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Artikelnummer:266246972570Lionel Messi Barcelona 1899 Goldmünze Argentinien signiert Fußballer Star Legende UK. Lionel Messi Coin FC Barcelona & Argentina Uncirculated 24Kt Gold Plated Commemoration Coin It has an image of Messi with his famous goal celebration with his autograph and the Argentina flag The reverse has the FC Barcelona Crest The coin is 40mm in diameter, weighs about 1 oz comes in a plastic case holder A Beautiful coin and Magnificent Keepsake Souvenir to Mark the Worlds Greatest Footballer In Excellent Condition Sorry about the poor-quality photos. They do not do the coin justice which looks a lot better in real life Would make an Excellent Present or Collectable Keepsake souvenir of a truly great and remarkable Player I have more Football coins on Ebay so Please... Check out my other items ! Bid with Confidence please read my 100% Positive feedback from over 1,000 satisfied customer Read how quickly they receive their items - I post all my items within 24 hours of receiving payment I am a UK seller with 10 years of eBay selling experience International customers are welcome. I have shipped items to over 120 countries International orders may require longer handling time if held up at customs If there is a problem I always give a full refund Returns are accepted If your are unhappy with your item please return it for a full refund. I will pay the return postage costs also Why not treat yourself? I always combine multiple items and send an invoice with discounted postage I leave instant feedback upon receiving yours All payment methods accepted from all countries in all currencies Are you looking for a Interesting conversation piece? A birthday present for the person who has everything? A comical gift to cheer someone up? or a special unique gift just to say thank you? You now know where to look for a bargain! Be sure to add me to your favourites list !
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I have sold items to coutries such as Afghanistan * Albania * Algeria * American Samoa (US) * Andorra * Angola * Anguilla (GB) * Antigua and Barbuda * Argentina * Armenia * Aruba (NL) * Australia * Austria * Azerbaijan * Bahamas * Bahrain * Bangladesh * Barbados * Belarus * Belgium * Belize * Benin * Bermuda (GB) * Bhutan * Bolivia * Bonaire (NL) * Bosnia and Herzegovina * Botswana * Bouvet Island (NO) * Brazil * British Indian Ocean Territory (GB) * British Virgin Islands (GB) * Brunei * Bulgaria * Burkina Faso * Burundi * Cambodia * Cameroon * Canada * Cape Verde * Cayman Islands (GB) * Central African Republic * Chad * Chile * China * Christmas Island (AU) * Cocos Islands (AU) * Colombia * Comoros * Congo * Democratic Republic of the Congo * Cook Islands (NZ) * Coral Sea Islands Territory (AU) * Costa Rica * Croatia * Cuba * Curaçao (NL) * Cyprus * Czech Republic * Denmark * Djibouti * Dominica * Dominican Republic * East Timor * Ecuador * Egypt * El Salvador * Equatorial Guinea * Eritrea * Estonia * Ethiopia * Falkland Islands (GB) * Faroe Islands (DK) * Fiji Islands * Finland * France * French Guiana (FR) * French Polynesia (FR) * French Southern Lands (FR) * Gabon * Gambia * Georgia * Germany * Ghana * Gibraltar (GB) * Greece * Greenland (DK) * Grenada * Guadeloupe (FR) * Guam (US) * Guatemala * Guernsey (GB) * Guinea * Guinea-Bissau * Guyana * Haiti * Heard and McDonald Islands (AU) * Honduras * Hong Kong (CN) * Hungary * Iceland * India * Indonesia * Iran * Iraq * Ireland * Isle of Man (GB) * Israel * Italy * Ivory Coast * Jamaica * Jan Mayen (NO) * Japan * Jersey (GB) * Jordan * Kazakhstan * Kenya * Kiribati * Kosovo * Kuwait * Kyrgyzstan * Laos * Latvia * Lebanon * Lesotho * Liberia * Libya * Liechtenstein * Lithuania * Luxembourg * Macau (CN) * Macedonia * Madagascar * Malawi * Malaysia * Maldives * Mali * Malta * Marshall Islands * Martinique (FR) * Mauritania * Mauritius * Mayotte (FR) * Mexico * Micronesia * Moldova * Monaco * Mongolia * Montenegro * Montserrat (GB) * Morocco * Mozambique * Myanmar * Namibia * Nauru * Navassa (US) * Nepal * Netherlands * New Caledonia (FR) * New Zealand * Nicaragua * Niger * Nigeria * Niue (NZ) * Norfolk Island (AU) * North Korea * Northern Cyprus * Northern Mariana Islands (US) * Norway * Oman * Pakistan * Palau * Palestinian Authority * Panama * Papua New Guinea * Paraguay * Peru * Philippines * Pitcairn Island (GB) * Poland * Portugal * Puerto Rico (US) * Qatar * Reunion (FR) * Romania * Russia * Rwanda * Saba (NL) * Saint Barthelemy (FR) * Saint Helena (GB) * Saint Kitts and Nevis * Saint Lucia * Saint Martin (FR) * Saint Pierre and Miquelon (FR) * Saint Vincent and the Grenadines * Samoa * San Marino * Sao Tome and Principe * Saudi Arabia * Senegal * Serbia * Seychelles * Sierra Leone * Singapore * Sint Eustatius (NL) * Sint Maarten (NL) * Slovakia * Slovenia * Solomon Islands * Somalia * South Africa * South Georgia (GB) * South Korea * South Sudan * Spain * Sri Lanka * Sudan * Suriname * Svalbard (NO) * Swaziland * Sweden * Switzerland * Syria * Taiwan * Tajikistan * Tanzania * Thailand * Togo * Tokelau (NZ) * Tonga * Trinidad and Tobago * Tunisia * Turkey * Turkmenistan * Turks and Caicos Islands (GB) * Tuvalu * U.S. Minor Pacific Islands (US) * U.S. Virgin Islands (US) * Uganda * Ukraine * United Arab Emirates * United Kingdom * United States * Uruguay * Uzbekistan * Vanuatu * Vatican City * Venezuela * Vietnam * Wallis and Futuna (FR) * Yemen * Zambia * Zimbabwe and major cities such as Tokyo, Yokohama, New York City, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Mexico City, Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto, Manila, Mumbai, Delhi, Jakarta, Lagos, Kolkata, Cairo, Los Angeles, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Moscow, Shanghai, Karachi, Paris, Istanbul, Nagoya, Beijing, Chicago, London, Shenzhen, Essen, Düsseldorf, Tehran, Bogota, Lima, Bangkok, Johannesburg, East Rand, Chennai, Taipei, Baghdad, Santiago, Bangalore, Hyderabad, St Petersburg, Philadelphia, Lahore, Kinshasa, Miami, Ho Chi Minh City, Madrid, Tianjin, Kuala Lumpur, Toronto, Milan, Shenyang, Dallas, Fort Worth, Boston, Belo Horizonte, Khartoum, Riyadh, Singapore, Washington, Detroit, Barcelona,, Houston, Athens, Berlin, Sydney, Atlanta, Guadalajara, San Francisco, Oakland, Montreal, Monterey, Melbourne, Ankara, Recife, Phoenix/Mesa, Durban, Porto Alegre, Dalian, Jeddah, Seattle, Cape Town, San Diego, Fortaleza, Curitiba, Rome, Naples, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Tel Aviv, Birmingham, Frankfurt, Lisbon, Manchester, San Juan, Katowice, Tashkent, Fukuoka, Baku, Sumqayit, St. Louis, Baltimore, Sapporo, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Taichung, Warsaw, Denver, Cologne, Bonn, Hamburg, Dubai, Pretoria, Vancouver, Beirut, Budapest, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Campinas, Harare, Brasilia, Kuwait, Munich, Portland, Brussels, Vienna, San Jose, Damman , Copenhagen, Brisbane, Riverside, San Bernardino, Cincinnati and Accra Lionel
Andrés Messi (Spanish pronunciation: [ljoˈnel anˈdɾes ˈmesi] ( listen);
born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine footballer who plays as a forward
for Spanish club FC Barcelona and the Argentina national team. He serves
as the captain of his country's national football team. By the
age of 21, Messi had received Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the
Year nominations. The following year, in 2009, he won his first Ballon
d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards. He followed this up by
winning the inaugural FIFA Ballon d'Or in 2010, and then again in 2011
and 2012. He also won the 2010–11 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award. At
the age of 24, Messi became Barcelona's all-time top scorer in all
official club competitions. At age 25, Messi became the youngest player
to score 200 goals in La Liga's matches. Commonly ranked as the
best player in the world and rated by some in the sport as the greatest
of all time,[2][3][4][5][6][7] Messi is the first football player in
history to win four FIFA/Ballons d'Or, all of which he won
consecutively, as well as the first to win three European Golden Shoe
awards. With Barcelona, Messi has won six La Ligas, two Copas del Rey,
five Supercopas de España, three UEFA Champions Leagues, two UEFA Super
Cups and two Club World Cups. Messi is the first and only player
to top-score in four consecutive Champions League campaigns, and also
holds the record for the most hat-tricks scored (4) in the competition.
In March 2012, Messi made Champions League history by becoming the first
player to score five goals in one match. He also matched José
Altafini's record of 14 goals in a single Champions League season. Messi
set the European record for most goals scored in a season during the
2011–12 season, with 73 goals. In the same season, he set the current
goalscoring record in a single La Liga season, scoring 50 goals. Also in
that season, Messi became the first player ever to score and assist in
six different official competitions in one season. On 16 February 2013,
Messi scored his 300th Barcelona goal. On 30 March 2013, Messi scored in
his 19th consecutive La Liga game, becoming the first footballer in
history to net in consecutive matches against every team in a
professional football league. He extended his record scoring streak to
21 consecutive league matches, and the run came to a halt only when he
sustained a hamstring injury. In March 2014, with a hat-trick against
Real Madrid, Messi became the player with most goals and most hat-tricks
in the history of El Clásico. Messi helped Argentina win the
2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup, finishing as both the best player and the top
scorer (with 6 goals). In 2006, he became the youngest Argentine to play
and score in the FIFA World Cup, and won a runners-up medal at the Copa
América in 2007, in which he was elected young player of the
tournament. In 2008, he won his first international honour, an Olympic
Gold Medal, with the Argentina Olympic football team. SportsPro has
rated him as the second-most marketable athlete in the world. His
playing style and stature have drawn comparisons to compatriot Diego
Maradona, who himself declared Messi his "successor". Personal information Full name Lionel Andrés Messi[1] Date of birth 24 June 1987 (age 26)[1] Place of birth Rosario, Argentina[1] Height 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in)[1] Playing position Forward Club information Current club Barcelona Number 10 Youth career 1995–2000 Newell's Old Boys 2000–2003 Barcelona Senior career* Years Team Apps† (Gls)† 2003–2004 Barcelona C 10 (5) 2004–2005 Barcelona B 22 (6) 2004– Barcelona 276 (243) National team‡ 2004–2005 Argentina U20 18 (14) 2007–2008 Argentina U23 5 (2) 2005– Argentina 86 (38) Honours[show] * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 01:38, 17 May 2014 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 20:46, 7 June 2014 (UTC) Honours Messi
with Cristiano Ronaldo before an international friendly between
Portugal and Argentina in Geneva, Switzerland, on 9 February 2011. Barcelona La Liga: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13 Copa del Rey: 2008–09, 2011–12; Runner-up 2010–11, 2013–14 Supercopa de España: 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013; Runner-up 2012 UEFA Champions League: 2005–06, 2008–09, 2010–11 UEFA Super Cup: 2009, 2011; Runner-up 2006 FIFA Club World Cup: 2009, 2011 Argentina Olympic Gold Medal: 2008 FIFA U-20 World Cup: 2005 Runner-up: Copa America: 2007 Third place: U20 South American Youth Championship: 2005 Individual FIFA Ballon d'Or (3): 2010, 2011, 2012. Created in 2010. Ballon d'Or (1): 2009. Ceased to exist after 2009. FIFA World Player of the Year (1): 2009. Ceased to exist after 2009. World Soccer Player of the Year (3): 2009, 2011, 2012. World Soccer Greatest XI of All Time: 2013. Onze d'Or (3): 2009, 2011, 2012. No winner in 2010. European Golden Shoe (3): 2010, 2012, 2013. UEFA Best Player in Europe Award (1): 2011. Created in 2011. UEFA Club Footballer of the Year (1): 2009. Ceased to exist in 2010. FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball (2): 2009, 2011. UEFA Champions League Final Man of the Match (1): 2011. UEFA Champions League Top Goalscorer (4): 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. L'Équipe Champion of Champions : 2011. FIFA U-20 World Cup Player of the Tournament (1): 2005. FIFA U-20 World Cup Top Goalscorer (1): 2005. LFP Best Player (5): 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013. La Liga Player of the Year (3): 2009, 2010, 2011. La Liga Foreign Player of the Year (3): 2007, 2009, 2010. Ceased to exist in 2010. Pichichi Trophy (3): 2010, 2012, 2013. LFP Best Forward (5): 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013. UEFA Champions League Forward of the Year (1): 2009. Ceased to exist in 2010. La Liga Ibero-American Player of the Year (5): 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. FIFPro World Young Player of the Year (3): 2006, 2007, 2008. World Soccer Young Player of the Year (3): 2006, 2007, 2008. Bravo Award (1): 2007. Golden Boy (1): 2005. Marca Legend Award (1): 2009. ESPY Best International Athlete (1): 2012. El País King of European Soccer (4): 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012.[302] IFFHS World's Top Goal Scorer (2): 2011, 2012.[303] IFFHS World's best Top Division Goal Scorer (1): 2012.[304] FIFA/FIFPro World XI (7): 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013. UEFA Team of the Year (5): 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. ESM Team of the Year (7): 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013. Copa América Young Player of the Tournament (1): 2007. Copa América Top Assist Provider (1): 2011. Copa del Rey Top Goalscorer (1): 2010–11, 2013–14. Argentine Sportsperson of the Year Award (1): 2011. Olimpia de Plata (8): 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 The history of FIFA World Cup World
Cup trophyThere is nothing in football that can compare with the World
Cup. Even though the UEFA Champions League may produce games of the same
quality, it can't overreach the status earned from the long tradition
and the fact that one team represent a whole country. No other sport
event can compete in significance: the latest FIFA World Cup reached
over three billion television viewers worldwide and one billion watched
the final. Contents All World Cup tournaments Teams with most titles and finals World Cup finals Top goalscorers Background Before
the World Cup was inaugurated, the football tournament arranged as part
of the Summer Olympics was given the most prestige. But in the 1920s,
the game was facing a transition to professionalism that wasn't
consistent with the Olympic spirit. Therefore, the government body,
FIFA, made plans to organize a World Cup. The decision of arranging the
first edition was officially declared on May 26, 1928. All World Cup tournaments The
first official World Cup was played in Uruguay 1930, and since when the
tournament has been held every fourth year (with exceptions for
interruption due to the Second World War). There were, however,
unofficial pre-FIFA World Cups already in the late 1800s, in a time when
only few national teams existed. Another unofficial "world cup"
arranged before 1930 was Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy held in 1909 and 1911.
