently in top form at Barcelona, it was hard for Neuer to justify his continued standing as Germany’s starting goalkeeper. Suarez recently said moving to David Beckham’s new MLS franchise Inter Miami after his time at Barcelona is up is a “nice possibility,” according to ESPN. The Brazilian, without a doubt, possesses all the attributes to one of, if not, the world’s best. Now the predatory Frenchman is top cat – with more than 30 goals in all competitions across 2019, he is Zinedine Zidane’s most trusted and consistent attacking option. Werner, one of the world’s quickest strikers, has added a new dimension to his game. Atletico Madrid securing the signing of Kieren Trippier for just $26 million in the summer was one of the bargains of the year. Wilfred Ndidi had (theoretically) huge shoes to fill when he took his place in Leicester’s midfield after the departure of N’Golo Kante. © pic.twitter.com/LFMb3EuMCd— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) August 3, 2019. Odegaard became world-famous when he debuted for Norway aged 15 and joined Real Madrid at 16, but only now, after shining in the Eredivisie, is the 21-year-old getting the chance to show Spanish football his worth. It’s hardly surprising that Barcelona struggled at the beginning of this season: Alba, who chipped in with 17 assists in all competitions last season, missed a month of the 2019-20 campaign through injury. Given that Lahm was a versatile, bombarding full-back who often played centre midfield, with a knack for teeing up his teammates and an occasional eye for goal – that assessment is accurate. The best 11 will be chosen by thousands of professional male football players … Thiago was in fine fettle as Bayern Munich overhauled Borussia Dortmund to win the German double; he was especially good when the Bavarians hammered their title rivals 5-0 in April. If this list were based purely on ability: Neymar would be second. It’s the best start to a season the Italian has enjoyed his career and has seen his total with the Eagles soar past the century mark, and move him up to fifth in its all-time scorers list. The 20-year-old shone in Ajax’s run to the Champions League semis earlier in the year, earning him an $83 million move to Juventus, where he’s quickly established himself a regular in the starting XI. Injuries, suspensions, poor form, ongoing transfer rumours, and off the field problems – including a false accusation of rape – have affected his form. For Liverpool, he plays in an unassuming midfield role, sitting back and quietly dictating the tempo with his neat and frequent passing. Somehow, Son is still underrated. Alexander-Arnold’s 12 set a Premier League record for a defender; Robertson managed a mere 11, but by the end of November he had bumped his team-mate into second position, across the league, for assists in 2019. Soccer is the most popular game in the whole world. His eight goals in European Championship qualifying will tell you that. Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold may surpass him in terms of delivery in the final third, but as a complete player, the Portuguese packs the bigger punch. Hours before triumphing at June’s European Under-21 Championship with Spain, Oyarzabal learned he would graduate from the business degree he had combined with football for four years. It turns out he was. His form prompted rivals Borussia Dortmund to come calling, where, since his $28 million summer move, he’s continued to impress. Mahrez might play more of a bit part for Manchester City than he did during his time at Leicester, but when given a chance, he still shows every ounce of quality that convinced City to pay $79 million for his signature in July 2018. Mohamed Salah Both were in the PFA and Champions League teams of the year, and Alexander-Arnold even got on the shortlist for the Ballon d’Or (justified purely by that ingenious corner against Barcelona, we would argue). There’s much more to come. In form, he is the finest passing midfielder around, but age-induced fatigue combined with an increasingly anarchic Barça means that the Spaniard suffers now more than ever. At the start of 2019, very few people would have known the name Donny van de Beek. List of top 100 best soccer players. Starting with the Brazilian National Team at the age of 17, Marta is one of the best players of all-time. Even if the 27-year-old is no longer at the peak of his powers, he is an admirable workaholic who helps others to thrive. ANDY ROBERTSON and 25. A multi-year winner of FIFA's Player of the Year Award, Lionel Messi is generally considered to be the best soccer player of all time. The playmaker enjoyed a stunning Champions League campaign, also claiming the Eredivisie’s joint-most assists as Ajax won the title, and he has been just as sensational this term. Gnabry was outcast by Arsenal, and then told my West Bromwich Albion manager Tony Pulis he was “not at the level” of Premier League football, according to The Evening Standard. Is. Barcelona tried to sign Stefan de Vrij in the summer, but Inter Milan manager Antonio Conte rebuffed the offer, according to Calcio Mercato. The former Liverpool man is a cracking package: set-piece master, workhorse, creator and ever-reliable finisher. His performances for Germany in their Euro 2020 qualifiers were superb, including a phenomenal strike against the Netherlands. This year he’s been better than ever, thriving under the tutelage of Brendan Rodgers, making himself the heartbeat of a Leicester team that has established itself title challengers once again. The 24-year-old has evolved into Atletico’s defensive leader since Diego Godin departed. Soccer or football fans always have their favorites and individual opinion on who they think should be considered number 1. He had the added pressure of seeing Nampalys Mendy, the man whom the Foxes had originally signed to replace Kante, failing to do the business. FourFourTwo is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. “Bernardo can play incredibly well everywhere, give me a team, and he can play well there,” he said. Few players are certain of a place in Pep Guardiola’s XI – Sterling is. Soccer By Next Impulse Sports on October 25, 2019 October 24, 2020. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are two of 55 players nominated for the 2019 FIFA FIFPro Men’s World11. Van Dijk has been an omnipresent force in Liverpool’s defence (not one player dribbled past him the whole of last season), guiding it to Champions League glory and a second-place finish in the Premier League. Cristiano Ronaldo. In that time, he scored in 15 of his 19 appearances for Lazio and Italy. Mertens remains a serious threat, even if – inevitably – he isn’t hitting the same dizzy heights as two years ago. He is versatile, and provides assists at a remarkable rate, but also a genuine leader on the pitch at the age of 24. Lukaku’s summer switch to Inter has revitalised him after a troubled end to his time at Manchester United. Write Sergio off at your peril, however. Liverpool’s Andy Robertson’s ability to do both so effectively makes him the prototype for a new wave of fullbacks that are likely to dominate the game in years to come. This year has been particularly brilliant, Barbosa finding the net 42 times in 55 games, firing Flamengo to both the Brazilian Championship and the Copa Libertadores – the latter in which he scored twice in the dying minutes of the final to earn his side a 2-1 victory over River Plate. He also won the 2019 Kopa Trophy, the award for the best player in Europe under the age of 21, which is presented by the same organization as the Ballon d’Or. You will receive a verification email shortly. A contender for Real Madrid’s star performer of 2019, the 27-year-old is a prototype for the modern full-back. Kimmich has created 14 goals this year for Bayern, scored three times, and, most importantly, provided the German champions with excellent defensive coverage down the right flank. Koulibaly was named Serie A’s best defender for the 2018/19 season as Napoli pushed Juventus right to the last day in the race to the Scudetto. Carvajal is supremely fit, steadfast defensively and an assist machine, who offers club and country an extra attacking dimension that is especially notable when it is missing. Whoops. Fair enough. He isn’t a statistical freak as his strike partners are, but the Brazilian’s specific role in attack is appreciated by Reds team-mates and supporters, if not necessarily further afield. Thank you for signing up to Four Four Two. The 23-year-old has impressed since arriving as a long-term replacement for Fernandinho, combining positional awareness with reassuring style. One of the most important players in an excellent championship-winning side, Virgil van Dijk finished just behind Lionel Messi in the 2019 Ballon d’Or rankings, almost becoming the first defender since Italian center-back Fabio Cannavaro in 2006 to win the award. After finding the net on his debut, he’s added a further six goals and contributed four assists. “Far from a disaster,” is how France boss Didier Deschamps described his form. We came, we saw, we argued in a room for ages – and these are the results... FourFourTwo’s ranking of the 100 best male footballers in the world returns after an action-packed 2019 full of underdog excellence, crazy comebacks and a defender almost winning the Ballon d'Or. Can you name the Premier League stat leaders 2020/21? The Belgian star scored just one goal in 13 games for Los Blancos before he injured his ankle against Paris Saint Germain in the Champions League, leaving him on crutches. Although 2019 concludes with doubts swirling about Insigne’s future at his hometown club, the fleet-footed winger’s 10-goal haul in 2018-19 helped Napoli finish 2nd in Serie A. Bath The omnipresent French midfielder had to adapt under Maurizio Sarri, but adapt he did, and it’s given his usual defensive game an extra dimension. Löw is under pressure to change his mind. That’s what Dries Mertens did in October when he hit his 116th goal for Napoli against RB Salzburg in the Champions League, moving him one ahead of the Argentine in the club’s all-time top scorers list. Majestic. While 2019 was underwhelming for PSG, it was fruitful for Mbappe. He was one of two exceptional centre-backs in the Premier League across 2018-19, and justifiably made the PFA Team of the Year. Thank U Soo Much For Watching My Video.Plz Like and subscribe my channel. Aguero is one of those players that has been so good for so long, that his greatness is often underappreciated. He has just turned 21. The Argentine forward was determined to prove his worth throughout the turbulence, and he has done just that with some fine performances and important goals, including strikes against both Milan and Inter. He remains a major force at international level, too. Given Suarez’s outstanding 2019, the Catalan club will be pulling out all the stops to make sure that day is as far away as possible. LIST FourFourTwo's 50 favourite football shirts, RANKED The 101 greatest football players of the last 25 years, LEGENDS FourFourTwo's 100 Greatest Footballers EVER, FIFA 20 Career mode best young players: 15 wonderkids with world-class potential, New features you'd love on FourFourTwo.com. Real Madrid need him to do so. Pace, strength, control, and finishing – Ronaldo has the complete repertoire. Belonging to Serie A side Juventus, Cristiano Ronaldo is the most versatile player when it comes to soccer. Joe Biden inauguration: why soccer should thrive under the USA's new president, Football Manager 2021: 20 teams you need to play as. The goalkeeper provides so much more than shot-stopping, however (although he is pretty good at it) – he even chalked up a couple of assists last season, which was as many as Sadio Mané. J. Kimmich continues to be hugely influential for Bayern Munich and Germany, whether he is being deployed as a right-back or in his preferred central midfield role. The Nigerian joined just sixth months after Kante left for Chelsea in 2017. He also excelled at the Africa Cup of Nations in the summer, being named in the Team of the Tournament as Senegal finished as runners up to Algeria. We think not. De Nederlandse overheid wil zijn gestelde energiedoelen in 2020 behalen. The Englishman, who has perfected the art of being in the right place in at the right time in the six-yard box, has scored an impressive 33 times in 2019 – the most he’s ever managed, by some distance. 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