To break into the upper echelons of football royalty, one must blend passion with temperament, focus with desire and, ultimately, must maintain top form throughout the most of their career. New talents are being scouted as we speak and it can, therefore, be challenging to take a snapshot of the football landscape as it is now… but that’s exactly what I have done.
In a, frankly, subjective piece, which it is impossible to gain unanimous agreement with, I have sprinkled my search for the greatest fifty players in the world with a pinch of objectivity by using weighted averages to determine who comes out on top.
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Each player was allocated a score out of 100 for their ‘Overall Ability’ (technique, goal-scoring records / defensive records), their ‘Success’ (team and individual trophies won during their career, relative to their age and time in the game) and their ‘Recent Form’ (how they’ve performed throughout this calendar year, injuries, etc. have been taken into account).
The former was attributed with a weighting of 40%, the most important aspect to consider, while the other two categories were each given a 30% weighting. An average was then taken, and other factors such as potential and importance to their team were taken into account. So if you have any serious qualms with the choices made, remember that statistics have been used to back-up the views in this article.
With too much eye-watering detail to cram into a single piece, this is a ‘Sportskeeda Series', beginning with the individuals placed from 50-41.
#50 Alexandre Lacazette
The subject of interest for the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United in recent years is Lyon’s clinical frontman who rarely has a barren spell in front of goal. Since debuting for Les Gones, Lacazette has bagged more than 60 goals in Ligue 1, including 27 in the 2014/15 season, in which he was the division’s top goal scorer ahead of Cavani and Ibrahimovic.
For one so young, the 25-year-old has his feet firmly on the ground, recently claiming, ‘I can’t think that I will score more goals than Zlatan, but I want to try and reduce the gap’. The Frenchman has certainly done just that, utilising electric pace, an excellent eye for goal and a good level of physicality to torture defences in the French top flight and beyond.
His one pitfall is a somewhat tainted temperament in-game; Lacazette’s disciplinary record in the 2012/13 season was particularly poor, as he picked up eight yellow cards and, within just four matches, two yellow cards. This is particularly disappointing for a forward player.
Lacazette could be deemed an early peaker given his excellent form from a young age, and it’s been his ability to maintain his goal-scoring heroics season-after-season which earns him a place on the list. That said, he needs to showcase his talent in at least one other league to propel himself up this list.
#49 Alvaro Morata
During his time with Atletico Madrid’s juniors, Morata was regularly trained to play as a defender, but you wouldn’t believe it if you saw the prolific Spaniard in action. The 24-year-old forward was very much in the shadows of his French counterpart Karim Benzema when at Real, but flourished during his time in Turin.
Zinedine Zidane, the current Real boss, stated that "[Morata] has grown a lot in Italy… he did very well at Juventus, and it’s normal that they still want to keep him."
Throughout his two seasons with the Old Lady, Morata created 47 chances, scoring 24 goals in all competitions. For many though it was his performances in the Champions League with a side renowned for its defensive prowess rather than its attacking abilities which began to mark out Morata as one of the most improved strikers in world football.
His refusal to celebrate when scoring against former club Real Madrid captured the hearts of many, while his regular turnouts for the Spanish national team reiterate that he is an experienced head on young shoulders.
Morata is more than competent in possession, able to draw fouls from his opponents and suited to playing counter-attacking football which so many sides are looking to adopt.
#48 Riyad Mahrez
A little over a year ago and it would have been laughable to consider Leicester’s practically unknown Riyad Mahrez as one of the fifty greatest players in the world. After a season like no other, though, some would argue this position doesn’t do the midfield magician justice.
With 17 goals and 11 assists to his name in Leicester City’s barnstorming, title-winning campaign, Mahrez was the catalyst for the Foxes, laying on many a chance for Jamie Vardy. Rather comically, the 25-year-old winger admitted in an interview recently, "before I joined Leicester, I didn’t know who they were, I thought they were a rugby club," epitomising how distant he was from the English game before his move.
To click on arguably the most competitive football division in the world so quickly is therefore quite remarkable. Mahrez shattered through a catalogue of glass-ceilings last season, becoming the first Algerian to score a Premier League hat-trick in the process. His quick feet, unprecedented eye for a through-ball and ability to pop-up with the odd screamer mould Mahrez into the full package, and many believe he’s one of the most underrated players in the Premier League today.