Besides that, the Summer Olympic football competitions would be a mark
of which the best national teams were before 1930. The Olympic
tournaments consisted, however, only of amateur teams – the World Cup
became the "real deal". 1930: Urugay Official poster World Cup 1930The FIFA World Cup 1930 was played in Uruguay 3 July-30 July, with 13 nations. The 1930 World Cup 1934: Italy Official poster World Cup 1934The FIFA World Cup 1934 was played in Italy 27 May-10 June, with 16 nations. The 1934 World Cup 1938: France Official poster World Cup 1938The FIFA World Cup 1938 was played in France 4-19 June, with 16 nations. The 1938 World Cup 1950: Brazil Official poster World Cup 1950The FIFA World Cup 1950 was played in Brazil 24 June-16 July, with 15 nations. The 1950 World Cup 1954: Switzerland Official poster World Cup 1954The FIFA World Cup 1954 was played in Switzerland 16 June-4 July, with 16 nations. The 1954 World Cup 1958: Sweden Official poster World Cup 1958The FIFA World Cup 1958 was played in Sweden 8-29 June, with 16 nations. The 1958 World Cup 1962: Chile Official poster World Cup 1962The FIFA World Cup 1962 was played in Chile 30 May-17 June, with 16 nations. The 1962 World Cup 1966: England Official poster World Cup 1966The FIFA World Cup 1966 was played in England 11-30 July, with 16 nations. The 1966 World Cup 1970: Mexico Official poster World Cup 1970The FIFA World Cup 1970 was played in Mexico 31 May-21 June, with 16 nations. The 1970 World Cup 1974: West Germany Official poster World Cup 1974The FIFA World Cup 1974 was played in West Germany 13 June-7 July, with 16 nations. The 1974 World Cup 1978: Argentina Official poster World Cup 1978The FIFA World Cup 1978 was played in Argentina 1-25 June, with 16 nations. The 1978 World Cup 1982: Spain Official poster World Cup 1982The FIFA World Cup 1982 was played in Spain 13 June-11 July, with 24 nations. The 1982 World Cup 1986: Mexico Official poster World Cup 1986The FIFA World Cup 1986 was played in Mexico 31 May-29 June, with 24 nations. The 1986 World Cup 1990: Italy Official poster World Cup 1990The FIFA World Cup 1990 was played in Italy 8 June-8 July, with 24 nations. The 1990 World Cup 1994: United States Official poster World Cup 1994The FIFA World Cup 1994 was played in United States 17 June-17 July, with 24 nations. The 1994 World Cup 1998: France Official poster World Cup 1998The FIFA World Cup 1998 was played in France 10 June-12 July, with 32 nations. The 1998 World Cup 2002: Korea/Japan Official poster World Cup 2002The FIFA World Cup 2002 was played in Korea/Japan 31 May-30 June, with 32 nations. The 2002 World Cup 2006: Germany Official poster World Cup 2006The FIFA World Cup 2006 was played in Germany 9 June-9 July, with 32 nations. The 2006 World Cup 2010: South Africa Official poster World Cup 2010The FIFA World Cup 2010 was played in South Africa 11 June-11 July, with 32 nations. The 2010 World Cup 2014: Brazil Official poster World Cup 2014The FIFA World Cup 2014 was played in Brazil 12 June-13 July, with 32 nations. The 2014 World Cup 2018: Russia Official poster World Cup 2018The FIFA World Cup 2018 was played in Russia 14 June-15 July, with 32 nations. The 2018 World Cup 2022: Qatar Official poster World Cup 2022The FIFA World Cup 2022 was played in Qatar 20 November-18 December with 32 nations. The 2022 World Cup Teams with most titles and finals Statistics
of all national teams that have won or played a final together with
numbers of participation in World Cup, concerning the period 1930-2022. Table 1. Most successful national teams in FIFA World Cup Team Titles Finals Participation Brazil 5 7 22 Germany 4 8 20 Italy 4 6 18 Argentina 3 6 18 France 2 4 16 Uruguay 2 2 14 England 1 1 16 Spain 1 1 16 Netherlands 0 3 11 Hungary 0 2 9 Czechoslovakia 0 2 8 Sweden 0 1 12 Croatia 0 1 6 World Cup finals All finals including winners of World Cup tournaments 1930-2022. Table 2. Finals and results Year Home team* Away team* Result 1930 Uruguay Argentina 4-2 1934 Italy Czechoslovakia 2-1 (a.e.t) 1938 Hungary Italy 2-4 1950† Uruguay Brazil 2-1 1954 West Germany Hungary 3-2 1958 Brazil Sweden 5-2 1962 Brazil Czechoslovakia 3-1 1966 England West Germany 4-2 (a.e.t.) 1970 Brazil Italy 4-1 1974 Netherlands West Germany 1-2 1978 Netherlands Argentina 1-3 (a.e.t.) 1982 Italy West Germany 3-1 1986 Argentina West Germany 3-2 1990 West Germany Argentina 1-0 1994 Brazil Italy 3-2 (pen.) 1998 Brazil France 0-3 2002 Germany Brazil 0-2 2006 Italy France 6-4 (pen.) 2010 Netherlands Spain 0-1 (a.e.t.) 2014 Germany Argentina 1-0 (a.e.t.) 2018 France Croatia 4-2 2022 Argentina France 7-5 (pen.) * The home and away team are only technical. † No final was played since the tournament was decided by a group phase in which the listed match was the most decisive. a.e.t. stands for after extra time. pen. stands for penalties, meaning the match was decided after extra time and the result includes the penalty shootout. The home advantage One
noticeable aspect in the World Cup history is that the home team has
been over performing. On six occasions have the home team won the
competition. Besides, many teams that normally doesn’t compete with the
greatest teams have gone far in the tournament then playing on home
ground. For example, Sweden in 1958, reaching the final, and South Korea
in 2006, reaching the semi-finals. Advertisement Top goalscorers These players have made most goals in a single World Cup. Table 3. Most successful goal scorers in a single tournament Player Goals Team Year Just Fontaine 13 France 1958 Sándor Kocsis 11 Hungary 1954 Gerd Müller 10 West Germany 1970 Eusébio 9 Portugal 1966 Guillermo Stábile 8 Argentina 1930 Ademir 8 Brazil 1950 Ronaldo 8 Brazil 2002 Kylian Mbappé 8 France 2022 Leônidas 7 Brazil 1938 Jairzinho 7 Brazil 1958 Grzegorz Lato 7 Poland 1974 Lionel Messi 7 Argentina 2022 There
are many players that have done six goals in one World Cup and these
are: Erich Probst (1954), Josef Hügi (1954), Max Morlock (1954), Pelé
(1958), Helmut Rahn (1958), Helmut Haller (1966), Mario Kempes (1978),
Paolo Rossi (1982), Gary Lineker (1986), Salvatore Schillaci (1990),
Hristo Stoichkov (1994), Oleg Salenko (1994), Davor Šuker (1998), James
Rodríguez (2014) and Harry Kane (2018). The five players that
have made most goals overall are Ronaldo (18 goals in 4 tournaments),
Miroslav Klose (16 goals in 4 tournaments), Gerd Müller (14 goals in 2
tournaments), Just Fontaine (13 goals in 1 tournament) and Péle (12
goals in 4 tournaments). World Cup awards In connection to the
World Cup, several awards are given to some players. The most known is
The Golden Ball that is awarded to the best player in a FIFA World Cup.
Candidates are decided by FIFA which media representatives votes on.
Besides the Golden Ball there are also the Silver Ball and the Bronze
Ball together with the Golden Boot (top goalscorer) and the Golden Glove
(best goalkeeper). World Cup by continents A performance comparison by continents (World Cup tournaments 1930-2022). Table 4. Continent versus continent in FIFA World Cup Continent Titles To reach final To reach semi-finals Europe 12 29 54 South America 10 15 23 Asia 0 0 1 Central and North America 0 0 0 Africa 0 0 1 Oceania 0 0 0 Numbers of participants and games Table
5 shows the numbers of participating team in per World Cup tournament.
The numbers in the second column concern the final stage and the third
column all teams that took part in the qualification. In addition, the
numbers of games played (qualification games excluded) is shown in the
fourth column. Table 5. Participating teams from first to last FIFA World Cup tournament Year Teams (finals) Teams (qualification) Games (finals) 1930 13 no qualification 18 1934 16 32 17 1938 16* 37 18 1950 15† 36 22 1954 16 37 26 1958 16 55 35 1962 16 56 32 1966 16 74 32 1970 16 75 32 1974 16 99 38 1978 16 107 38 1982 24 109 52 1986 24 121 52 1990 24 116 52 1994 24 147 52 1998 32 174 64 2002 32 199 64 2006 32 197 64 2010 32 204 64 2014 32 203 64 2018 32 210 64 2022 32 210 64 * Austria were abolished before the first game of political reasons. † France and India withdraw after qualification. Prize money The
prize money for the tournament has increased massively during the
years. The total prize money for the FIFA World Cup 2022 was $440
million (the winners received $42 million), which can be compared to $20
million for the FIFA World Cup 1982. Association football Article Talk Read View source View history Tools Page semi-protected Listen to this article From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia "Soccer" redirects here. For other uses, see Soccer (disambiguation). Association football Football in Bloomington, Indiana, 1996.jpg The
attacking player (No. 10) attempts to kick the ball beyond the opposing
team's goalkeeper, between the goalposts, and beneath the crossbar (not
shown) to score a goal. Highest governing body FIFA Nicknames The Beautiful GameThe World's Game[1][2] First played Mid-19th century England[3][4] Characteristics Contact Limited Team members 11 per side (including goalkeeper) Mixed-sex No, separate competitions Type Team sport, ball sport Equipment Football (or soccer ball), shin pads Venue Football pitch (also known as football field, football ground, soccer field, soccer pitch or "pitch") Glossary Glossary of association football Presence Country or region Worldwide Olympic Men's since the 1900 Olympics and women's since the 1996 Olympics Paralympic 5-a-side since 2004 and 7-a-side from 1984 to 2016 Association
football, more commonly known as football or soccer,[a] is a team sport
played between two teams of 11 players each who primarily use their
feet to propel a ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The
objective of the game is to score more goals than the opposing team by
moving the ball beyond the goal line into a rectangular-framed goal
defended by the opposing team. Traditionally, the game has been played
over two 45-minute halves, for a total match time of 90 minutes. With an
estimated 250 million players active in over 200 countries and
territories, it is often considered the world's most popular sport. The
game of association football is played in accordance with the Laws of
the Game, a set of rules that has been in effect since 1863 and
maintained by the IFAB since 1886. The game is played with a football
that is 68–70 cm (27–28 in) in circumference. The two teams compete to
get the ball into the other team's goal (between the posts and under the
bar), thereby scoring a goal. When the ball is in play, the players
mainly use their feet, but may use any other part of their body, except
for their hands or arms, to control, strike, or pass the ball. Only the
goalkeepers may use their hands and arms, and only then within the
penalty area. The team that has scored more goals at the end of the game
is the winner. Depending on the format of the competition, an equal
number of goals scored may result in a draw being declared, or the game
goes into extra time or a penalty shootout.[5] Internationally,
association football is governed by FIFA. Under FIFA, there are six
continental confederations: AFC, CAF, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, OFC and UEFA.
National associations (e.g. The FA or JFA) are responsible for managing
the game in their own countries both professionally and at an amateur
level, and coordinating competitions in accordance with the Laws of the
Game. The most senior and prestigious international competitions are the
FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Women's World Cup. The men's World Cup is
the most-viewed sporting event in the world, surpassing the Olympic
Games.[6] The two most prestigious competitions in European club
football are the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Women's Champions
League, which attract an extensive television audience throughout the
world. The final of the men's tournament has been, in recent years, the
most-watched annual sporting event in the world.[7] Women's
association football has historically seen opposition, with national
associations severely curbing its development and several outlawing it
completely. Restrictions started to be reduced in the 1970s and the
first official women's World Cup[b] was the 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup
in China with only 12 teams from the respective six confederations. By
the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France, this had increased to 24
national teams, and a record-breaking 1.12 billion viewers watched the
competition.[8] Name Main article: Names for association football Association
football is one of a family of football codes that emerged from various
ball games played worldwide since antiquity. Within the
English-speaking world, the sport is now usually called "football" in
Great Britain and most of Ulster in the north of Ireland, whereas people
usually call it "soccer" in regions and countries where other codes of
football are prevalent, such as Australia,[9] Canada, South Africa, most
of Ireland (excluding Ulster),[10] and the United States; in Japan, the
game is also primarily called sakkā (サッカー), derived from "soccer". A
notable exception is New Zealand, where in the first two decades of the
21st century, under the influence of international television,
"football" has been gaining prevalence, despite the dominance of other
codes of football, namely rugby union and rugby league.[11] The
term soccer comes from Oxford "-er" slang, which was prevalent at the
University of Oxford in England from about 1875, and is thought to have
been borrowed from the slang of Rugby School. Initially spelled
assoccer, it was later reduced to the modern spelling.[12] This form of
slang also gave rise to rugger for rugby football, fiver and tenner for
five pound and ten pound notes, and the now-archaic footer that was also
a name for association football.[13] The word soccer arrived at its
final form in 1895 and was first recorded in 1889 in the earlier form of
socca.[14] History Main article: History of association football For a chronological guide, see Timeline of association football. On
the left, an episkyros player on an ancient stone carving, c. 375–400
BCE, exhibited at the National Archaeological Museum, Athens;[15] on the
right, children playing cuju in Song dynasty China, 12th century Kicking
ball games arose independently multiple times across multiple
cultures.[c] Phaininda and episkyros were Greek ball games.[16][17] An
image of an episkyros player depicted in low relief on a stele of
c. 375–400 BCE in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens[15]
appears on the UEFA European Championship trophy.[18] Athenaeus, writing
in 228 CE, mentions the Roman ball game harpastum. Phaininda, episkyros
and harpastum were played involving hands and violence. They all appear
to have resembled rugby football, wrestling and volleyball more than
what is recognizable as modern football.[19][20][21][22][23][24] As with
pre-codified mob football, the antecedent of all modern football codes,
these three games involved more handling the ball than kicking
it.[25][26] The Chinese competitive game cuju (蹴鞠, literally
"kick ball"; also known as tsu chu) resembles modern association
football.[27] Cuju players could use any part of the body apart from
hands and the intent was to kick a ball through an opening into a net.
During the Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE), cuju games were standardised
and rules were established.[19] Other East Asian games included kemari
in Japan and chuk-guk in Korea, both influenced by cuju.[28][29] Kemari
originated after the year 600 during the Asuka period. It was a
ceremonial rather than a competitive game, and involved the kicking of a
mari, a ball made of animal skin.[30] In North America, pasuckuakohowog
was a ball game played by the Algonquians; it was described as "almost
identical to the kind of folk football being played in Europe at the
same time, in which the ball was kicked through goals".[31] Association
football in itself does not have a classical history.[18]
Notwithstanding any similarities to other ball games played around the
world, FIFA has recognised that no historical connection exists with any
game played in antiquity outside Europe.[32] The history of football in
England dates back to at least the eighth century.[33] The modern rules
of association football are based on the mid-19th century efforts to
standardise the widely varying forms of football played in the public
schools of England. The "Laws of the University Foot Ball Club" (Cambridge Rules) of 1856 The
Cambridge rules, first drawn up at the University of Cambridge in 1848,
were particularly influential in the development of subsequent codes,
including association football. The Cambridge rules were written at
Trinity College, Cambridge, at a meeting attended by representatives
from Eton, Harrow, Rugby, Winchester and Shrewsbury schools. They were
not universally adopted. During the 1850s, many clubs unconnected to
schools or universities were formed throughout the English-speaking
world to play various forms of football. Some came up with their own
distinct codes of rules, most notably the Sheffield Football Club,
formed by former public school pupils in 1857,[34] which led to the
formation of a Sheffield FA in 1867. In 1862, John Charles Thring of
Uppingham School also devised an influential set of rules.[35] These
ongoing efforts contributed to the formation of The Football
Association (The FA) in 1863, which first met on the morning of 26
October 1863 at the Freemasons' Tavern in Great Queen Street,
London.[36] The only school to be represented on this occasion was
Charterhouse. The Freemasons' Tavern was the setting for five more
meetings of The FA between October and December 1863; the English FA
eventually issued the first comprehensive set of rules named Laws of the
Game, forming modern football. At the final meeting, the first FA
treasurer, the representative from Blackheath F.C., withdrew his club
from the FA over the removal of two draft rules at the previous meeting:
the first allowed for running with the ball in hand; the second for
obstructing such a run by hacking (kicking an opponent in the shins),
tripping and holding. Other English rugby clubs followed this lead and
did not join the FA, and instead in 1871 formed the Rugby Football
Union. The eleven remaining clubs, under the charge of Ebenezer Cobb
Morley, went on to ratify the original thirteen laws of the game.[36]
These rules included handling of the ball by "marks" and the lack of a
crossbar, rules which made it remarkably similar to Victorian rules
football being developed at that time in Australia. The Sheffield FA
played by its own rules until the 1870s, with the FA absorbing some of
its rules until there was little difference between the games.[37] The Aston Villa team in 1897, after winning both the FA Cup and the English Football League The
world's oldest football competition is the FA Cup, which was founded by
the footballer and cricketer Charles W. Alcock, and has been contested
by English teams since 1872. The first official international football
match also took place in 1872, between Scotland and England in Glasgow,
again at the instigation of Alcock. England is also home to the world's
first football league, which was founded in Birmingham in 1888 by Aston
Villa director William McGregor.[38] The original format contained 12
clubs from the Midlands and Northern England.[39] Laws of the
Game are determined by the International Football Association Board
(IFAB).[40] The board was formed in 1886[41] after a meeting in
Manchester of the Football Association, the Scottish Football
Association, the Football Association of Wales, and the Irish Football
Association. FIFA, the international football body, was formed in Paris
in 1904 and declared that they would adhere to the Laws of the Game of
the Football Association.[42] The growing popularity of the
international game led to the admittance of FIFA representatives to the
IFAB in 1913. The board consists of four representatives from FIFA and
one representative from each of the four British associations.[43] For
most of the 20th century, Europe and South America were the dominant
regions in association football. The FIFA World Cup, inaugurated in
1930, became the main stage for players of both continents to show their
worth and the strength of their national teams.[44] In the second half
of the century, the European Cup and the Copa Libertadores were created,
and the champions of these two club competitions would contest the
Intercontinental Cup to prove which team was the best in the world.[45] In
the 21st century, South America has continued to produce some of the
best footballers in the world,[46] but its clubs have fallen behind the
still dominant European clubs, which often sign the best players from
Latin America and elsewhere.[44][46] Meanwhile, football has improved in
Africa, Asia and North America,[46] and nowadays, these regions are at
least on equal grounds with South America in club football,[47] although
countries in the Caribbean and Oceania regions (except Australia) have
yet to make a mark in international football.[48][49] When it comes to
national teams, however, Europeans and South Americans continue to
dominate the FIFA World Cup, as no team from any other region has
managed to even reach the final.[44][46] Football is played at a
professional level all over the world. Millions of people regularly go
to football stadiums to follow their favourite teams,[50] while billions
more watch the game on television or on the internet.[51][52] A very
large number of people also play football at an amateur level. According
to a survey conducted by FIFA published in 2001, over 240 million
people from more than 200 countries regularly play football.[53]
Football has the highest global television audience in sport.[54] In
many parts of the world, football evokes great passions and plays an
important role in the life of individual fans, local communities, and
even nations. Ryszard Kapuściński says that Europeans who are polite,
modest, or humble fall easily into rage when playing or watching
football games.[55] The Ivory Coast national football team helped secure
a truce to the nation's civil war in 2006[56] and it helped further
reduce tensions between government and rebel forces in 2007 by playing a
match in the rebel capital of Bouaké, an occasion that brought both
armies together peacefully for the first time.[57] By contrast, football
is widely considered to have been the final proximate cause for the
Football War in June 1969 between El Salvador and Honduras.[58] The
sport also exacerbated tensions at the beginning of the Croatian War of
Independence of the 1990s, when a match between Dinamo Zagreb and Red
Star Belgrade degenerated into rioting in May 1990.[59] Women's association football Main article: Women's association football Women
may have been playing football for as long as the game has existed.
