3. TRENDING TOPICS. It is the age of the full-back, and while Davies, Robertson and Cancelo are three of the best left-backs in the world, in completely different ways. There was a problem. Such is the expected artistry of a Napoli winger, after all while Chiesa is all bustle, brutishness and bottled anger. Lionel Andrs Messi is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward and captains both the Spanish club Barcelona and the Argentina national . Thierry Henry represented France in the 2012 European Championships and at the FIFA World Cup in Brazil in 2014. Fri 24 Dec 2021 05.00 EST. They are two separate awards, although between 2010 and 2015, they merged together to form the FIFA Ballon dOr. After his Champions League title-winning heroics, NGolo Kante has arguably become a top contender for the Ballon dOr. Maguire had joined Manchester United . Following a poor Euro 2020 from the entire Germany squad, the 26-year old has started the new domestic season in scintillating form, scoring 11 goals in 24 club appearances. Kirby is one of the world's most exciting forwards and capped the 2021-22 season by winning the domestic league and cup double with Chelsea, but the year has not been without its challenges. Theyre both sharp, quick and seemingly able to finish from any angle. A difficult few months at the start of 2021 saw the PSG enforcer miss 10 league games between January and May a mixture of coronavirus and knee injuries to blame as the French giants surrendered the Ligue 1 title to Lille. I n the Guardian's 10th edition of the best 100 male footballer in the world our . We compiled a list of the best players on Earth. Interestingly in 1999, he was voted World Player of the Century by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics. Hes been a no.6 for Pep, a secondary playmaker, the creative heartbeat and last season, a false nine and Manchester Citys top scorer in all competitions. Name: Cristiano Ronaldo Date of birth: 5th February 1985 Role-playing: Foward Country: Portugal Marital status: married Awards: 5 times FIFA Ballon do'or winner, FIFA and FIFA PRO World Player of the Year The Best FIFA Men's Player, 3 times UEFA Best Player in Europe Award, UEFA Club Footballer of the Year, UEFA Club Forward of the Year 2 times FIFPro Special Young Player of the Year 4 . Yet Lewandowski, now 33, is still more relevant than ever. While rating Ronaldo as the biggest big-game player in the world, FourFourTwo ranked him in only 10th-place. From 29th March 2023, FlashSport will not be available. Hes the first player to score in nine consecutive games in two separate seasons of the Champions League, scored for 13 consecutive Bundesliga home matches to surpass Gerd Mullers 40-year record 12 and most impressively, he broke Mullers all-time record of 40 goals in a single season to net one better last season. Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski complete the top three in this surprise list. Neymar, meanwhile, got the nod over Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappe for fourth-place. Football Manager 2021 was released this week, and, as ever, players are immediately drawn to the list of wonderkids - those teenagers with the potential to become world-class players. 36 club goals in all competitions in 2021 one every 113 minutes is frankly unbelievable from a player previously believed to be nothing more than a foil for goalscoring widemen. Since 2005, the world players union FIFPRO has asked professional footballers worldwide to select the best players in the game each calendar year, with over 25,000 players participating in the vote. Plus tips on how to play better and interviews with the biggest names. Despite the fact that most great players in todays game have busy seasons in club football, the vast majority of them are routinely called upon to represent their countries at the international level; some even do so with distinction as leaders of their respective national teams. Sergio Ramos is next in terms of appearances, with 11. Football magazine FourFourTwo has released its annual list of best players around the world and made some questionable choices. 2. A massive year for the 23-year-old wingback saw him play a crucial role in Inters first Scudetto in a decade the Moroccan scored seven league goals and laid on a further 10 for his team-mates before sealing a whopping 54m switch to PSG. The FIFA Fan award was created in 2016 and celebrates the best fan moment or event across the calendar year. Taking the initiative and leading his side to victory, Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to score in four separate editions of the European Championship, as Portugal claimed their first major championship. The 35-year-old, who led Argentina to their first World Cup triumph since 1986 in December . If Kevin De Bruynes the conductor in Manchester Citys grand orchestra, Bernardo Silva and Riyad Mahrez are first chairs in the string section. Brentford - Pontus Jansson. His pace, aggression and driving runs forward have given him cult status with Blues fans, who will be praying he can be tied down to a new deal before the season ends. Leonardo Bonucci is a professional Italian footballer who plays as a center for both the Series A Juventus Club and the Italy national team and is serving as Vice-Captain. History of the award. The rabona goal by Argentina attacker Erik Lamela (watch it here) won out as the winner of the prestigious Puskas Award for the best goal scored anywhere in the world in 2021. The award celebrates the best 11 players in the world each year, and gives players who dont have a realistic shot at winning the overall award, primarily defensive players, recognition for their work on the pitch. #10. Who are men's football's best players in the world as 2021 comes to a close? 10. The three final nominees for The Best FIFA Women's Player were: Previously, there was a nine-woman shortlist. Now, there are nine awards to be won, as well as a FIFPro 11. Hes the central striker, now. And yet when the 34-year-old sobbed in that crowded hall, there wasnt a team on Earth that wouldnt have moved heaven and earth to home him. But it was a tight . Previously named the FIFA World Player of the Year upon its inception in 1991 until 2009, the recently rebranded award has been called The Best FIFA Mens Player trophy since 2016. Photogallery. Theyve just as deserving of the trophy as one another, too. Donnarumma is the 22-year-old goalkeeper with 40 caps under his belt already, who won Euro 2020 Player of the Tournament and is now first pick in a star-studded PSG side. Blues teammate Mason Mount also made the cut in 40th-place following a superb season at Stamford Bridge. Best soccer players in 2021. FourFourTwo is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and N'Golo Kante. The beating heart of both a Denmark team that went to the Euro 2020 semi-finals and a resurgent AC Milan side after a decade in the doldrums, Kjaer's cool defensive head has been a footballing . Ramos total of 23 goals for La Furia Roja, which is a remarkable feat for a defender, positions him ninth all-time on Spains all-time goalscoring record. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have the most appearances in the World 11, with 15 each. One of the 100 most important people of the 20th century according to TIME. The current favourites for the 2021 award are: Robert Lewandowski, Kylian Mbappe, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. And while Manes 2021 hasnt been a vintage 12 months with trophies, accolades and individual awards, the Senegalese is still one of the most mercurial footballers on Earth; still capable of flipping that switch and unleashing the thunder. They separated for 2016 and have remained two different awards since then. We provide exclusive analysis and live match performance reports of soccer players and teams, from a database of over 225.000 players, 14.000 teams, playing a total of more then 520.000 matches. A football captain does not have to be the greatest player in his team in order to be effective. Some feel Fernandes struggles with Cristiano Ronaldo hogging the limelight his comparatively poor Portugal record would support this theory and Ralf Rangnick will hope to correct this issue in the coming months. It slowly gained traction, incorporating a womens award in 2001 as well as several other trophies that became up for grabs. Lucy Bronze. 2021 has been a year filled with some stunning performances from top players around the world. The Frenchman is 34 now somehow, hes actually getting more magical with each trip around the sun. Hugo Lloris has been a star performer for France since making his international debut in a goalless draw against Uruguay in 2008. Also Read: FIFA World Cup 2022: All Teams List, Captain, And Coach. But theres plenty to separate the Azzurri zippers, too. Hes 21. From there we derive our own valuation for each and every player in the worlds major football competitions. We do this together with our partner SciSports. We cross-referenced their form, their ability, their history and their sheer impact on a field: who wouldn't you be without? Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino have been in direct competition for a spot, while Mohamed Salah ascends to god mode. His new found seniority followed him to Euro 2020, as Foden - sporting a Gazza-esque bleached barnet that sent the nation wild - started on the right hand side for Englands opening two matches. SEE ALSO | Top Five British Ghanaian Footballers Listed With Their Details. The man who achieved the fastest running speed at Euro 2020 (an astonishing 33.8 km/h, for those interested) captured hearts and minds with his tireless bombing up and down Italys left flank. He plays football regularly, both on grass and artificial surfaces, and has a large, discerning and ever-growing collection of football shirts from around the world. Yet both were as captivating as one another at Euro 2020. At 33, there are signs the magician may be starting to slow down. The final three nominees for The Best FIFA Men's Player were: Eight originally-shortlisted players to be eliminated at this point were: The final three goals nominated for the Puskas Award were: Three coaches were nominated for The Best FIFA Men's Coach. Thank you for signing up to Four Four Two. Defender Sergio Ramos is widely regarded as one of the best goal-scoring defenders in the contemporary era. 2023 Minute Media - All rights reserved. Paolo Maldini is regarded as the greatest left-back ever. The Barcelona captain's world-class displays and inspiring leadership helped the club win all 30 of their Primera Division matches last season. Jose Mourinho will be excited to have him back for Roma in 2022. Even when the last tree has been cut down, when the last river has run dry, when the Championship is fully Neil Warnock-free with no chance of him returning and when the plague of foul throws has been successfully and permanently eradicated from professional full-backs Mohamed Salah will slow down. Hes robotic in his movements, plays football like its a computer game and so when the world fell quiet in 2020, spectators dissipated and Bayern targeted a treble, the Pole was the natural frontman. Fans will then be responsible for 50 per cent of the votes cast, with a panel of football experts providing the other 50 per cent to decide the eventual winner. White Stripes adorn the side of the jersey, with a cannon symbol on the collar. Stay up to date with what you want to know. 10. Get the best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week. After all, the Chelsea midfielder is only 27th on FourFourTwos list. Erik Lamela (March 14, 2021 Tottenham vs Arsenal) Patrik Schick (June 14, 2021 Czech Republic vs Scotland) Medhi Taremi (April 13, 2021 Porto vs Chelsea) Three wonderful goals here. Get insight to top players, instructions & drills and extensive coverage of equipment. All three are exquisite players let them have the ball between them and youre never getting it back. A Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick in the semi-finals three years later spurred Portugal to victory in the first edition of the UEFA Nations League, which they won 3-0. The 35-year-old pipped Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema to win the prize, which . You will receive a verification email shortly. Five Manchester City players made the cut between 11th and 25th places in winger Riyad Mahrez, midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, defenders Ruben Dias and Joao Cancelo, and goalkeeper Ederson. Eyebrows were raised when Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer handed Harry Maguire the captaincy after Ashley Young's departure in January 2020. He had previously missed out on the Ballon d'Or, which had gone to the Argentine . In contrast to other sports, a football captain may not always be the center of attention. 3. Neymar (PSG & Brazil) (Total Football Goals: 435) 17 Feb. 2023 Neymar is the all-time joint top goal scorer for the Brazil National Football Team, with 77 goals in 124 matches. But hes still doing something remarkable at Liverpool, and analysis that says he will be a midfielder someday misunderstands what makes him so special. Noni Madueke. Another year of classy showings for France Pogba was exquisite in the Euro 2020 group stages for Les Bleus before helping them win the UEFA Nations League only served as another reminder of how inconsistent he can be for his club. and really, there's no right answer. 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