The new season has brought with it a fresh set of ideas, opinions, and statistics to show which player is currently the best in the world. The recently-released Ballon d’Or shortlist has only added to the discussion on who is the best in the business. Check the Top 5 best football players Ranking In The World Right Now Based On Ratings.
Messi and Ronaldo have been part of the discussion since 2008 when the latter won his first Ballon d’Or. The pair remained at the top of everyone’s list until Luka Modric broke their duopoly in 2019.
Since then, even more, players have found a place in the ‘world’s best player’ discussion.
Often such discussions tilt towards subjectivity and away from objectivity. But this article will rank players based on their ratings, which depend on their performances this season. It presents an unbiased view of who the best players in the world are in their current form.
5 Best Football Players Ranking In The World Right Now
Here are the five best players in the world right now based on ratings
5. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Mohamed Salah will simply go down as one of the best-value signings in modern-day Premier League history and comes at number 5 on this list. He cost £ 36 million, which is still a hefty sum, but Liverpool unearthed world-class talent for that money.
The Egyptian’s consistency earns him a place on this list. His initial season with the Reds saw him crash home 32 goals in 36 games. That was an unsustainable figure considering he was only two goals short of the all-time Premier League record for a single season, but he has since produced a trio of campaigns around the 20-goal mark – plus assists.
Salah has found the net 134 times in 212 games for Liverpool. For a forward who is not an out-and-out striker, those numbers – in the context of a tough, physical league – are outrageous.
4. Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Ronaldo is a footballing chameleon. He has conquered Europe across a variety of leagues in a variety of positions and adapted to fresh circumstances every step of the way. He comes in at number 4
His move back to Manchester United raised plenty of eyebrows after appearing to go a little off the boil at Juventus, but he has proven that he maintains the pace, finishing prowess, and otherworldly desire to win that took him to the very top in the first place.
Ronaldo may have slid a little down the rankings by virtue of success as part of a team unit – his Juventus spell didn’t bear the Champions League trophy his arrival promised or aid team cohesion – but he remains one of the most lethal strikers around.
3. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
No player in the Premier League is as technically gifted as Kevin De Bruyne who is number 3 on the list. The eagle-eyed playmaker has the technical ability and intelligence to dominate games both at home and abroad. His physicality – both in speed and strength – is also underestimated.
Manchester City would not be the same without De Bruyne. He is the assist king, with City scoring a goal provided by the Belgian once every two Premier League games.
Of course, having a team of glittering stars around him aids De Bruyne’s club performances, but the 29-year-old has also produced for Belgium.
We haven’t dug into the minutely detailed stats for every player, but here are some numbers from KDB’s 181 Premier League games so far. He plays 53 passes per match, has created 116 ‘big chances’, and up to the 2021/22 season has recorded 120 goal contributions (78 assists, 42 goals).
There’s a feeling that one more off-the-wall season could nudge De Bruyne to the very top of this list. In fact, others may already place him there and it would be hard to mount a case against them.
2. Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Having floated below the likes of Ronaldo and Messi in many ‘best footballers in the world’ lists, Robert Lewandowski is often overlooked.
Not anymore.
A striker whose talents have adapted to changes in style over the years, Lewandowski is as seasoned a goalscorer as you’ll ever see.
The Poland international has a dead eye for goal in a one-on-one situation and his numbers are hugely impressive. Lewandowski scored 41 Bundesliga goals in just 29 games – that’s an all-time record high. He is getting better with age.
What’s more, he was named European Footballer of the Year and FIFA’s Player of the Year, but controversially wasn’t granted the Ballon d’Or in 2020 after the award was canceled due to COVID-19.
He is the unquestioned king of the natural strikers in world football right now.
1. Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund)
Top of the list and currently the world’s best player as per ratings is Borussia Dortmund star who comes at number 1. The Norwegian has taken European football by storm since joining the Bundesliga outfit in the 2020 winter transfer window. He has already bagged 70 goals for Dortmund in just 68 appearances.
This season, the 21-year-old has scored 13 goals for Dortmund across competitions, nine of which have come in the Bundesliga. He is the current top-scorer in the league, three goals ahead of Robert Lewandowski, who is second on our list.
Haaland also tops the list of players with the most shots per game in Europe’s top five leagues. The former Red Bull Salzburg striker has attempted five shots per game this season. He also has 2.3 aerial duels won per game, much more than any other player on this list. Lewandowski is second with 1.6.
Haaland was on the scoresheet twice in Dortmund’s 3-1 win over Mainz on Saturday, which further strengthened his position at the top of this list.
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