Evidence shows that a similar ancient game (cuju, or tsu chu) was played
by women during the Han dynasty (25–220 CE), as female figures are
depicted in frescoes of the period playing tsu chu.[60][61] There are
also reports of annual football matches played by women in Midlothian,
Scotland, during the 1790s.[62][63] North team of the British Ladies', the first organised women's football team, here pictured in March 1895 Association
football, the modern game, has documented early involvement of
women.[63] In 1863, football governing bodies introduced standardised
rules to prohibit violence on the pitch, making it more socially
acceptable for women to play.[64] The first match recorded by the
Scottish Football Association took place in 1892 in Glasgow.[62] In
England, the first recorded game of football between women took place in
1895.[64] Women's football has traditionally been associated with
charity games and physical exercise, particularly in the United
Kingdom.[65] The best-documented early European team was founded
by activist Nettie Honeyball in England in 1894. It was named the
British Ladies' Football Club. Honeyball is quoted as, "I founded the
association late last year [1894], with the fixed resolve of proving to
the world that women are not the 'ornamental and useless' creatures men
have pictured. I must confess, my convictions on all matters where the
sexes are so widely divided are all on the side of emancipation, and I
look forward to the time when ladies may sit in Parliament and have a
voice in the direction of affairs, especially those which concern them
most."[66] Honeyball and those like her paved the way for women's
football. However, the women's game was frowned upon by the British
football associations and continued without their support. It has been
suggested that this was motivated by a perceived threat to the
"masculinity" of the game.[67] Women's football became popular on
a large scale at the time of the First World War, when female
employment in heavy industry spurred the growth of the game, much as it
had done for men 50 years earlier. The most successful team of the era
was Dick, Kerr Ladies F.C. of Preston, England. The team played in one
of the first women's international matches against a French XI team in
1920,[68][69] and also made up most of the England team against a
Scottish Ladies XI in the same year, winning 22–0.[62] Despite
being more popular than some men's football events, with one match
seeing a 53,000 strong crowd in 1920,[70][71] women's football in
England suffered a blow in 1921 when The Football Association outlawed
the playing of the game on association members' pitches,[72] stating
that "the game of football is quite unsuitable for females and should
not be encouraged".[73] Players and football writers have argued that
this ban was, in fact, due to envy of the large crowds that women's
matches attracted,[71] and because the FA had no control over the money
made from the women's game.[73] The FA ban led to the formation of the
short-lived English Ladies Football Association and play moved to rugby
grounds.[74] Young Finnish girls football team of Kolarin Kontio in Piteå, Sweden, in 2014 Association
football continued to be played by women since the time of the first
recorded women's games in the late 19th century.[65][75] In December
1969, the Women's Football Association was formed in England,[65][76]
and in 1971, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) members
voted to officially recognise women's football.[65] Also in 1971, The
Football Association rescinded the ban that prohibited women from
playing on association members' pitches.[76] In the late 1960s and early
1970s, women's association football was organised in the United
Kingdom, eventually becoming the most prominent team sport for British
women.[65] Women's football also faced bans in several other countries,
notably in Brazil from 1941 to 1979,[77] in France from 1941 to
1970,[78] and in Germany from 1955 to 1970.[79] Women's football
still faces many struggles, but its worldwide growth[80] has seen major
competitions being launched at both the national and international
levels, mirroring the men's competitions. The FIFA Women's World Cup was
inaugurated in 1991 and has been held every four years since,[81] while
women's football has been an Olympic event since 1996.[82] North
America is the dominant region in women's football, with the United
States winning most FIFA Women's World Cups and Olympic tournaments.
Europe and Asia come second and third in terms of international
success,[83][84] and the women's game has been improving in South
America.[85] Gameplay Main article: Laws of the Game (association football) See also: Parker's Piece One
half of a professional football match (45 minutes) between Slovenian
clubs NK Nafta 1903 and NK Dob. The result after the half is 0–0. Association
football is played in accordance with a set of rules known as the Laws
of the Game. The game is played using a spherical ball of 68–70 cm
(27–28 in) circumference,[86] known as the football (or soccer ball).
Two teams of eleven players each compete to get the ball into the other
team's goal (between the posts and under the bar), thereby scoring a
goal. The team that has scored more goals at the end of the game is the
winner; if both teams have scored an equal number of goals then the game
is a draw. Each team is led by a captain who has only one official
responsibility as mandated by the Laws of the Game: to represent their
team in the coin toss before kick-off or penalty kicks.[5] The
primary law is that players other than goalkeepers may not deliberately
handle the ball with their hands or arms during play, though they must
use both their hands during a throw-in restart. Although players usually
use their feet to move the ball around, they may use any part of their
body (notably, "heading" with the forehead)[87] other than their hands
or arms.[88] Within normal play, all players are free to play the ball
in any direction and move throughout the pitch, though players may not
pass to teammates who are in an offside position.[89] During
gameplay, players attempt to create goal-scoring opportunities through
individual control of the ball, such as by dribbling, passing the ball
to a teammate, and by taking shots at the goal, which is guarded by the
opposing goalkeeper. Opposing players may try to regain control of the
ball by intercepting a pass or through tackling the opponent in
possession of the ball; however, physical contact between opponents is
restricted. Football is generally a free-flowing game, with play
stopping only when the ball has left the field of play or when play is
stopped by the referee for an infringement of the rules. After a
stoppage, play recommences with a specified restart.[90] A player executing a slide tackle to dispossess an opponent At
a professional level, most matches produce only a few goals. For
example, the 2005–06 season of the English Premier League produced an
average of 2.48 goals per match.[91] The Laws of the Game do not specify
any player positions other than goalkeeper,[92] but a number of
specialised roles have evolved.[93] Broadly, these include three main
categories: strikers, or forwards, whose main task is to score goals;
defenders, who specialise in preventing their opponents from scoring;
and midfielders, who dispossess the opposition and keep possession of
the ball to pass it to the forwards on their team. Players in these
positions are referred to as outfield players, to distinguish them from
the goalkeeper. These positions are further subdivided according
to the area of the field in which the player spends the most time. For
example, there are central defenders and left and right midfielders. The
ten outfield players may be arranged in any combination. The number of
players in each position determines the style of the team's play; more
forwards and fewer defenders creates a more aggressive and
offensive-minded game, while the reverse creates a slower, more
defensive style of play. While players typically spend most of the game
in a specific position, there are few restrictions on player movement,
and players can switch positions at any time.[94] The layout of a team's
players is known as a formation. Defining the team's formation and
tactics is usually the prerogative of the team's manager.[95] Laws "Rules of football" redirects here. For the rules of other football games, see Football. There
are 17 laws in the official Laws of the Game, each containing a
collection of stipulations and guidelines. The same laws are designed to
apply to all levels of football for both sexes, although certain
modifications for groups such as juniors, seniors and people with
physical disabilities are permitted.[d] The laws are often framed in
broad terms, which allow flexibility in their application depending on
the nature of the game. The Laws of the Game are published by FIFA, but
are maintained by the IFAB.[96] In addition to the seventeen laws,
numerous IFAB decisions and other directives contribute to the
regulation of association football.[97][98] Within the United States,
Major League Soccer used a distinct ruleset during the 1990s[99] and the
National Federation of State High School Associations and National
Collegiate Athletic Association still use rulesets that are comparable
to, but different from, the IFAB Laws. Players, equipment, and officials See
also: Association football positions, Formation (association football),
Substitute (association football), and Kit (association football) The referee officiates in a football match Each
team consists of a maximum of eleven players (excluding substitutes),
one of whom must be the goalkeeper. Competition rules may state a
minimum number of players required to constitute a team, which is
usually seven. Goalkeepers are the only players allowed to play the ball
with their hands or arms, provided they do so within the penalty area
in front of their own goal. Though there are a variety of positions in
which the outfield (non-goalkeeper) players are strategically placed by a
coach, these positions are not defined or required by the Laws.[92] The
basic equipment or kit players are required to wear includes a shirt,
shorts, socks, footwear and adequate shin guards. An athletic supporter
and protective cup is highly recommended for male players by medical
experts and professionals.[100][101] Headgear is not a required piece of
basic equipment, but players today may choose to wear it to protect
themselves from head injury.[102] Players are forbidden to wear or use
anything that is dangerous to themselves or another player, such as
jewellery or watches. The goalkeeper must wear clothing that is easily
distinguishable from that worn by the other players and the match
officials.[103] A number of players may be replaced by
substitutes during the course of the game. The maximum number of
substitutions permitted in most competitive international and domestic
league games is five in 90 minutes,[104] with each team being allowed
one more if the game should go into extra-time; the permitted number may
vary in other competitions or in friendly matches. Common reasons for a
substitution include injury, tiredness, ineffectiveness, a tactical
switch, or timewasting at the end of a finely poised game. In standard
adult matches, a player who has been substituted may not take further
part in a match.[105] IFAB recommends "that a match should not continue
if there are fewer than seven players in either team". Any decision
regarding points awarded for abandoned games is left to the individual
football associations.[106] A game is officiated by a referee,
who has "full authority to enforce the Laws of the Game in connection
with the match to which he has been appointed" (Law 5), and whose
decisions are final. The referee is assisted by two assistant referees.
In many high-level games there is also a fourth official who assists the
referee and may replace another official should the need arise.[107] Goal
line technology is used to measure if the whole ball has crossed the
goal-line thereby determining whether a goal has been scored or not;
this was brought in to prevent controversy. Video assistant referees
(VAR) have also been increasingly introduced in high-level matches to
assist officials through video replays to correct clear and obvious
mistakes. There are four types of calls that can be reviewed: mistaken
identity in awarding a red or yellow card, goals and whether there was a
violation during the buildup, direct red card decisions, and penalty
decisions.[108] Ball Main article: Ball (association football) The
ball is spherical with a circumference of between 68 and 70 cm (27 and
28 in), a weight in the range of 410 to 450 g (14 to 16 oz), and a
pressure between 0.6 and 1.1 standard atmospheres (8.5 and 15.6 pounds
per square inch) at sea level. In the past the ball was made up of
leather panels sewn together, with a latex bladder for pressurisation,
but modern balls at all levels of the game are now synthetic.[109][110] Pitch Main article: Football pitch Standard pitch measurements As
the Laws were formulated in England, and were initially administered
solely by the four British football associations within IFAB, the
standard dimensions of a football pitch were originally expressed in
imperial units. The Laws now express dimensions with approximate metric
equivalents (followed by traditional units in brackets), though use of
imperial units remains popular in English-speaking countries with a
relatively recent history of metrication (or only partial metrication),
such as Britain.[111] The length of the pitch, or field, for
international adult matches is in the range of 100–110 m (110–120 yd)
and the width is in the range of 64–75 m (70–80 yd). Fields for
non-international matches may be 90–120 m (100–130 yd) in length and
45–90 m (50–100 yd) in width, provided that the pitch does not become
square. In 2008, the IFAB initially approved a fixed size of 105 m (115
yd) long and 68 m (74 yd) wide as a standard pitch dimension for
international matches;[112] however, this decision was later put on hold
and was never actually implemented.[113] The longer boundary
lines are touchlines, while the shorter boundaries (on which the goals
are placed) are goal lines. A rectangular goal is positioned on each
goal line, midway between the two touchlines.[114] The inner edges of
the vertical goal posts must be 7.32 m (24 ft) apart, and the lower edge
of the horizontal crossbar supported by the goal posts must be 2.44 m
(8 ft) above the ground. Nets are usually placed behind the goal, but
are not required by the Laws.[115] In front of the goal is the
penalty area. This area is marked by the goal line, two lines starting
on the goal line 16.5 m (18 yd) from the goalposts and extending 16.5 m
(18 yd) into the pitch perpendicular to the goal line, and a line
joining them. This area has a number of functions, the most prominent
being to mark where the goalkeeper may handle the ball and where a
penalty foul by a member of the defending team becomes punishable by a
penalty kick. Other markings define the position of the ball or players
at kick-offs, goal kicks, penalty kicks and corner kicks.[116] Duration and tie-breaking methods 90-minute ordinary time A
standard adult football match consists of two halves of 45 minutes
each. Each half runs continuously, meaning that the clock is not stopped
when the ball is out of play. There is usually a 15-minute half-time
break between halves. The end of the match is known as full-time.[117]
The referee is the official timekeeper for the match, and may make an
allowance for time lost through substitutions, injured players requiring
attention, or other stoppages. This added time is called "additional
time" in FIFA documents,[118][119] but is most commonly referred to as
stoppage time or injury time, while lost time can also be used as a
synonym. The duration of stoppage time is at the sole discretion of the
referee. Stoppage time does not fully compensate for the time in which
the ball is out of play, and a 90-minute game typically involves about
an hour of "effective playing time".[120][121] The referee alone signals
the end of the match. In matches where a fourth official is appointed,
towards the end of the half, the referee signals how many minutes of
stoppage time they intend to add. The fourth official then informs the
players and spectators by holding up a board showing this number. The
signalled stoppage time may be further extended by the referee.[117]
Added time was introduced because of an incident which happened in 1891
during a match between Stoke and Aston Villa. Trailing 1–0 with two
minutes remaining, Stoke were awarded a penalty kick. Villa's goalkeeper
deliberately kicked the ball out of play; by the time it was recovered,
the clock had run out and the game was over, leaving Stoke unable to
attempt the penalty.[122] The same law also states that the duration of
either half is extended until the penalty kick to be taken or retaken is
completed; thus, no game can end with an uncompleted penalty.[123] Tie-breaking Main article: Determining the Outcome of a Match (association football) Most knockout competitions use a penalty shootout to decide the winner if a match ends as a draw In
league competitions, games may end in a draw. In knockout competitions
where a winner is required, various methods may be employed to break
such a deadlock; some competitions may invoke replays.[124] A game tied
at the end of regulation time may go into extra time, which consists of
two further 15-minute periods. If the score is still tied after extra
time, some competitions allow the use of penalty shootouts (known
officially in the Laws of the Game as "kicks from the penalty mark") to
determine which team will progress to the next stage of the tournament
or be the champion. Goals scored during extra time periods count towards
the final score of the game, but kicks from the penalty mark are only
used to decide the team that progresses to the next part of the
tournament, with goals scored in a penalty shootout not making up part
of the final score.[5] In competitions using two-legged matches,
each team competes at home once, with an aggregate score from the two
matches deciding which team progresses. Where aggregates are equal, the
away goals rule may be used to determine the winners, in which case the
winner is the team that scored the most goals in the leg they played
away from home. If the result is still equal, extra time and potentially
a penalty shootout are required.[5] Ball in and out of play Main article: Ball in and out of play A player takes a free kick, while the opposition form a "wall" to try to block the ball Under
the Laws, the two basic states of play during a game are ball in play
and ball out of play. From the beginning of each playing period with a
kick-off until the end of the playing period, the ball is in play at all
times, except when either the ball leaves the field of play, or play is
stopped by the referee. When the ball becomes out of play, play is
restarted by one of eight restart methods depending on how it went out
of play: Kick-off: following a goal by the opposing team, or to begin each period of play.[90] Throw-in: when the ball has crossed the touchline; awarded to the opposing team to that which last touched the ball.[125] Goal
kick: when the ball has wholly crossed the goal line without a goal
having been scored and having last been touched by a player of the
attacking team; awarded to defending team.[126] Corner kick: when the
ball has wholly crossed the goal line without a goal having been scored
and having last been touched by a player of the defending team; awarded
to attacking team.[127] Indirect free kick: awarded to the opposing
team following "non-penal" fouls, certain technical infringements, or
when play is stopped to caution or dismiss an opponent without a
specific foul having occurred. A goal may not be scored directly
(without the ball first touching another player) from an indirect free
kick.[128] Direct free kick: awarded to fouled team following certain
listed "penal" fouls.[128] A goal may be scored directly from a direct
free kick. Penalty kick: awarded to the fouled team following a foul
usually punishable by a direct free kick but that has occurred within
their opponent's penalty area.[129] Dropped-ball: occurs when the
referee has stopped play for any other reason, such as a serious injury
to a player, interference by an external party, or a ball becoming
defective.[90] Misconduct Main article: Foul (association football) On-field Players
are cautioned with a yellow card, and dismissed from the game with a
red card. These colours were first introduced at the 1970 FIFA World Cup
and used consistently since. A foul occurs when a player commits an
offence listed in the Laws of the Game while the ball is in play. The
offences that constitute a foul are listed in Law 12. Handling the ball
deliberately, tripping an opponent, or pushing an opponent, are examples
of "penal fouls", punishable by a direct free kick or penalty kick
depending on where the offence occurred. Other fouls are punishable by
an indirect free kick.[88] The referee may punish a player's or
substitute's misconduct by a caution (yellow card) or dismissal (red
card). A second yellow card in the same game leads to a red card, which
results in a dismissal. A player given a yellow card is said to have
been "booked", the referee writing the player's name in their official
notebook. If a player has been dismissed, no substitute can be brought
on in their place and the player may not participate in further play.