Aside from his PFA Player of the Year award for last season and the obvious Premier League title, Mahrez’s trophy cabinet is a little bare, and this is one of the main factors acting against him on this list. A bit more experience of Champions League football though and the Algerian could easily break into the top twenty.
#47 Raphael Varane
"He embodies the future of Real Madrid," claimed Zinedine Zidane, one of the greatest midfielders of all time when asked about the ability of Raphael Varane. At just 23-years-old, the Frenchman has nailed down a starting spot in Los Blancos’ starting line-up, one of the most competitive first elevens in world football. Many deem him to be the successor to Sergio Ramos who is nearing the end of a glittering career and Varane’s combination of strength and speed is perfectly tailored to the evolving style of the game.
Zidane’s not the only big name to have sung Varane’s praises, though; Sir Alex Ferguson was a big fan and nearly snapped the youngster up when he was playing in France’s U19s, had it not been for United’s purchase of Phil Jones. Varane already has more than 100 caps for Real Madrid under his belt and is proven at the Champions League level. For a defender to have so much experience at a relatively young age is very impressive.
Over the last four seasons, Varane has won an average 60.25% of his duels against opponents, as well as having made an average of seven defensive actions per game. He is primarily a ball-playing defender, but this comfort on the ball doesn’t hinder his physicality or ‘traditional defender’ traits, which he is also capable of utilising to full effect, especially at set-pieces.
The Frenchman has won numerous trophies at the Santiago Bernabeu, showing exceptional potential as he continues to learn, surrounded by some of the most influential names in the game.
#46 Koke
With the exception of the UEFA Champions League, Koke has won every possible title available to him while at Atletico Madrid and shows technical ability matched by very few.
Many have heralded Koke as the ‘new Xavi’, a sentiment bolstered by the rumours linking him with a move to the Camp Nou. However, his former Atletico team-mate Mario Suarez went one further in an interview recently, suggesting that, "compared to Xavi – saving the different eras – Koke seems much more complete. He can play out wide, in the middle, [and] as a playmaker."
It’s difficult to disagree with the statement from Suarez; last season alone Koke created a total of 77 chances and, despite being slightly more attacking-focused, still made an admirable 49 interceptions. Koke ranks particularly highly for his versatility, potential and recent form, while the Spaniard is also a dead-eye from set-pieces.
The 24-year-old extends on the perished tiki-taka style of football championed by the Spaniards in recent history, able to maintain high pass completion rates in-game, but creating chances and tracking back to do the tricky business in the process.
Koke’s football intelligence is reminiscent of the silky Spanish team that triumphed at the 2010 World Cup, sandwiched between back-to-back Euro wins for the nation. While Simeone has instilled Atletico with desirous defensive discipline, unseen elsewhere in the footballing world, and while it seems impossible to recall a time they didn’t have a world-class forward in their ranks, Koke has remained the bedrock of the honourable overachievers, and this should not be forgotten.
#45 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Every time the transfer window comes around, Borussia Dortmund must be quaking in their boots at the prospect of their Gabonese goliath leaving the Westfalenstadion. Aubameyang has scored more than 60 goals in all competitions for Die Schwarzgelben, leading the way in terms of top scorers this Bundesliga season, joint with Anthony Modeste on 12 goals. Thomas Tuchel believes that Pierre-Emerick is “irreplaceable [for us] when he’s in this form," following the former St-Etienne forward’s scintillating hat-trick in the Europa League against Qabala last campaign.
Such displays are run-of-the-mill for the sport’s answer to Usain Bolt, who, according to reports, would lose to Aubameyang in a race over 30m, underpinning the extent of the 27-year-old’s athletic abilities. Aubameyang has thrived in the Dortmund mix, building a formidable relationship with Marco Reus, tormenting some of the finest defences the continent has to offer on his day.
His success regarding trophies is limited, both on a personal and team level, but the fiery forward’s overall ability is too incredible not to mention. Aubameyang is speedy, composed and the master of making the right decision in the final third.
#44 Laurent Koscielny
Maybe not the best, but certainly one of the most underrated Premier League defenders in recent years, Laurent Koscielny anchors down an Arsenal side prone to over-committing players to its attack and the reliability of the Frenchman sprouts from exceptional positional sense, good pace and phenomenal timing on tackles. While the majority of defenders rely on strength and physicality, Koscielny is willing to press forwards and contribute to his team’s midfield game, knowing he has all the attributes to hunt down any forward who squeezes past the back-line.
