FM 23 names Premier League superstar as world's best player; Cristiano Ronaldo ranked 100th while Lionel Messi takes 10th place

FM 23 has named Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne as the best player in the game while Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are at the 100th and 10th spots respectively.

De Bruyne is followed by Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward Kylian Mbappe in the second spot. Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski has been named as the third-best player in the world.

Liverpool's Egyptian wizard Mohamed Salah picked up the fourth spot in the list. The newly minted best player in the world, winner of the 2022 FIFA Ballon d'Or, Karim Benzema is fifth on the list.

Manchester City's Norwegian hitman Erling Haaland has captured the sixth spot in the list. He is followed by another Premier League striker, England captain and Tottenham marksman Harry Kane.

Real Madrid's Belgian custodian Thibaut Courtois is in the eighth spot, followed by Liverpool and the Netherlands' towering defender Virgil van Dijk.

PSG superstar and seven-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi has rounded off the top 10 in the list.

Portuguese legend Ronaldo, meanwhile, could only manage a 100th-place finish. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner hasn't been at his best in recent times. This season, he has managed just three goals for Manchester United in 16 appearances, across competitions.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi likely have last chance at World Cup glory

Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have been the two standout footballers of the modern era. However, both players are without the most prized trophy in international football - the World Cup.

Ronaldo is currently 37 and Messi is 35. Their amazing powers have diminished to some extent. Considering that both players will be around the 40-year-old mark when the 2026 World Cup comes around, the tournament in Qatar might be their last appearance in the prestigious tournament.

Messi has already announced that this will be his last World Cup. Argentina will start their campaign in Group C against Saudi Arabia on November 22. They will play Mexico and Poland respectively on November 27 and December 1.

Portugal, meanwhile, will play their first game against Ghana on November 24. They will also play Uruguay and South Korea in Group H on November 29 and December 2 respectively.

Neither player would like to end their storied careers without the World Cup trophy. Greats like Maradona and Pele achieved the crowning glory of becoming World Champions in their careers. For Messi and Ronaldo, they may have just one more chance left to join this club.