Misconduct may occur at any time, and while the offences that constitute
misconduct are listed, the definitions are broad. In particular, the
offence of "unsporting behaviour" may be used to deal with most events
that violate the spirit of the game, even if they are not listed as
specific offences. A referee can show a yellow or red card to a player,
substitute, substituted player, and to non-players such as managers and
support staff.[88][130] Rather than stopping play, the referee
may allow play to continue if doing so will benefit the team against
which an offence has been committed. This is known as "playing an
advantage".[131] The referee may "call back" play and penalise the
original offence if the anticipated advantage does not ensue within "a
few seconds". Even if an offence is not penalised due to advantage being
played, the offender may still be sanctioned for misconduct at the next
stoppage of play.[132] The referee's decision in all on-pitch
matters is considered final.[133] The score of a match cannot be altered
after the game, even if later evidence shows that decisions (including
awards/non-awards of goals) were incorrect. Off-field See also: Foul (association football) § Post-match Along
with the general administration of the sport, football associations and
competition organisers also enforce good conduct in wider aspects of
the game, dealing with issues such as comments to the press, clubs'
financial management, doping, age fraud and match fixing. Most
competitions enforce mandatory suspensions for players who are sent off
in a game.[134] Some on-field incidents, if considered very serious
(such as allegations of racial abuse), may result in competitions
deciding to impose heavier sanctions than those normally associated with
a red card.[e] Some associations allow for appeals against player
suspensions incurred on-field if clubs feel a referee was incorrect or
unduly harsh.[134] Sanctions for such infractions may be levied
on individuals or on clubs as a whole. Penalties may include fines,
point deductions (in league competitions) or even expulsion from
competitions. For example, the English Football League deduct 12 points
from any team that enters financial administration.[135] Among other
administrative sanctions are penalties against game forfeiture. Teams
that had forfeited a game or had been forfeited against would be awarded
a technical loss or win. Governing bodies See also: Association football around the world Headquarters of FIFA, the world governing body of football The
recognised international governing body of football (and associated
games, such as futsal and beach soccer)[d] is FIFA. The FIFA
headquarters are located in Zürich, Switzerland. Six regional
confederations are associated with FIFA; these are:[136] Asia: Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Africa: Confederation of African Football (CAF) Europe: Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) North/Central America & Caribbean: Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) Oceania: Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) South America: Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol (South American Football Confederation; CONMEBOL) National
associations (or national federations) oversee football within
individual countries. These are generally synonymous with sovereign
states (for example, the Cameroonian Football Federation in Cameroon),
but also include a smaller number of associations responsible for
sub-national entities or autonomous regions (for example, the Scottish
Football Association in Scotland). 211 national associations are
affiliated both with FIFA and with their respective continental
confederations.[136] While FIFA is responsible for arranging
competitions and most rules related to international competition, the
actual Laws of the Game are set by the IFAB, where each of the UK
Associations has one vote, while FIFA collectively has four votes.[43] International competitions Main article: List of association football competitions The FIFA World Cup is the largest international competition in football and the world's most viewed sporting event International
competitions in association football principally consist of two
varieties: competitions involving representative national teams or those
involving clubs based in multiple nations and national leagues.
International football, without qualification, most often refers to the
former. In the case of international club competition, it is the country
of origin of the clubs involved, not the nationalities of their
players, that renders the competition international in nature. The
major international competition in football is the World Cup, organised
by FIFA. This competition has taken place every four years since 1930,
with the exception of the 1942 and 1946 tournaments, which were
cancelled because of World War II. Approximately 190–200 national teams
compete in qualifying tournaments within the scope of continental
confederations for a place in the finals. The finals tournament, held
every four years, involves 32 national teams competing over a four-week
period.[f] The World Cup is the most prestigious association football
tournament as well as the most widely viewed and followed sporting event
in the world, exceeding even the Olympic Games; the cumulative audience
of all matches of the 2006 FIFA World Cup was estimated to be 26.29
billion with an estimated 715.1 million people watching the final match,
a ninth of the entire population of the planet.[137][138][139][140] The
current champions are Argentina, who won their third title at the 2022
tournament in Qatar.[141] The FIFA Women's World Cup has been held every
four years since 1991. Under the tournament's current format, national
teams vie for 31 slots in a three-year qualification phase, with the
host nation's team entering automatically as the 32nd slot. The current
champions are the United States, after winning their fourth title in the
2019 tournament. Spanish footballers Fernando Torres, Juan Mata, and Sergio Ramos celebrating winning the UEFA European Championship There
has been a football tournament at every Summer Olympic Games since
1900, except at the 1932 games in Los Angeles.[142] Before the inception
of the World Cup, the Olympics (especially during the 1920s) were the
most prestigious international event. Originally, the tournament was for
amateurs only.[42] As professionalism spread around the world, the gap
in quality between the World Cup and the Olympics widened. The countries
that benefited most were the Soviet Bloc countries of Eastern Europe,
where top athletes were state-sponsored while retaining their status as
amateurs. Between 1948 and 1980, 23 out of 27 Olympic medals were won by
Eastern Europe, with only Sweden (gold in 1948 and bronze in 1952),
Denmark (bronze in 1948 and silver in 1960) and Japan (bronze in 1968)
breaking their dominance. For the 1984 Los Angeles Games, the IOC
decided to admit professional players. Since 1992, male competitors must
be under 23 years old, although since 1996, three players over the age
of 23 have been allowed per squad. A women's tournament was added in
1996; in contrast to the men's event, full international sides without
age restrictions play the women's Olympic tournament.[143] After
the World Cup, the most important international football competitions
are the continental championships, which are organised by each
continental confederation and contested between national teams. These
are the European Championship (UEFA), the Copa América (CONMEBOL), the
African Cup of Nations (CAF), the Asian Cup (AFC), the CONCACAF Gold Cup
(CONCACAF) and the OFC Nations Cup (OFC). The FIFA Confederations Cup
was contested by the winners of all six continental championships, the
current FIFA World Cup champions and the country which was hosting the
next World Cup. This was generally regarded as a warm-up tournament for
the upcoming FIFA World Cup and did not carry the same prestige as the
World Cup itself. The tournament was discontinued following the 2017
edition. The UEFA Nations League and the CONCACAF Nations League also
exist. The most prestigious competitions in club football are the
respective continental championships, which are generally contested
between national champions, for example, the UEFA Champions League in
Europe and the Copa Libertadores in South America. The winners of each
continental competition contest the FIFA Club World Cup.[144] Domestic competitions Main articles: Geography of association football and Geography of women's association football A
2009 Spanish La Liga match between Real Madrid and Barcelona. The
fixture, known as El Clásico, is one of the most renowned in sport.[145] The
governing bodies in each country operate league systems in a domestic
season, normally comprising several divisions, in which the teams gain
points throughout the season depending on results. Teams are placed into
tables, placing them in order according to points accrued. Most
commonly, each team plays every other team in its league at home and
away in each season, in a round-robin tournament. At the end of a
season, the top team is declared the champion. The top few teams may be
promoted to a higher division, and one or more of the teams finishing at
the bottom are relegated to a lower division.[146] The teams
finishing at the top of a country's league may also be eligible to play
in international club competitions in the following season. The main
exceptions to this system occur in some Latin American leagues, which
divide football championships into two sections named Apertura and
Clausura (Spanish for Opening and Closing), awarding a champion for
each.[147] The majority of countries supplement the league system with
one or more "cup" competitions organised on a knock-out basis. Some
countries' top divisions feature highly paid star players; in smaller
countries, lower divisions, and most of women's clubs, players may be
part-timers with a second job, or amateurs. The five top European
leagues – Premier League (England),[148] Bundesliga (Germany), La Liga
(Spain), Serie A (Italy), and Ligue 1 (France) – attract most of the
world's best players and, during the 2006-07 season, each of these
leagues had a total wage cost in excess of €600 million.[149] See also Sports portal icon Association football portal icon Women's association football portal List of association football films List of association football video games Notes Listen to this article (30 minutes) 30:27 Spoken Wikipedia icon This audio file was created from a revision of this article dated 5 September 2007, and does not reflect subsequent edits. (Audio help · More spoken articles) For further information, see names for association football. In 1970 and in 1971, two unofficial women's World Cups were organised by FIEFF. See Football#Early history for more information. See List of types of football#Games descended from The FA rules for a list of association football variations. For
example, the English Premier League fined and levied an 8-match
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inventions Pelé A member of three Brazilian World Cup-champion teams, Pelé is considered by many to be the greatest soccer player of all time. Updated: Dec 29, 2022 pele in a white shirt Getty Images (1940-2022) Who Was Pelé? Soccer
legend Pelé became a superstar with his performance in the 1958 World
Cup. Pelé played professionally in Brazil for two decades, winning three
World Cups along the way, before joining the New York Cosmos late in
his career. Named FIFA co-Player of the Century in 1999, he was a global
ambassador for soccer and other humanitarian causes. Early Life Pelé
was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento on October 23, 1940 in Três
Corações, Brazil, the first child of João Ramos and Dona Celeste. Named
after Thomas Edison and nicknamed "Dico," Pelé moved with his family to
the city of Bauru as a young boy. João Ramos, better known as
"Dondinho," struggled to earn a living as a soccer player, and Pelé grew
up in poverty. Still, he developed a rudimentary talent for soccer by
kicking a rolled-up sock stuffed with rags around the streets of Bauru.
The origin of the "Pelé" nickname is unclear, though he recalled
despising it when his friends first referred to him that way. As
an adolescent, Pelé joined a youth squad coached by Waldemar de Brito, a
former member of the Brazilian national soccer team. De Brito
eventually convinced Pelé's family to let the budding phenom leave home
and try out for the Santos professional soccer club when he was 15. READ MORE: 10 Things You May Not Know About Pelé Soccer's National Treasure Pelé
signed with Santos and immediately started practicing with the team's
regulars. He scored the first professional goal of his career before he
turned 16, led the league in goals in his first full season and was
recruited to play for the Brazilian national team. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below The
world was officially introduced to Pelé in the 1958 World Cup in
Sweden. Displaying remarkable speed, athleticism and field vision, the
17-year-old erupted to score three goals in a 5-2 semifinal win over
France, then netted two more in the finals, a 5-2 win over the host
country. The young superstar received hefty offers to play for
European clubs, and Brazilian President Jânio Quadros eventually had
Pelé declared a national treasure, making it legally difficult for him
to play in another country. Regardless, Santos club ownership ensured
its star attraction was well paid by scheduling lucrative exhibition
matches with teams around the world. pele celebrates the victory after winning the 1970 world cup on june 21, 1970, in città del messico, mexico Pelé celebrates the victory after winning the 1970 World Cup on June 21, 1970, in Città del Messico, Mexico Getty Images More World Cup Titles Pelé
aggravated a groin injury two games into the 1962 World Cup in Chile,
sitting out the final rounds while Brazil went on to claim its second
straight title. Four years later, in England, a series of brutal attacks
by opposing defenders again forced him to the sidelines with leg
injuries, and Brazil was bounced from the World Cup after one round. Despite
the disappointment on the world stage, the legend of Pelé continued to
grow. In the late 1960s, the two factions in the Nigerian Civil War
reportedly agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire so they could watch Pelé play
in an exhibition game in Lagos. The 1970 World Cup in Mexico
marked a triumphant return to glory for Pelé and Brazil. Headlining a
formidable squad, Pelé scored four goals in the tournament, including
one in the final to give Brazil a 4-1 victory over Italy. Pelé
announced his retirement from soccer in 1974, but he was lured back to
the field the following year to play for the New York Cosmos in the
North American Soccer League, and temporarily helped make the NASL a big
attraction. He played his final game in an exhibition between New York
and Santos in October 1977, competing for both sides, and retired with a
total of 1,281 goals in 1,363 games. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Later Years, Death and Legacy Retirement
did little to diminish the public profile of Pelé, who remained a
popular pitchman and active in many professional arenas. In 1978,
Pelé was awarded the International Peace Award for his work with
UNICEF. He also served as Brazil's Extraordinary Minister for Sport and a
United Nations ambassador for ecology and the environment. Pelé
was named FIFA's "Co-Player of the Century" in 1999, along with
Argentine Diego Maradona. To many, his accomplishments on the soccer
field will never be equaled, and virtually all great athletes in the
sport are measured against the Brazilian who once made the world stop to
watch his transcendent play. Pelé died on December 29, 2022 in São Paulo, Brazil. He was 82 years old. QUICK FACTS Name: Pelé Birth Year: 1940 Birth date: October 23, 1940 Birth City: Três Corações Birth Country: Brazil Gender: Male
Best Known For: A member of three Brazilian World Cup-champion teams,
Pelé is considered by many to be the greatest soccer player of all time. Industries Sports Astrological Sign: Scorpio Nacionalities Brazilian Death Year: 2022 Death date: December 29, 2022 Death City: São Paulo Death Country: Brazil Fact Check We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! CITATION INFORMATION Article Title: Pelé Biography Author: Biography.com Editors Website Name: The Biography.com website Url: https://www.biography.com/athlete/pele Access Date: Publisher: A&E Television Networks Last Updated: December 29, 2022 Original Published Date: April 2, 2014 QUOTES I was born to play football, just like Beethoven was born to write music and Michelangelo was born to paint. The 100 best male footballers in the world 2022 Lionel Messi has been voted the best player in the world in 2022 by our 206-strong panel, with Kylian Mbappé finishing second 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 Meet the judges | The 100 best female footballers in 2022 Fri 27 Jan 2023 09.02 GMT 2,059 1 Lionel Messi Age 35 Team Paris Saint-Germain / Argentina Position Forward Rank 2 2021 ▲1 After
a low-key 2021-22 season, his first at PSG, no one knew quite what to
expect from Messi in this World Cup-interrupted campaign. However, he
came back after the summer firing on all cylinders. There were goals or
assists in all but four Ligue 1 games he played before the World Cup and
in Qatar, of course, he led Argentina to glory for the first time since
1986. Messi played with abandon as Argentina bounced back from their
opening defeat to Saudi Arabia to go all the way, Messi scoring seven
goals, including two in the final. He tops our list for a remarkable
sixth time with every single judge of the 206-strong panel having him on
their voting slip and with 156 of them putting him at No 1. Marcus
Christenson 2Kylian Mbappé Age 24 Team Paris Saint-Germain / France Position Forward Rank 6 2021 ▲4 This
was the year that confirmed that The Age of Mbappé has already begun.
No one in Europe’s leading divisions came close to his 44 goals in 43
club games, before a hat-trick in the final helped the France forward
top the World Cup scoring charts with eight. Although signs of growing
self-importance are a concern, an increasingly ruthless and commanding
Mbappé was routinely unplayable in 2022, regardless of the competition.
Each year since his 2017 emergence has seen Mbappé’s game
authoritatively ease up a gear. Barely 24, the likely continuation of
that upward curve is at once a thrilling and terrifying prospect. Adam
White 3Karim Benzema Age 35 Team Real Madrid / France Position Forward Rank 4 2021 ▲1 “K9
is Superman,” Iker Casillas said. “K9 is Wolverine. K9 is your best
friend. K9 is your grandmother. K9 is the parachute instructor you throw
yourself out of an aircraft with. K9 is your guardian angel. K9 is
God.” K9, in short, is our No 3 – and he may consider that low, injury
and absence from the World Cup denying him (and perhaps France?) the
chance to reach the very top. Top scorer in La Liga and the Champions
League, scoring three against PSG, three against Manchester City and
four against Chelsea, he was deservedly the runaway Ballon d’Or winner.