Arsenal’s fluctuating defensive fortunes last term are very telling of a player with nearly 200 caps to his name for the Gunners. Of the twelve clean sheets, the North London outfit kept last season, ten of them came when Koscielny was in the side, while there were some rather heavy defeats for his side during his absence, given that Arsenal lost six games by more than two goals without the former-Lorient man at the back.
Success has, again, been limited for Laurent, but he still has much mileage left and is very technically acute for a centre-half. Koscielny may not have the loudest voice on the pitch but nonetheless leads by example at the back, both at the heart of Didier Deschamps’ France side and in the Arsenal defensive set-up. If anyone is looking to mould themselves into the perfect modern defender, they should look no further than the 31-year-old renowned for his speed and excellent ability to read the game.
#43 Diego Costa
If it were not for his reputation as one of the most hated footballers in the match, Costa might well be higher up on this list, but his treacherous temperament lets him down. Nonetheless, with this comes a born desire to win and an inherent hatred of defeat, meaning Costa’s performances are often mirrored by the success of his team. In Chelsea’s title-winning campaign two seasons ago, Costa scored a remarkable 27 goals and, with Conte’s boys driving successfully forwards this term, Costa already has ten goals to his name, two shy of his total number scored in a desolate 2015/16 season.
The Brazilian-turned-Spaniard is in the top five players to have scored 35 Premier League goals the quickest, achieving the feat in just 58 matches. Blues team-mate Cesar Azpillicueta stated earlier this year, ‘he [Costa] is scoring a lot of goals for us and works very hard for the team’ and his work ethic can alter the complexion of a game. Not only does Costa provide in terms of goals, but he is also in his element when holding up the ball and feeding the ball to wide-men like Eden Hazard.
Love him or hate him, it would’ve been ludicrous not to have Costa on this list, a player who has always come through times of uncertainty and hostility to punish the meanest of defences on the biggest of stages.
#42 Dimitri Payet
Last campaign was no surprise to those who know their football; Dimitri Payet has always possessed the ability. However, many doubted his ability to bring it to the biggest of stages. It needed an educated gamble from a brainy Bilic and a season sprinkled with surprise for it to surface.
His performances at Euro 2016 were particularly sensational, as the Frenchman scored three goals, created a total of 24 chances and maintained an average passing accuracy of 84% on the way to final of the tournament, splitting open a particularly cagey affair against Romania on the first day of the tournament.
Payet was arguably the main cog in the West Ham wheel last term, making 12 assists throughout the course of the campaign, igniting the Hammers’ charge for European football. The Frenchman was symbolic of a transfer policy West Ham boss Slaven Bilic raves about – signing players at a mature age. Payet was snapped up for just over £10 million at 28-years-of-age last term and epitomises that players at this stage of their career are often at their peak.
It’s tough to name a midfielder who has had a more influential season than the former-Marseille player. Payet may not have won a lot during his career, but he is now essential to his teams both domestically and internationally. He has potential in abundance and is technically gifted whether he is striking a fearsome free-kick or navigating his way past a field of players.
#41 Javier Mascherano
The Argentinian anchorman is undoubtedly one of the greatest holding midfielders in world football today, but it’s been his continuously consistent shifts at the heart of FC Barcelona’s defence which has earned him so many plaudits recently. Mascherano was a major component of the Liverpool side whom, in the 2008/09 season, has the highest points tally not to win the Premier League and such performances earned him a switch to Catalonia where his list of accolades won is endless, including two Champions League titles and four La Liga triumphs.
Over the course of the last four seasons, the now 32-year-old has had an average pass completion rate of 90%, meanwhile making an average of 7 defensive actions per game, outlining how competent he is at both ends of the field, but also how tailored to Barca’s style of play he has become. Every Barcelona attack starts from the back and is essentially catalysed by this man, who can also put in a feisty tackle when needed.
Many regard his crunching block of an Arjen Robben shot while stretched to the full in a 2014 World Cup game against the Netherlands as one of the best old-school challenges we’ve seen in a long time. It exhibited technical brilliance, great timing and, more than anything else, brutal determination to put his body on the line for his country.
Next time we will be covering the players positioned from 40-31...