Sid Lowe 4Erling Haaland Age 22 Team Manchester City / Norway Position Forward Rank 7 2021 ▲3 New
league, same old Haaland. Any fears that a move to the Premier League
from the Bundesliga would slow down the goalscoring prowess of the
22-year-old Norwegian vanished within a few weeks of the 2022-23 season.
At the time of writing he has 25 goals in 19 English top-flight games
and a further five in four Champions League fixtures. Norway not
qualifying for the World Cup gave him a rest but one wonders how high he
would have finished on this list with a good showing in Qatar. Haaland
moves into our top five for the first time but did finish more than 600
points behind Karim Benzema in third. Marcus Christenson 5Luka Modric Age 37 Team Real Madrid / Croatia Position Midfielder Rank 40 2021 ▲35 “We
all know how many lovely words have been written about Luka and what he
has done, not just for Croatia but the whole world. Age comes to
everyone, but he is immortal,” Andrej Kramaric said before Croatia’s
last game at the World Cup – but not, fortunately, Modric’s last game
for his country. Few could have blamed him for bowing out with a third
place in Qatar to go with his runners-up medal from Russia, aged 37 and
on 162 caps, having just won a fifth Champions League, but Modric goes
on. And that is a joy. Sid Lowe 6Kevin De Bruyne Age 31 Team Manchester City / Belgium Position Midfielder Rank 10 2021 ▲4 If
there is a moment that sums up De Bruyne’s 2022 it has to be the
driving run and low cross that led to İlkay Gündogan’s title-winning
goal for Manchester City on the final day of last season. Once again
City’s creator supreme came to the fore when they needed him most. De
Bruyne assisted eight goals for Pep Guardiola’s team as they went about
securing a fourth championship in five years and already had a further
10 this campaign prior to the World Cup. At the tournament itself the
31-year-old was an ineffective presence for a poor Belgium side but,
overall, remains a supreme midfield talent. This is the fifth time he is
in our top 10, a testament to his consistency. Sachin Nakrani 7Robert Lewandowski Age 34 Team Barcelona / Poland Position Forward Rank 1 2021 ▼6 Everyone
expected Lewandowski to be good as he joined Barcelona after eight
prolific years at Bayern Munich, but he has been even better than
anticipated. He has continued to score bucketloads of goals – 22 in 23
appearances in all competitions – and got Barça wins they arguably did
not deserve, October’s 1-0 victory at Mallorca being a case in point. He
also fulfilled a lifelong ambition by scoring at a World Cup for the
first time. The joy on his face against Saudi Arabia said it all,
showing that his love for goals has not diminished with age. Having been
crowned the best player in the world by the Guardian two years in a
row, he drops to seventh this time around. Marcus Christenson 8Vinícius Júnior Age 22 Team Real Madrid / Brazil Position Forward Rank 31 2021 ▲23 Spain’s
best Viní since Samways. Asked not long ago why he was calmer in front
of goal, the days when one-on-ones were no guarantee long gone, Vinícius
replied: “I was younger then.” It was a simple reply but maybe
necessary, a reminder of how early footballers are exposed. One thing’s
certain: no one doubts Vinícius any more. Electric, willing to take on
anyone, the focus of so much of Real Madrid’s attacking, his fourth
season at the Bernabéu ended with 22 goals, 20 assists, more dribbles
than anyone and the winning goal in the Champions League final, all
before his 22nd birthday. A new entry to the top 10, he looks set to
stay here for some time. Sid Lowe 9Thibaut Courtois Age 30 Team Real Madrid / Belgium Position Goalkeeper Rank 53 2021 ▲44 “I
don’t know what we’re supposed to do to beat Courtois. Pray maybe,”
Rayo Vallecano’s Iván Balliu said. There was a bit of a fuss not long
ago when one magazine left Courtois out of its list of the world’s 10
best goalkeepers. The only reasonable explanation was this was an
“except Courtois” list, so manifestly superior was he to everyone else.
Reached an absurd level in 2022, shown in the European Cup final and so
many other nights. Made 59 Champions League saves, almost four times as
many as Alisson. Up 44 places; genuinely could be up 50+. Sid Lowe 10Mohamed Salah Age 30 Team Liverpool / Egypt Position Forward Rank 3 2021 ▼7 It
says everything about the Liverpool forward’s remarkable output over
many seasons that 2022 was not considered a vintage year for a player
occupying his lowest position in our poll since 2017. Salah scored 31
goals for Liverpool in 2021-22 and 25 in a calender year that saw Jürgen
Klopp’s side reach the Champions League final for the third time in
five seasons. There were considerable disappointments along the way,
including losing both the Africa Cup of Nations final and World Cup
play-off on penalties to Senegal with Egypt. That burden took its toll
but Salah’s status at the top of the game was reflected in Liverpool’s
award of a new £350,000-a-week, three year contract, the most lucrative
in the club’s history. Andy Hunter 11Sadio Mané Age 30 Team Bayern Munich / Senegal Position Forward Rank 23 2021 ▲12 One
of the most reliable forwards in world football wears more than just
the one crown in this year’s list – he is the highest-placed Bundesliga
player and the second highest African player. Yet the extent of Mané’s
worth is really underlined by the void he has left in his absences; from
Liverpool, where his reliability and integral role in the collective
press has been missed by Jürgen Klopp’s team since he left for Germany,
and from Senegal, where his injury just before the World Cup left the
African champions – and the football world – cursing the loss of a bona
fide star. Andy Brassell 12Neymar Age 30 Team Paris Saint-Germain / Brazil Position Winger Rank 13 2021 ▲1 “I
am psychologically destroyed,” read the Brazilian’s post-World Cup
message after the Seleção had lost to Croatia. Despite disappointment in
Doha, though, Neymar has managed to dispel doubts over his mindset by
turning in his best calendar year since joining PSG. He overcame an
ankle injury and the ire of fans to bounce back, then take that form
into the new campaign. His 16 goals and 15 assists so far have seen him
shine in Christophe Galtier’s new-look side. His injury issues flared up
yet again in a truncated and ultimately fruitless World Cup campaign,
although he did draw level with the late Pelé to become Brazil’s joint
all-time top scorer with his 77th goal in that quarter-final against
Croatia. Raphaël Jucobin 13Harry Kane Age 29 Team Tottenham / England Position Forward Rank 15 2021 ▲2 The
England captain, an ever-present on the list since making his debut in
2015, moves up two places this year but a big part of his 2022 will be
that penalty miss against France at the World Cup. “I’ll probably
remember it for the rest of my life, but that’s part of the game,” he
said after the 4-0 win against Crystal Palace in early January in which
he scored twice in typically ruthless fashion. “It’s not going to affect
me as a player or as a person. I’ll keep working hard to improve.” He
continued to do what he does best, which is to score goals, in 2022,
being on target 26 times in 37 Premier League appearances. Marcus
Christenson 14Jude Bellingham Age 19 Team Borussia Dortmund / England Position Midfielder Rank 72 2021 ▲58 The
second highest Englishman on the list soars up 58 places, and that
feels like a fair barometer of just how Bellingham’s influence has
grown. The teenager has been Borussia Dortmund’s best midfielder for a
while but has found an extra gear since the summer arrival of Salih
Özcan, encouraged to burst forward more and scoring in each of his
club’s first four Champions League games. A natural leader and
responsibility taker, Bellingham also had an outstanding World Cup,
opening England’s scoring for the tournament against Iran and adding a
different dimension to the midfield of Gareth Southgate’s side. Andy
Brassell 15Casemiro Age 30 Team Manchester United / Brazil Position Midfielder Rank 68 2021 ▲53 The
Brazil midfielder is in his highest ever position on the list, jumping
up 53 places after helping secure his third La Liga title and fifth
Champions League triumph before deciding he wanted a fresh challenge at
Manchester United. The Premier League side were willing to part with
£70m to bring in the 30-year-old and the outlay has started to pay
dividends. Casemiro’s experience in front of the defence has transformed
the side under Erik ten Hag’s tutelage. He may have hoped to add a
World Cup winner’s medal to his haul but Brazil were knocked out at the
quarter-final stage. Will Unwin 16Achraf Hakimi Age 24 Team Paris Saint-Germain / Morocco Position Defender Rank 38 2021 ▲22 After
a somewhat indifferent start to the season, Hakimi sparked to life at
the World Cup, albeit playing a more conservative role. It remains to be
seen whether he can recapture that form for PSG in the new year, but he
remains as exciting a young full-back as there is in the game. Able to
affect play going forward as well as any full-back in the game, even if
he is sometimes lacking in his positioning, his recovery pace and the
threat he poses going forward makes him perfectly adept at pinning back
opposing wingers – an archetypal modern full-back. Eric Devin 17Antoine Griezmann Age 31 Team Atlético Madrid / France Position Forward Rank 76 2021 ▲59 The
Frenchman returns to the top half of the list after a year in which he
started to play his best football again, at a club he probably never
should have left. All this despite the farcical contractual situation
which meant that Atlético did not want him to play more than a half in
many games because then they would have to pay Barcelona more for the
two-year loan deal. Perhaps the reduced amount of minutes helped
Griezmann at the World Cup because he was at his magical best in Qatar,
the creative spark for the team as they reached the final – and nearly
won it. Griezmann has made every top 100 list since his debut in 2014,
finishing a career-high sixth in 2018 after France’s World Cup victory.
Marcus Christenson 18Federico Valverde Age 24 Team Real Madrid / Uruguay Position Midfielder Rank Re-entry “Fede
Valverde top three in the world right now,” Toni Kroos tweeted after
the Uruguayan took Barcelona apart in October. A re-entry after a year’s
absence from the list he is straight back in at No 18. The footballer
with four lungs, Valverde has turned the pitch on its side: normally
defined horizontally – defence, midfield, attack – his position is
defined vertically. He plays on the right, the whole of the right. And
inside a bit too. Provided the pass for the winner in the Champions
League final. Thunderous shot, endless running, bursting through
barriers, a subtlety and wider range of passing has been added to his
game. Sid Lowe 19Pedri Age 20 Team Barcelona / Spain Position Midfielder Rank 21 2021 ▲2 Some
players get people up on their feet; Pedri gets them down on their
backside. He does if it is Sevilla or Galatasaray defenders, anyway. A
lovely goal against Sevilla in February, which was pretty much a copy of
what he had done in Istanbul a fortnight earlier, offered a neat
expression of his play: the touch, the pause, opponents sliding by out
the way. All of it done with a smooth ease, socks low, that makes him
feel like a footballer from another age. “It’s wonderful watching Pedri
play. If we’re talking pure talent, he’s the best in the world,” says
Xavi, his manager at Barcelona. Sid Lowe 20Emiliano Martínez Age 30 Team Aston Villa / Argentina Position Goalkeeper Rank 52 2021 ▲32 In
emulating Ubaldo Fillol and Nery Pumpido as Argentina’s World
Cup-winning goalkeepers, Martínez wrote himself into legend. Neither of
those predecessors were required to be the decisive actor in penalty
shootouts, as Martínez was against the Netherlands in the quarter-finals
and then again in the final itself. His gamesmanship in those pressure
situations won him cult status but he also made a crucial, match-winning
contribution in open play when France’s Randal Kolo Muani seemed set to
score in the last minute of extra time. The one-time Rotherham and
Oxford loanee with a London tinge to his accent has come a long way.
John Brewin 21Enzo Fernández Age 22 Team Benfica / Argentina Position Midfielder Rank New No
other player made quite such a breakthrough in 2022. Fernández went
from promising River Plate playmaker to a talent coveted by the entirety
of Europe’s elite. Having made his Argentina debut on 24 September, he
was a World Cup winner by 18 December, voted the best young player in
the tournament. After moving to Benfica in July, Champions League
performances against Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus announced him as a
modern, creative, box-to-box midfielder for whom suitors would be
prepared to pay a £105m release clause. Once Lionel Scaloni plumped for
Fernández in midfield in Qatar, Argentina became a winning proposition.
John Brewin 22Bukayo Saka Age 21 Team Arsenal / England Position Forward Rank 95 2021 ▲73 Saka
is the most important player in, on the evidence of the past six
months, the Premier League’s best team. So it is no surprise that he is
the highest climber in this year’s list. A 73-place rise reflects the
astonishing level of consistency produced by a player who is still only
21; Saka scored 12 top-flight goals in 2022 from his position on the
right of Arsenal’s attack and brushed aside fears of tiredness to
produce a stunning first half of 2022-23. Match-winning performances
against Liverpool and Manchester United tell only part of the story for a
player who is explosively quick but deft, precise and diligent with it.
Three goals at the World Cup emphasised that he is crucial to England’s
prospects, too. Nick Ames 23Rafael Leão Age 23 Team Milan / Portugal Position Forward Rank New Milan’s
manager, Stefano Pioli, used to worry that Leão did not take football
seriously enough, grinning and laughing as he ran at opponents. Those
worries faded as the winger carried the Rossoneri to their first Serie A
title for more than a decade, shredding defences with spectacular
dribbles. Leão was named as the league’s MVP with 11 goals and eight
assists and began the new campaign striking twice to sink Inter in the
derby. He is the highest-ranked Portuguese player on our list yet was
used only as an impact replacement at the World Cup, scoring twice in
five substitute appearances. Nicky Bandini 24Phil Foden Age 22 Team Manchester City / England Position Midfielder Rank 25 2021 ▲1 “I’ve
never seen someone like Phil at that age, the ability he’s got is
frightening.” That was John Stones’s assessment of his Manchester City
teammate after they played together for England in the 3-0 victory over
Wales at the World Cup and Foden more than lived up to the billing in
the next game, providing two assists as Gareth Southgate’s side
dismantled Senegal in the last 16. Overall, 2022 was a year in which the
22-year-old firmly established himself as one of the most technically
gifted young talents in Europe. He is up one place on this list and
looks set to continue his rise in years to come. Sachin Nakrani 25Jamal Musiala Age 19 Team Bayern Munich / Germany Position Midfielder Rank New Germany’s
World Cup campaign was heavily laced with disappointment but the bright
spot was that they clearly have a new star on the horizon. Midfielder
Musiala has been a talent for a while, and is always positive and
confident on the ball. After Robert Lewandowski’s departure from Bayern
the goalscoring load was always going to be a collective responsibility
but Musiala has seized the mantle more than most, with nine goals and
six assists in his first 15 Bundesliga games of this season. The numbers
only partly describe his pace and incision, which made him Germany’s
standout player in Qatar. Andy Brassell 26Son Heung-min Age 30 Team Tottenham / South Korea Position Forward Rank 39 2021 ▲13 Son
has risen 13 places and it is fair to say that is largely based on his
performances in the first half of 2022. He was supreme for Tottenham as
they went about securing a top-four place, scoring 15 goals and
providing six assists from New Year’s Day up until the final day of last
season. It meant he shared the Golden Boot award with Mohamed Salah.
Ever since then, however, the forward has not been his usual self,
literally in regards to having to wear a face mask after suffering an
eye fracture in November. It was a prominent feature of the
30-year-old’s World Cup as he struggled to make an impact for South
Korea. Sachin Nakrani 27Virgil van Dijk Age 31 Team Liverpool / Netherlands Position Defender Rank 43 2021 ▲16 Questions
over the Liverpool defender’s recovery from a serious knee injury –
which accounted for him dropping down the ratings in 2021 – were
answered in convincing style as Van Dijk recaptured the form and
authority that makes him such a vital part of Jürgen Klopp’s team. Van
Dijk played 51 games last season as Liverpool won the FA and Carabao
Cups, reached the Champions League final and missed out on the Premier
League title on the final day of the season. The 31-year-old was
nominated for the Ballon d’Or once again in 2022 and was also included
in the PFA Premier League team of the year. Andy Hunter 28Bruno Fernandes Age 28 Team Manchester United / Portugal Position Midfielder Rank 16 2021 ▼12 Held
things together for Manchester United during their meek ending to the
2021-22 season. Like many at Old Trafford, he has improved since Erik
ten Hag’s arrival in the summer. Operating behind the central striker or
occasionally out wide, the midfielder has been an integral part of the
plan to turn United around this season, scoring the equaliser in a 2-1
win against City in the Manchester derby. Fernandes also enjoyed an
impressive World Cup, scoring twice in a group-stage win over Uruguay
and supplying three assists throughout the tournament. Will Unwin 29Bernardo Silva Age 28 Team Manchester City / Portugal Position Midfielder Rank 45 2021 ▲16 A
second year of moving up the list after dropping from his 2019 high of
16. Much of the summer was spent listening to rumours about Silva’s
future at Manchester City with Barcelona circling but Pep Guardiola was
adamant that the midfielder did not leave, describing him as
“irreplaceable”. Silva proved his manager right with five assists in his
opening 13 appearances of the 2022-23 season, scoring crucial goals
against Newcastle and Crystal Palace. He failed to match that form at
the World Cup, however, as Portugal were unable to pick Morocco’s lock
in their quarter-final and the national team were knocked out with him
failing to create a goal in the tournament. Will Unwin 30Olivier Giroud Age 36 Team Milan / France Position Forward Rank Re-entry With
every passing year, the Giroud punchlines ring a little more hollow.
For much of his time in the Premier League, the consensus was that, on a
bad day, he could start up front for Banjo Rovers against AFC Barndoor
and fail to get a shot on target. This is a player who, in 2022 alone,
helped Milan to their first scudetto in over a decade and scored four
goals at the World Cup, dumping out England along the way. He has now
won major silverware in three different countries, including the
Champions League with Chelsea, and come within a whisker of winning the
World Cup for a second time. Ungainly but beautiful, inefficient but
effective, adored but ridiculed: Giroud is a joyous enigma and
ultimately a player who will live long in the memory. At the World Cup
he overtook Thierry Henry as France’s record goalscorer. Will Magee 31Josko Gvardiol Age 21 Team RB Leipzig / Croatia Position Defender Rank New Gvardiol
was clearly the best defender at the World Cup and a huge part of
Croatia’s surprise snaring of third place in the tournament. Zlatko
Dalic’s team are celebrated for their experience but their premier
centre-back, who celebrated his 21st birthday this week, pointed the way
to a bright future. After years of those in the game lamenting the
paucity of top-quality centre-backs a plethora are surfacing, led by
Gvardiol, who is the man for any number of situations; strong and
composed in a back four or a back three, and more than competent at
left-back as well, leaving his club RB Leipzig sitting on a goldmine. A
newcomer to this list but set to remain on it for years. Andy Brassell 32Julián Álvarez Age 22 Team Manchester City / Argentina Position Forward Rank 91 2021 ▲59 The
striker was way down in 91st place last year but has made a rapid rise
thanks to his successful move to Manchester City and the little matter
of winning a World Cup. His four goals for Argentina in Qatar put him
joint third on the scoring lists. At club level Álvarez has had to spend
time playing understudy to Erling Haaland, although there is no shame
in that. Many expected him to go out on loan after joining City but he
quickly impressed the coaching staff with Pep Guardiola saying: “I am
surprised by how good he is.” Despite not being a regular, he has
settled into life in Manchester well, looking especially effective in
cup competitions, already scoring in the FA Cup, Carabao Cup and
Champions League for City. Will Unwin 33Christopher Nkunku Age 25 Team RB Leipzig / France Position Forward Rank New The
2021-22 Bundesliga player of the season is set to join Chelsea come the
summer, following the same route from Leipzig to west London as Timo
Werner, though it is hoped with rather more success. Chelsea fans were
denied a close look at him when he missed France’s World Cup campaign
with a knee ligament injury. Until that setback he had replicated the
form of the previous season, entering the winter break as the
Bundesliga’s leading scorer. In Germany, his mix of speed and movement
has been near irresistible, with Chelsea happy to meet his £53m release
clause to solve their striking problems. John Brewin 34Alisson Age 30 Team Liverpool / Brazil Position Goalkeeper Rank 67 2021 ▲33 The
Brazil international’s reputation as one of the finest goalkeepers in
the game may be long-established but there is no chance of Liverpool
taking his consistent excellence for granted. Alisson won the Premier
League’s Golden Gloves award for a second time in 2021-22 after keeping
20 clean sheets, sharing the prize with compatriot and Manchester City
rival Ederson, while his penalty save from Mason Mount in the FA Cup
final shootout enabled Kostas Tsimikas to win the trophy for Liverpool.
Brazil’s No 1 at the World Cup, the 30-year-old has maintained his
decisive standards this season despite Liverpool’s defensive problems in
front of him. Andy Hunter 35Martin Ødegaard Age 24 Team Arsenal / Norway Position Midfielder Rank Re-entry After
so long lost in a labyrinth of dead ends, impossible staircases and
sliding doors at the Bernabéu, Ødegaard finally seems to have realised
the potential that convinced Real Madrid to sign him as a 16-year-old.
Not only have his performances been crucial to Arsenal’s unexpected
title push, he has gone from a quiet, boyish figure to a leader on the
pitch. Rewarded with the armband by Mikel Arteta, he could feasibly
become the first player to captain Arsenal to the title since Patrick
Vieira. With the subtlety of Santi Cazorla, the forward motion of Tomas
Rosicky and a final ball reminiscent of Mesut Özil at his best, he has
the chance to stake his claim as one of Arsenal’s all-time great
playmakers. Will Magee 36João Cancelo Age 28 Team Manchester City / Portugal Position Defender Rank 63 2021 ▲27 The
one-time reluctant defender who did not enjoy the physical side of the
game was among Manchester City’s star performers in their 2021-22
Premier League title win. He is a most modern full-back, someone whose
imagination shines brightly even when playing alongside Kevin De Bruyne
and Bernardo Silva. Cancelo supplied seven assists and started all but
two league matches last season. However, he had an indifferent end to
2022, losing his starting place for Portugal and often having to settle
for the bench in Pep Guardiola’s City team. Would be a player much in
demand should he come on the market. John Brewin 37Gavi Age 18 Team Barcelona / Spain Position Midfielder Rank 98 2021 ▲61 Gavi
is Princess Leonor’s crush and everyone else loves him too. Unless they
play against him, when they hate him. Chest out, in your face, “a
competitive animal” in Sergio Busquets’ words, he’s a feisty competitor
who doesn’t back down against anyone, and hasn’t done since his Spain
debut in Italy aged 17. It’s not all character, though, Luis Enrique
insisting in the summer: “With the ball I think he’s still unknown, even
to those near him. He doesn’t just run, he’s dangerous, a pure inside
midfielder who can score goals. At 18, he’s unique.” Xavi, his manager
at the Camp Nou, says he “has no limit”. Sid Lowe 38Ángel Di María Age 34 Team Juventus / Argentina Position Forward Rank 32 2021 ▼6 Sometimes
it’s not about punching the clock, but what you do with your time in
the office. Di María had missed almost the entire knockout phase of the
World Cup, playing only the last eight minutes of the semi-final, before
he returned to star in the triumph over France, winning the penalty for
Argentina’s first goal and scoring the second himself. The second half
of the year was a constant battle against injury, much to the
frustration of his new club Juventus, but the gliding ease with which he
terrorised Jules Koundé on the biggest stage reaffirmed an undiminished
talent. Nicky Bandini 39Toni Kroos Age 33 Team Real Madrid / Germany Position Midfielder Rank 65 2021 ▲26 When
Kroos tweeted that Federico Valverde was among the top three players in
the world, the Uruguayan replied saying he had the best teacher. When
he tweeted a picture of himself alongside Valverde and Spanish tennis
star Carlos Alcaraz with the message: “The future. And me,” people
begged him not to say that. “The best German midfielder ever,” according
to Lothar Matthäus. The man Zinedine Zidane claims has never given the
ball away is 33 now, his contract is up at the end of the season, and he
is seemingly contemplating calling it a day, but watching him perform
makes you feel that would be premature. Sid Lowe 40Khvicha Kvaratskhelia Age 21 Team Napoli / Georgia Position Forward Rank New Having
made a name for himself at Rubin Kazan and Dinamo Batumi, Kvaratskhelia
had flown under the radar, at least outside Russia and Georgia, before
his arrival at Napoli last summer. The €10m (£8.7m) transfer fee the
Serie A club paid for his services now seems like one of the biggest
bargains in recent memory. With his thundering runs out wide and a
hailstorm of goals and assists, his irrepressible form has helped to
lift Napoli to the top of the table and put them in reach of a first
scudetto since 1990. His nickname, Kvaradona, says it all. It takes
something special to earn comparisons to El Diego in Naples, bad pun or
otherwise. Will Magee 41Joshua Kimmich Age 27 Team Bayern Munich / Germany Position Midfielder Rank 18 2021 ▼23 Kimmich
has continued to be consistent for Bayern, but the fluctuation in his
perceived value (he falls 23 places from 2021) is largely due to
external forces. At Bayern, where he remains the cornerstone of
midfield, he has been partly exposed by the injury absences of his
perfect partner – and great friend – Leon Goretzka. Kimmich felt the
lack of Goretzka at the World Cup too and in the context of the Germany
team, the lack of a top-class right-back always threatens to pull him
away from his preferred position. Whatever the midfield ends up being
for Euro 2024, Kimmich will be at the heart of it. Andy Brassell 42David Alaba Age 30 Team Real Madrid / Austria Position Defender Rank 55 2021 ▲13 Alaba’s
new celebration, waving a white plastic chair around, became one of the
most enduring images of the 2021-22 season, the Austrian trying it for
the first time after one of those remarkable Real Madrid Champions
League comebacks, this one against Paris Saint-Germain. “It’s good to
try new celebrations every now and then,” he said. “And the chair was
there at just the right moment. I didn’t think about it, it was just the
emotion of it all.” He made a stunning, probably tie-saving tackle on
Kylian Mbappé and finished the season strongly. Made a few
uncharacteristic errors at the start of the current campaign. Marcus
Christenson 43Yassine ‘Bono’ Bounou Age 31 Team Sevilla / Morocco Position Goalkeeper Rank New Such
was the Morocco goalkeeper's impact at the World Cup that it was him
and Lionel Messi who were the two players depicted by Palestinian food
artist Sarah Odeh. "Yassine Bounou was outstanding, so I decided to use
the well-known Palestinian ingredients za’atar and olive oil
specifically for his drawing," she explained. Born in Canada but raised
in Morocco, the 31-year-old has been one of the best goalkeepers in La
Liga for some time after starting his career in Europe with Atlético
Madrid and excelling for club and country. Bayern Munich and Tottenham
are reported to be keeping close tabs after the exploits in Qatar that
earned him a place in our top 100 for the first time. Ed Aarons 44Rúben Dias Age 25 Team Manchester City / Portugal Position Defender Rank 14 2021 ▼30 The
Portuguese defender ended his second season in the Premier League with
another title, although he was unable to match the quality and
consistency shown in his first year at Manchester City, which could
explain his drop of 30 places on this list. Yet Dias is still a key
member of City’s five-man leadership group, a player who sets an example
to others by his demeanour on and off the pitch. In Qatar he helped
Portugal to the quarter-finals at which point they were surprisingly
knocked out by Morocco, in a match that saw Dias suffer a hamstring
injury. Will Unwin 45Aurélien Tchouaméni Age 22 Team Real Madrid / France Position Midfielder Rank New Tchouaméni’s
2022 was going so well – until the very last kick. Aged just 22, by the
end of his second full season at Monaco (he had been France’s young
player of the year in his first), he had Kylian Mbappé on the phone
trying to get him to join PSG and Liverpool calling too. Instead he
signed for Real Madrid, the departure of Casemiro accelerating his
inclusion, and has been outstanding since. The only footballer to start
every game for France at the World Cup and a goalscorer in the
quarter-final against England, Tchouaméni reached the final only to miss
a vital shootout penalty. Sid Lowe 46Theo Hernández Age 25 Team Milan / France Position Defender Rank New Narrowly
missed off this list in 2021, when he finished 102nd in our voting,
Hernández leaps straight into the top half after winning a Serie A title
and reaching the World Cup final. His defensive frailties were
sometimes exposed after he replaced his injured brother, Lucas, for
France in Qatar yet he had good moments as well, contributing two
assists in the group stage and scoring the opener in a semi-final win
over Morocco. At club level, he bagged Serie A’s goal of the 2021-22
season with a George Weah-esque coast-to-coast against Atalanta in May.
Nicky Bandini 47Alexis Mac Allister Age 24 Team Brighton / Argentina Position Midfielder Rank New Like
his Argentina colleague Enzo Fernández, Mac Allister has the ability to
play almost three positions at once, and after getting the call for the
team’s second World Cup match with Poland, such flexibility proved key
to his country’s triumph. His performances in Qatar make him
much-coveted; a player it will cost a significant fee to prise away from
Brighton. Under both Graham Potter and latterly Roberto De Zerbi, Mac
Allister’s drive has been a crucial part of the south coast club’s
continuing rise, and once Argentina made his wild card selection, after
two-and-a-half-year absence, they reaped the ultimate reward. John
Brewin 48Rodrigo De Paul Age 28 Team Atlético Madrid / Argentina Position Midfielder Rank 46 2021 ▼2 De
Paul was the last World Cup winner to return, his first club game
coming a month after the final in Lusail – and no one missed him much.
Accused of lacking commitment, his level slipping, many Atlético Madrid
fans would question his inclusion here as much as Argentina fans would
celebrate it. De Paul started every game at the World Cup, a tireless
presence all over the pitch and the man who delivered on his written
promise to Lionel Messi that they would win it. And yet 11 Atlético
players have started more La Liga games. Sid Lowe 49Sofyan Amrabat Age 26 Team Fiorentina / Morocco Position Midfielder Rank New That
tackle on Kylian Mbappé in the World Cup semi-final summed up the
indefatigable spirit that has earned Amrabat a place in the top 50 on
his first appearance in our list. The fulcrum of Morocco’s historic run
to the last four in Qatar is now recognised as one of the best in his
position having developed significantly since leaving the Netherlands in
2018, with Fiorentina facing a fight to keep hold of the 26-year-old.
Atlético Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool are among the clubs
to have been linked with a big-money move for a player whose inspiration
is his older brother, the former Watford winger Nordin. Ed Aarons 50Cody Gakpo Age 23 Team Liverpool / Netherlands Position Forward Rank New “He
is a really, really good player and has the potential to become even
better,” said Jürgen Klopp of Gakpo after Liverpool completed the £35m
signing of the forward from PSV Eindhoven at the end of last year, and
while the 23-year-old has struggled to show that for his new side, the
proof of his talent was very much on display at the World Cup. Gakpo was
excellent for the Netherlands, scoring in each of their group games and
generally dazzled with his speed, athleticism and technical ability –
as he had also done at PSV throughout 2022. Sachin Nakrani 51Cristiano Ronaldo Age 37 Team Al Nassr / Portugal Position Forward Rank 8 2021 ▼43 All
good things must come to an end, they say, and this was the year that
Cristiano Ronaldo fell out of the top 10 for the first time since these
rankings were introduced in 2012. A two-time winner of the Guardian’s
top 100, the Portuguese drops to 51st in a year that included a fallout
with Erik ten Hag and Manchester United, that Piers Morgan interview and
a rather chastening World Cup, during which he was criticised by his
coach, Fernando Santos, for his reaction to being substituted against
South Korea and then benched. The 37-year-old joined Saudi Arabian club
Al Nassr in December. Marcus Christenson 52Victor Osimhen Age 24 Team Napoli / Nigeria Position Forward Rank New Winner
of Serie A’s best young player award for 2021-22, Osimhen is a
frontrunner to claim the league’s MVP award this time around. A
spectacular blend of go-go-gadget limbs, explosive finishing and
breathtaking body control, he has the tools to become one of the very
best players on the planet and an on-pitch enthusiasm that makes you
want to jump out of your seat. He began the new Serie A season with nine
goals in 10 games and bagged four in a single Africa Cup of Nations
qualifier for Nigeria against São Tomé and Príncipe in June. Only
injuries have slowed him down. Nicky Bandini 53Rodri Age 26 Team Manchester City / Spain Position Midfielder Rank 92 2021 ▲39 The
metronome in front of the Manchester City defence, who maintains calm
and reads the game superbly to snuff out attacks before they have begun,
makes his highest entry on the list after landing at 92 last year. The
Spanish midfielder sits atop the passing charts in the Premier League
thanks to his keep-things-simple philosophy when it comes to possession.
In Qatar he was unable to stop Spain from slumping out of the
competition in the last 16 but he could at least boast he played every
minute of the tournament for Luis Enrique’s side until they were dumped
out by Morocco on penalties. Will Unwin 54Ederson Age 29 Team Manchester City / Brazil Position Goalkeeper Rank 75 2021 ▲21 Finished
his fifth season in the Premier League with a fourth title and third
Golden Glove award. The goalkeeper’s ability with his feet continues to
make him an asset for Pep Guardiola and is one of the reasons he has
moved up 21 places on this year’s list. Ederson collected the third
assist of his Manchester City career with a perfect ball down the middle
for Erling Haaland against Brighton in October. At international level
he has to make do with being understudy to Liverpool's Alisson but did
get to play a group game at the World Cup. Maybe Brazil would have made
it through if he was on the pitch to take a ruthless penalty in the
shootout defeat by Croatia. Will Unwin 55Ilkay Gündogan Age 32 Team Manchester City / Germany Position Midfielder Rank 35 2021 ▼20 Scored
the goal that sealed another Premier League title for Manchester City
and, soon after, was named their new captain – it’s fair to say 2022 was
a good year for Gündogan at club level. The story was different at
international level, however, given he was part of a Germany squad that
failed to qualify from the World Cup group stages for a second
tournament in succession. Gündogan did score against Japan, however, and
continues to be an assured and talented midfielder, albeit aged 32 he
is perhaps on the slide, reflected in his fall on this list. Sachin
Nakrani 56Antonio Rüdiger Age 29 Team Real Madrid / Germany Position Defender Rank 48 2021 ▼8 Real
Madrid were delighted to sign the centre-back on a free from Chelsea
and thus far he seems to have been first choice for Carlo Ancelotti but
recent mistakes, including in the Super Cup match against Barcelona,
have put question marks over the wisdom of the signing. A swashbuckling
presence, he does add more physicality to the centre of defence than,
say, David Alaba and his desire to win was exemplified by the late
equaliser he scored against Shakhtar Donetsk, which left him bloodied
and requiring stitches. He is down eight places on our list, most likely
because he won the Champions League in 2021, and did not in 2022.
Marcus Christenson 57Riyad Mahrez Age 31 Team Manchester City / Algeria Position Forward Rank 60 2021 ▲3 Yet
another Premier League title-winner's medal – his fourth – rounded off
an excellent domestic 2021-22 campaign that saw Mahrez end up with 17
goals in all competitions for Manchester City and led to him finishing
12th in the Ballon d’Or standings in October. But while he is up three
places from last year in our list, after starting 2022 by failing to
inspire holders Algeria as they were embarrassed in the Africa Cup of
Nations, the 31-year-old has been in and out of the team at City since
the arrival of Erling Haaland. When playing, as he recently showed
against Tottenham, he is still capable of being a match-winner in his
own right. Ed Aarons 58Marcus Rashford Age 25 Team Manchester United / England Position Forward Rank Re-entry Back
on the list after a one-year absence and a player who had an
extraordinary 2022. For the first half of it, Rashford struggled badly
in a poor Manchester United side, to the extent it appeared he was on
his way out of his boyhood club. But then Erik ten Hag arrived and the
rejuvenation began. Performances improved, as did output, and it was
enough to see Rashford selected in England’s squad for the World Cup,
where he continued to shine. The 25-year-old scored three times and
generally impressed with his speed, skill and determination. It is fair
to say Rashford is back and, if anything, is getting better. Sachin
Nakrani 59Luis Díaz Age 26 Team Liverpool / Colombia Position Winger Rank 87 2021 ▲28 Jürgen
Klopp planned to move for the gifted Porto winger last summer but, as
soon as receiving word that Tottenham had agreed a fee for the Colombia
international in the January window, Liverpool sprung into action. An
identical fee rising to €60m was accepted, making Díaz the fourth most
expensive signing in Liverpool’s history at the time, and staff were
dispatched to Argentina to conduct a medical while the player was on
international duty. Díaz immediately repaid Liverpool’s endeavours,
slotting seamlessly into a side chasing the quadruple and adding a new
dimension to their attack. The only Colombian on our list, his absence
has been sorely felt at Anfield since suffering a serious knee injury in
October. Andy Hunter 60Trent Alexander-Arnold Age 24 Team Liverpool / England Position Defender Rank 34 2021 ▼26 The
Liverpool right-back became the youngest player to complete the set of
Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, Club World Cup and
Uefa Super Cup winners’ medals when, at the age of 23 years and 219
days, his boyhood team beat Chelsea in last season’s FA Cup final. Only
Cristiano Ronaldo has won the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup
and League Cup at a younger age. Alexander-Arnold’s creativity shone as
Jürgen Klopp’s team chased the quadruple – only Mohamed Salah produced
more Premier League assists than the defender’s 12 last season – but
defensive lapses were costly as Liverpool came up short. Andy Hunter 61Richarlison Age 25 Team Tottenham / Brazil Position Forward Rank Re-entry A
player who is often loved by his own fans but hated by rival teams’
supporters, Richarlison is back on the list after a one-year absence.
The summer saw him move to Tottenham from Everton in a £58m deal. He
scored 10 league goals in his last season at Goodison and was one of the
main reasons Everton stayed up. The start to his Spurs career has been
interrupted by injuries but he was on good form for Brazil during the
World Cup, finding the net three times and with his scissor-kick against
Serbia rightly voted goal of the tournament. A role model off the
pitch, “the Pigeon” has repeatedly spoken out on topics such as racism,
poverty, police and gender violence, LGBTQ+ rights and environmental
destruction. Marcus Christenson 62Gabriel Jesus Age 25 Team Arsenal / Brazil Position Forward Rank Re-entry Back
on this list after a two-year absence, Jesus returns after sparking
Arsenal's title challenge this season. His acquisition from Manchester
City, where he was important to another Premier League triumph last year
while never being the leading man, was a masterstroke: it gave Jesus
the stage to emerge from others’ shadows while turbocharging Mikel
Arteta’s entire attack. He has not been prolific but his effect on
Arsenal’s pressing and buildup play has been profound; off the pitch,
his knowledge of what it takes to win trophies has also been keenly
felt. Arsenal have ticked along nicely in his absence after a knee
injury picked up in the World Cup but his return is eagerly awaited.
Nick Ames 63Hakim Ziyech Age 29 Team Chelsea / Morocco Position Winger Rank Re-entry It
is fair to say that Ziyech’s move to London has not gone according to
plan but he was able to show everyone what he can do at the World Cup,
being the creative force behind Morocco’s run to the semi-finals. The
prospects of Ziyech starring for Morocco in Qatar looked bleak after he
announced his international retirement in February, having fallen out
with the coach, Vahid Halilhodzic, but the subsequent sacking of the
Bosnian saw the winger return in time for the tournament. He started
every game of Morocco’s historic campaign but had only played the full
90 minutes in the league for Chelsea once before the break. This year
will be a big one for the winger. Marcus Christenson 64Alphonso Davies Age 22 Team Bayern Munich / Canada Position Defender Rank 42 2021 ▼22 In
terms of sheer numbers, Davies has had a quiet 2022-23 season to date,
not pitching in for Bayern’s attack in the dynamic way that we have come
to expect. Yet after being forced to adapt to being a left-back while
still young and green, he really has cracked it in terms of defensive
positioning and remains an undisputed first-choice. His dilemma with
Canada was apparent in the World Cup – in which he missed a vital
penalty against Belgium – with his star status demanding he play higher
up the pitch, which can curtail his asset of being able to burst from
deep. Andy Brassell 65Marquinhos Age 28 Team Paris Saint-Germain / Brazil Position Defender Rank 44 2021 ▼21 The
PSG captain’s drop-off in form in 2022 was bookended by a pair of
nightmare collapses. The first was inflicted by Karim Benzema in the
Champions League, the second with Brazil at the World Cup, as he
deflected in Croatia’s equaliser before missing in the shootout. Now
closing in on 10 years in the French capital, Marquinhos has yet to step
up into the Thiago Silva-shaped hole but is usually a reliable
performer. He has adapted well to his team’s wavering between three- and
four-man defences, and looks set to lead the club’s most credible
Champions League charge yet. Raphaël Jucobin 66Dusan Vlahovic Age 22 Team Juventus / Serbia Position Forward Rank 57 2021 ▼9 This
was supposed to be the year when Vlahovic established himself alongside
Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé as one of the hottest attacking
talents in world football. Instead, reviews have been mixed since he
joined Juventus for €70m. Vlahovic scored 13 goals in 25 Serie A
appearances for the Bianconeri in 2022 but rarely took over games. His
efforts on the biggest stages were overshadowed by poor results. He
netted in the first minute of his Champions League debut, away at
Villarreal, only for Juventus to lose 4-1 on aggregate, and put his team
ahead in the Coppa Italia final, which ended in defeat by Inter. Nicky
Bandini 67Éder Militão Age 25 Team Real Madrid / Brazil Position Defender Rank New Strong,
aggressive and old-fashioned, the 25-year-old makes the list for the
first time after an outstanding year during which he helped win La Liga
and was a mainstay as Real secured their 14th European Cup. Militão has
omitted most of the high-profile mistakes he was prone to make and
formed a solid partnership with David Alaba, expelling fears that the
team may struggle without Sergio Ramos and Raphaël Varane. Has the air
of someone who is set to be part of the Real defence for most of the
coming decade. At the World Cup he played at centre-back and right-back
before Brazil’s dreams were crushed by Croatia. Marcus Christenson 68Marcelo Brozovic Age 30 Team Internazionale / Croatia Position Midfielder Rank 81 2021 ▲13 If
you wanted one statistic to sum up Brozovic then it arrived at the end
of Croatia’s draw with Japan, data showing that he had covered the most
distance – 16.7km (10.4 miles) – of any player in a World Cup game. The
previous record holder? Also Brozovic, who travelled 16.3km (10.1 miles)
during the 2018 semi-final win over England. The midfielder’s tireless
work screening the defence and making himself available as an outlet for
teammates was a key component for Croatia on the way to their
third-place finish and to a pair of domestic cup successes for Inter.
Nicky Bandini 69Ousmane Dembélé Age 25 Team Barcelona / France Position Winger Rank Re-entry The
enigmatic winger makes his first appearance on the list since 2017, the
year he joined Barcelona. His resurgence is largely down to one man:
the Barça coach, Xavi, who pushed Dembélé to regain his best form and
then for the club to renew his contract. Remarkably he finished the
2021-22 season as La Liga’s top assist maker, and it all happened in the
second half of the campaign. It is fair to say that Barcelona have
finally got the player they thought they signed five years ago. His fine
form transferred on to the international scene as he was a key player
in the France side that reached the World Cup final. Marcus Christenson 70Lautaro Martínez Age 25 Team Internazionale / Argentina Position Forward Rank 30 2021 ▼40 Lautaro
might be the most perplexing player in our top 100. He began 2022
bagging goals that helped Inter to win a Supercoppa and Argentina to
reach the World Cup – finishing alongside Lionel Messi as his team’s
joint-most prolific player in qualifying. He finished it by winning the
main event in Qatar but having lost his place in the starting XI,
scoring only in the quarter-final penalty shootout. It is the same
consistently inconsistent trend that saw him find the net 21 times in
Serie A last season, yet also endure a stretch of eight games without
any goals at all. Nicky Bandini 71Dominik Livakovic Age 28 Team Dinamo Zagreb / Croatia Position Goalkeeper Rank New Hardly
anyone would have picked Livakovic as one of Croatia’s possible World
Cup heroes before the tournament. The Dinamo Zagreb goalkeeper had a
rough time after the Euros: struggling with injury and form, he was
dropped by Zlatko Dalic in some of the important World Cup qualifiers
and Nations League matches. Offers for a desired big move abroad never
came, which seemed to have affected his confidence. But in Qatar he
somehow morphed into the best version of himself, producing more saves
(25) than any other goalkeeper at the tournament and carrying Croatia
into the semi-finals. His performance in the shootout against Japan was
particularly spectacular, as were the 11 saves in the quarter-final
against Brazil. Aleksandar Holiga 72Cristian Romero Age 24 Team Tottenham / Argentina Position Defender Rank New One
of 11 Argentinians included, Romero may well have made our list even
without winning the World Cup, but the victory in Qatar helped showcase
the grit, tenacity and developing tactical understanding to a wider
audience. Took to the Premier League like a duck to water after joining
Spurs initially on loan in the summer of 2021 and his performances led
his coach, Antonio Conte, a difficult man to please, to label Romero as
“perfect”. The Italian added: “He’s strong physically, he has the timing
to anticipate and good personality to play with the ball. Despite being
a young player, he has good experience, he’s strong. I like him.”
Marcus Christenson 73Nicoló Barella Age 25 Team Internazionale / Italy Position Midfielder Rank 26 2021 ▼47 Out
of sight and out of mind? Every Italian who made it into our top 100
last season took a sharp tumble down the rankings, as the Azzurri went
from European champions to not even qualifying for the World Cup.
Barella deservedly positions highest among his countrymen, a
barnstorming creative force who hit new heights in 2022. His 12 assists
last season were joint-most of any midfielder in Europe’s top five
leagues, and he opened the scoring for Inter in the Coppa Italia final
win over Juventus, as well as in a 3-3 draw with Barcelona at the Camp
Nou. Nicky Bandini 74Mike Maignan Age 27 Team Milan / France Position Goalkeeper Rank New Few
Milan fans could have imagined when Gianluigi Donnarumma (12th on our
list last year) departed in the summer of 2021 that his replacement
might be an upgrade. Fewer still were missing the Italian by the time
their team had lifted the scudetto in May, aided by Maignan’s
league-best 17 clean sheets. He was unsurprisingly named as Serie A’s
goalkeeper of the season and threatened to challenge Hugo Lloris for the
starting role with France before a calf injury in September. Maignan
missed the World Cup but our judges still voted him on to this list for
the first time. Nicky Bandini 75Thiago Silva Age 38 Team Chelsea / Brazil Position Defender Rank 58 2021 ▼17 The
chance for the best central defender of his generation to win the World
Cup perished in Qatar, once Brazil succumbed to Croatia. At 38, he
remained a calming influence on his compatriots, just as he is at
Chelsea. His contract runs to the end of the current season and as the
London club collect young defenders to one day supplant him, each has
cherished the chance to work in tandem with the old master. “It’s a real
honour to play alongside him,” Benoît Badiashile, a January arrival at
Stamford Bridge, said. “For a young player like me, he’s someone that
makes things easy.” John Brewin 76Hugo Lloris Age 36 Team Tottenham / France Position Goalkeeper Rank Re-entry It
is fair to say 2022 was a notable year for Lloris. He celebrated his
decade anniversary at Tottenham and moved into the club’s all-time
top-10 appearance makers with a 416th display in the 2021-22 final-day
victory over Norwich, one which saw Spurs secure a top-four place.
Lloris played a significant role in that – the goalkeeper appeared in
every league game and achieved a personal best of 16 clean sheets for
the season. Towards the end of 2022 he captained France as they reached a
second World Cup final in a row, breaking Lilian Thuram’s record as
France’s most-capped player in the process before announcing his
international retirement after 145 appearances. Sachin Nakrani 77Fabinho Age 29 Team Liverpool / Brazil Position Midfielder Rank 97 2021 ▲20 The
Brazilian is up 20 places and that is undeniably based on his displays
in the first half of 2022. He was magnificent for Liverpool as they came
agonisingly close to securing an unprecedented quadruple, offering his
typical assurance, in and out of possession, from a deep-lying midfield
role. During the current campaign, however, the 29-year-old has been
poor. Athleticism and aggression have deserted him, as subsequently has
confidence, and there are no signs of any of that returning. Fabinho
also made little impact for Brazil at the World Cup, albeit he rarely
featured for the Seleção. Sachin Nakrani 78Mehdi Taremi Age 30 Team Porto / Iran Position Forward Rank New The
Iran striker carried his astonishing form for Porto that saw him score
20 goals and provide 12 assists as he won his first league title in
Portugal into the World Cup with two goals against England. A powerful
presence with a knack for scoring spectacular goals such as the
brilliant bicycle kick against Chelsea in April 2021 that was nominated
for the Puskas Award, Taremi was first spotted playing for Iran's
national students' team but is now on the radar of some of Europe’s
biggest clubs despite being 30. The first Iranian player to make the top
100. Ed Aarons 79Azzedine Ounahi Age 22 Team Angers / Morocco Position Midfielder Rank New While
the 22-year-old Moroccan’s breakthrough was a surprising left-field
World Cup subplot, the realisation of his talent was anything but to
Ligue 1 observers, despite a meandering year for the midfielder. Having
oddly jumped in and out of a struggling Angers side under the now sacked
Gérald Baticle last season, despite repeatedly affecting games, the
club’s slide towards relegation this term has again distracted from
Ounahi’s precise and intelligent midfield industry and subtle
creativity. With many impressed bigger clubs now circling, much like his
current employers, Ounahi’s continued stay in Ligue 1 will be short.
Adam White 80Kalidou Koulibaly Age 31 Team Chelsea / Senegal Position Defender Rank Re-entry Achieved
a long-held ambition to play in the Premier League after joining
Chelsea in the summer but has struggled to settle at Stamford Bridge
after taking John Terry’s old shirt number. However, he is a re-entry
into our top 100 this year after leading Senegal to their first ever
Africa Nations Cup title. Also played every minute of his country’s
World Cup campaign, which ended against England in the last 16. Remains
the fierce competitor who served Napoli so loyally during almost a
decade in Italy but his absence from the top 100 last year having peaked
as high as 30th in 2019 was perhaps an indication of his declining
powers. Ed Aarons 81Lisandro Martínez Age 25 Team Manchester United / Argentina Position Defender Rank New A
superb season for Ajax earned the centre-back a move to Manchester
United, following his former manager in Amsterdam Erik ten Hag. He
quickly allayed fears that his height, or lack thereof, would be a
problem in England, showing that his combative nature and ability to
read the game were more than a match for strikers in England. Although
not a regular in Lionel Scaloni’s starting lineup in Qatar, Martínez
still made five appearances for Argentina on their way to lifting the
trophy. Recently said growing up in the Entre Ríos region shaped him as a
footballer. “I’d see things, as a kid, that maybe others didn’t. But
life itself is tough, you’re always faced with tough times and that’s
where you need to show your mental strength,” he told the United
magazine. Will Unwin 82Darwin Núñez Age 23 Team Liverpool / Uruguay Position Forward Rank New The
Uruguay international enjoyed a prolific season at Benfica, where he
was top scorer in Portugal with 34 goals including one in each leg of
their Champions League quarter-final defeat by Liverpool. His
performances against Jürgen Klopp’s side helped convince Liverpool to
agree to a potential club-record £85m deal to sign the striker as they
prepared for the exit of Sadio Mané. Núñez's integration was interrupted
by a red card for violent conduct on his Anfield debut. The
23-year-old’s all-round game has impressed and, despite criticism of his
finishing, the forward has already reached double figures during his
first season in England. Andy Hunter 83Aleksandar Mitrovic Age 28 Team Fulham / Serbia Position Forward Rank New A
new entry who is fully deserving of his place on this list. Mitrovic
had an incredible 2022, scoring 21 goals from the turn of the year as
Fulham surged to the Championship title, a run that also saw him break
the record for most goals scored in a 46-game English season – 43 goals
in 44 appearances. Back in the Premier League he has continued to find
the back of the net, as well as scoring twice for Serbia at the World
Cup. Little wonder the 28-year-old’s club manager is full of praise for
him. “Mitro is a top professional,” said Marco Silva. “I’m really
pleased to have him with us.” Sachin Nakrani 84Kyle Walker Age 32 Team Manchester City / England Position Defender Rank 74 2021 ▼10 It
says everything about Walker that, tasked with keeping Kylian Mbappé
under wraps when England met France in the World Cup quarter-finals, he
largely did what was asked of him even as Gareth Southgate's side went
out. At 32, his trademark pace shows little sign of diminishing and,
paired with his canny reading of the game, he remains one of the most
formidable right-backs in European football. Having won his fourth
Premier League title with Manchester City last May, he is also one of
the most decorated. What's more, he gained a new superfan in 2022: Dave
the cat. Will Magee 85Raphaël Varane Age 29 Team Manchester United / France Position Defender Rank Re-entry After
problems with injury upon arrival at Old Trafford, 2022 was the year
the centre-back made his mark in the Premier League. Varane has become a
mainstay in the heart of United’s defence, seemingly unflustered by
playing next to a different partner most weeks. He helped France get to
the World Cup final playing through illness to make sure they took
Argentina to penalties but sometimes even the best defenders are not a
match for the great Lionel Messi. His performances in Qatar have helped
Varane return to the top 100 after a two-year absence. Will Unwin 86Dayot Upamecano Age 24 Team Bayern Munich / France Position Defender Rank Re-entry It
hasn’t been easy for Upamecano since he arrived in Munich in 2021, and
his uneven performances cast doubt over his long-term future at Bayern.
2022 was better, and his improved form at club level allowed him to be
ready to receive the opportunity when a tidal wave of injuries struck
France before the World Cup. Upamecano was excellent in Qatar, give or
take a quarter-final chasing from Harry Kane, sealing a return to the
100 and putting himself at the front of the queue to lead France’s next
generation with his fine anticipation and adventurous manner when he
steps out. Andy Brassell 87Ciro Immobile Age 32 Team Lazio / Italy Position Forward Rank 66 2021 ▼21 Few
players have made our top 100 list as consistently as Immobile,
appearing for the sixth consecutive year, but the criticism of him
remains the same as ever: that he is ruthless for his club and toothless
for his country. With Lazio, he finished as Serie A’s capocannoniere
(top scorer) again last season, becoming the first Italian to do so four
times in a career. Yet he failed to find the net while wearing the
captain’s armband for Italy’s humiliating World Cup qualifying playoff
defeat to North Macedonia, placing just one of his seven attempts on
target. Nicky Bandini 88Declan Rice Age 24 Team West Ham / England Position Midfielder Rank 59 2021 ▼29 Jude
Bellingham captured the headlines in Qatar for England as Rice, who
turned 24 in January, continued his development into being the national
team’s dependable, durable midfield mainstay. The England captaincy may
beckon soon enough and, before that, an exit from West Ham. Rice has
talked of wanting to play Champions League football, and such
opportunities will not be forthcoming at the London Stadium. With many
of the Premier League’s elite clubs having a vacancy in central
midfield, an auction is likely for such a capable player. How West Ham
might get on without him is a question that troubles the club’s fans.
John Brewin 89Frenkie de Jong Age 25 Team Barcelona / Netherlands Position Midfielder Rank Re-entry Is
anyone as fundamentally associated with the words "Manchester United
transfer saga" as Frenkie de Jong? Wesley Sneijder, Nicolás Gaitán and
Gareth Bale might give him a run for his money, but the Barcelona
midfielder has turned elusiveness into an art form. Having reached the
Champions League semi-finals with Ajax in 2019, winning a domestic
double that same season, Erik ten Hag has good reason to admire his
compatriot. While De Jong has not had an easy ride at Barça, in part
because of the tumultuous situation off the field, he has been crucial
to their gradual resurgence under Xavi. He also remains indispensable to
his national side, starting all five of the Netherlands' games in their
run to the World Cup quarter-finals. Will Magee 90Bruno Guimarães Age 25 Team Newcastle / Brazil Position Midfielder Rank New Newcastle
fans often sing about their Brazil midfielder wearing a “magic hat” and
Guimarães has certainly cast his spell at St James’ Park where the £35m
signing from Lyon last January is now a firm cult hero. If it helps
that he chose Eddie Howe’s side over Arsenal, the ease with which the
25-year-old has proved capable of alternately assuming both the No 6 and
No 8 roles has seen him hailed as the club’s best midfielder since Rob
Lee. Like Lee, the technically assured Guimarães is capable of
controlling games and possesses a keen eye for goal. He wears the No 39
shirt in homage to his father, a former taxi driver whose car’s call
sign was 39. Louise Taylor 91Manuel Neuer Age 36 Team Bayern Munich / Germany Position Goalkeeper Rank 36 2021 ▼55 Neuer’s
excellent form for Bayern is taken for granted at this point, and he
had another solid year at club level. The coda to his 2022 could,
however, be career-defining. He had a poor World Cup, with his mistakes
magnified as Germany fell at the first hurdle. He then broke his leg
skiing shortly after returning from Qatar to rule him out for the rest
of the season. At 36, with Barcelona’s Marc-André ter Stegen in fine
form and with Bayern searching for an elite backup/replacement in goal,
this could possibly be Neuer’s last time on the list. Andy Brassell 92Giorgian de Arrascaeta Age 28 Team Flamengo / Uruguay Position Midfielder Rank New The
magisterial Uruguayan yet again underlined why he is the best playmaker
on the continent, pulling the strings for a Flamengo side that did the
Libertadores and Copa do Brasil double. Blessed with vision, poise and
technique, De Arrascaeta laid on a career-best 20 assists across all
competitions, leading Rivaldo to claim that “any manager would want him
on their team”. “Cocho” was the only Uruguayan to score at the World Cup
– an ultimately fruitless double against Ghana – and you can’t help but
think that La Celeste might have missed a trick by not using their
little magician more often. Tom Robinson 93Rodrygo Age 22 Team Real Madrid / Brazil Position Winger Rank New Not
always in Carlo Ancelotti’s starting XI but 2022 was still a good year
for Rodrygo, who played a crucial role in Real Madrid winning their 14th
European Cup. He scored five goals along the way, none more important
than the two late, late goals in the second leg of the semi-final
against Manchester City. Has at times been the victim of Ancelotti
deploying Federico Valverde on the right but the Brazilian is often a
gamechanger when he comes on. Skilful and clinical in front of goal, he
is also a mature speaker off the pitch. His compatriot Ronaldo is a fan,
saying Rodrygo would get “into any team in the world” ignoring perhaps
the two teams he is playing for, Real and Brazil. Marcus Christenson 94Reece James Age 23 Team Chelsea / England Position Defender Rank 70 2021 ▼24 The
full-back often shone for Chelsea in 2022, playing an important part in
them reaching two cup finals and securing a top-four finish. But James
was also dogged by injuries, the most devastating of which was the knee
injury he sustained in the Champions League group victory away at Milan
in October that resulted in the 23-year-old missing the World Cup. He
returned for the Premier League win against Bournemouth at the end of
the year but was subsequently struck down by the same problem in the
second half of that game. A hugely talented player, clearly, but he
falls 24 places on the list. Sachin Nakrani 95Serge Gnabry Age 27 Team Bayern Munich / Germany Position Winger Rank 41 2021 ▼54 Gnabry
falls a huge 54 places, despite a perfectly good year in many senses.
He struck 17 times in all competitions in 2021-22 and has gone along at
almost a goal per start for Bayern this time around, often pushed into a
striking role in a 4-4-2 by Julian Nagelsmann following Robert
Lewandowski’s exit. His association with Germany’s World Cup failure has
cost him, with Hansi Flick’s team undermined by repeatedly missing
chances as well as defensive slip-ups. Having signed a lucrative new
deal in 2022, Gnabry will continue to be influential for club and
country. Andy Brassell 96Sandro Tonali Age 22 Team Milan / Italy Position Midfielder Rank New For
years, Tonali was billed as the “next Andrea Pirlo”. The midfielder
always thought his playing style aligned closer to Gennaro Gattuso but
his manager, Stefano Pioli, sees shades of Daniele De Rossi in there
too. Everyone can at least agree now that Tonali has flourished with the
Rossoneri, playing his way into a starting position last season even
when that meant breaking up the established partnership of Franck Kessié
and Ismaël Bennacer. He scored crucial goals away at Lazio and Verona
in the spring to keep Milan on course for the scudetto, and help earn
himself a first appearance on this list. Nicky Bandini 97Andrew Robertson Age 28 Team Liverpool / Scotland Position Defender Rank Re-entry In
December the full-back broke the record for most Premier League assists
by a defender as he set up Mohamed Salah for Liverpool’s opener at
Aston Villa on Boxing Day. It was Robertson’s 54th assist in the English
top flight – with 50 of them coming at Liverpool – and it meant he
overtook Everton’s Leighton Baines at the top of the list. After the
game Jürgen Klopp said: “I just remember the guy we bought from Hull.
Offensively he was great, defensively not so good. Now he can do both.”
His energy levels have dropped somewhat in 2022-23, along with the rest
of the Liverpool team. Marcus Christenson 98Leroy Sané Age 27 Team Bayern Munich / Germany Position Winger Rank Re-entry Sané
returns to the list after a year’s absence and is as perplexing a
talent as ever. His status at Bayern rose during 2022, having previously
drawn the ire of Karl-Heinz Rummenigge for a perceived lack of
defensive effort and Sané has been the subject of much fretting due to
his colossal wages. On his day he looks like one of the world’s best,
with his combination of pace, skill and finishing power, and he is
having more of those days for Bayern than he did before. Even at the age
of 27 it still feels as if he is on the outside looking in for Germany,
taken to the World Cup but hardly used even in times of difficulty.
Andy Brassell 99Gabriel Barbosa Age 26 Team Flamengo / Brazil Position Forward Rank Re-entry Always
the man for the big occasion, the artist formerly known as Gabigol
popped up with the winner in the Copa Libertadores final – just as he
had in 2019 – to give Flamengo their second continental title in four
years. That goal made him the joint top Brazilian scorer in Libertadores
history and, despite not making Tite’s World Cup squad, 29 goals in
2022 sees Barbosa sneak on to the list. While the prolific forward may
not have lived up to the “next Neymar” hype, he cemented his place as a
Flamengo legend and even inherited the hallowed No 10 shirt – not before
seeking Zico’s approval, of course. Tom Robinson 100Nicolás Otamendi Age 34 Team Benfica / Argentina Position Defender Rank New On
our list for the first time, the 34-year-old can look back at a wildly
successful 2022 that was crowned by the World Cup victory in December.
The former Manchester City defender started every game and played every
minute in Qatar, the coach, Lionel Scaloni, sticking by him despite the
opening defeat against Saudi Arabia. At club level Otamendi played an
integral part as Benfica finished third in 2021-22. The club then went
on to win their Champions League group ahead of PSG and Juventus. His
coach, Roger Schmidt, is a fan and recently said the club are keen to
extend the veteran’s contract. Marcus Christenson All players 1 Lionel Messi Paris Saint-Germain 2 Kylian Mbappé Paris Saint-Germain 3 Karim Benzema Real Madrid 4 Erling Haaland Manchester City 5 Luka Modric Real Madrid 6 Kevin De Bruyne Manchester City 7 Robert Lewandowski Barcelona 8 Vinícius Júnior Real Madrid 9 Thibaut Courtois Real Madrid 10 Mohamed Salah Liverpool 11 Sadio Mané Bayern Munich 12 Neymar Paris Saint-Germain 13 Harry Kane Tottenham 14 Jude Bellingham Borussia Dortmund 15 Casemiro Manchester United 16 Achraf Hakimi Paris Saint-Germain 17 Antoine Griezmann Atlético Madrid 18 Federico Valverde Real Madrid 19 Pedri Barcelona 20 Emiliano Martínez Aston Villa 21 Enzo Fernández Benfica 22 Bukayo Saka Arsenal 23 Rafael Leão Milan 24 Phil Foden Manchester City 25 Jamal Musiala Bayern Munich 26 Son Heung-min Tottenham 27 Virgil van Dijk Liverpool 28 Bruno Fernandes Manchester United 29 Bernardo Silva Manchester City 30 Olivier Giroud Milan 31 Josko Gvardiol RB Leipzig 32 Julián Álvarez Manchester City 33 Christopher Nkunku RB Leipzig 34 Alisson Liverpool 35 Martin Ødegaard Arsenal 36 João Cancelo Manchester City 37 Gavi Barcelona 38 Ángel Di María Juventus 39 Toni Kroos Real Madrid 40 Khvicha Kvaratskhelia Napoli 41 Joshua Kimmich Bayern Munich 42 David Alaba Real Madrid 43 Yassine ‘Bono’ Bounou Sevilla 44 Rúben Dias Manchester City 45 Aurélien Tchouaméni Real Madrid 46 Theo Hernández Milan 47 Alexis Mac Allister Brighton 48 Rodrigo De Paul Atlético Madrid 49 Sofyan Amrabat Fiorentina 50 Cody Gakpo Liverpool 51 Cristiano Ronaldo Al Nassr 52 Victor Osimhen Napoli 53 Rodri Manchester City 54 Ederson Manchester City 55 Ilkay Gündogan Manchester City 56 Antonio Rüdiger Real Madrid 57 Riyad Mahrez Manchester City 58 Marcus Rashford Manchester United 59 Luis Díaz Liverpool 60 Trent Alexander-Arnold Liverpool 61 Richarlison Tottenham 62 Gabriel Jesus Arsenal 63 Hakim Ziyech Chelsea 64 Alphonso Davies Bayern Munich 65 Marquinhos Paris Saint-Germain 66 Dusan Vlahovic Juventus 67 Éder Militão Real Madrid 68 Marcelo Brozovic Internazionale 69 Ousmane Dembélé Barcelona 70 Lautaro Martínez Internazionale 71 Dominik Livakovic Dinamo Zagreb 72 Cristian Romero Tottenham 73 Nicoló Barella Internazionale 74 Mike Maignan Milan 75 Thiago Silva Chelsea 76 Hugo Lloris Tottenham 77 Fabinho Liverpool 78 Mehdi Taremi Porto 79 Azzedine Ounahi Angers 80 Kalidou Koulibaly Chelsea 81 Lisandro Martínez Manchester United 82 Darwin Núñez Liverpool 83 Aleksandar Mitrovic Fulham 84 Kyle Walker Manchester City 85 Raphaël Varane Manchester United 86 Dayot Upamecano Bayern Munich 87 Ciro Immobile Lazio 88 Declan Rice West Ham 89 Frenkie de Jong Barcelona 90 Bruno Guimarães Newcastle 91 Manuel Neuer Bayern Munich 92 Giorgian de Arrascaeta Flamengo 93 Rodrygo Real Madrid 94 Reece James Chelsea 95 Serge Gnabry Bayern Munich 96 Sandro Tonali Milan 97 Andrew Robertson Liverpool 98 Leroy Sané Bayern Munich 99 Gabriel Barbosa Flamengo 100 Nicolás Otamendi Benfica
Condition:In Excellent Condition
Sub-Type:Football
Options:European Players/ Clubs
Type:Sport
Sport:Football
Surname Initial:M
Object:Signed Coin
Country/Region of Manufacture:United Kingdom
Certification:Pre-Printed
Personalise:No
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