The teen prodigy who grinned, feinted and burned past defenders is long gone. The rabona goal by Argentina attacker Erik Lamela (watch it here) won out as the winner of the prestigious Puskas Award for the best goal scored anywhere in the world in 2021. There was a special award for Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo in recognition of his achievement in setting a new record for international goals. Created in 2009 in honour of the late Ferenc Puskas, captain and star of the Hungary national team during the 1950s, the FIFA Puskas Award is handed out to the player judged to have scored the best goal of the year. pic.twitter.com/7QUD0X2blJ, 2016: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich); Dani Alves (Barcelona/Juventus), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Marcelo (Real Madrid); Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Luka Modric (Real Madrid), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid); Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Luis Suarez (Barcelona), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), 2017: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus); Dani Alves (Juventus/Paris-Saint Germain), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/AC Milan), Marcelo (Real Madrid); Luka Modric (Real Madrid), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona); Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Neymar (PSG), 2018: David de Gea (Manchester United); Dani Alves (PSG), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid), Marcelo (Real Madrid); Luka Modric (Real Madrid), NGolo Kante (Chelsea), Eden Hazard (Chelsea); Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid/Juventus), Kylian Mbappe (PSG), 2019: Alisson (Liverpool); Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Matthijs de Ligt (Ajax/Juventus), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Marcelo (real Madrid); Luka Modric (Real Madrid), Frenkie de Jong (Ajax/Barcelona), Eden Hazard (Chelsea/Real Madrid); Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Kylian Mbappe (PSG), 2020: Alisson (Liverpool); Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich); Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Thiago (Bayern Munich/Liverpool), Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City); Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), 2021: Gianluigi Donnarumma (Milan/PSG); David Alaba (Bayern Munich/Real Madrid), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Ruben Dias (Manchester City); Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester Ciy), Jorginho (Chelsea), N'Golo Kante (Chelsea); Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich); Lionel Messi (Barcelona/PSG); Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus/Manchester United); Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund). Thank you for signing up to Four Four Two. While Kane finished last season trophyless, he was the Premier Leagues top scorer and captained England to the Euro 2020 final, while Suarez and Lukaku both fired their sides to the Spanish and Italian titles respectively breaking other clubs dominance in both countries. It was impossible to include the Dutch master in this list, following a year ravaged by injury. The Barcelona captain's world-class displays and inspiring leadership helped the club win all 30 of their Primera Division matches last season. Hes no ones sidekick. Hes like an old-school Italian defender, in the very best sense. Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich, Germany) Joshua Kimmich, the man who will lead Bayern Munich into its next era, has jumped onto this list with his sterling play over . As a captain, Franz Beckenbauer won every trophy going at both club and international level. The 79-year-old is obviously one of the bests & can be referred to as the best forward player of all time. Hes the first player to score in nine consecutive games in two separate seasons of the Champions League, scored for 13 consecutive Bundesliga home matches to surpass Gerd Mullers 40-year record 12 and most impressively, he broke Mullers all-time record of 40 goals in a single season to net one better last season. It is the age of the full-back, and while Davies, Robertson and Cancelo are three of the best left-backs in the world, in completely different ways. He began 2021 with a goal and assist performance against Chelsea, scored vital goals in each knockout round of the Champions League up to the final and would have starred for Belgium in the Euros, were it not for injury as a sublime goal and assist against Denmark in the group showed. League Average SPI Stdev Best Team Worst Team; 1. We always thought that Messis twilight would be littered with reminders to enjoy him while he was still here, to appreciate the greatest to ever do it, even if his standards had dropped. Sterling bagged both of Englands goals in the Euro 2020 group stage, the first goal against Germany, and won the penalty in the semi-final extra-time against Denmark that delivered the Three Lions first final since 1966. Franz Beckenbauer. 30. He now spends his weekends dovetailing with Lionel Messi on the Parisians right flank we can think of less enjoyable duties. The Germany captain may have turned 35 in March but he remains the gold standard for modern goalkeeping. Alexia Putellas is the best female soccer player in the world right now. Pele. Noni Madueke. Italy did pretty well in 2021. PK Banerjee. When a player represents his country at the highest level, this is seldom the case. Barclays Premier League: 72.42: 9.6: Manchester City: 90.4: Nottingham Forest: 56.2: 2. The goalkeeper, who won over fans and opponents alike with his shot-stopping abilities and calmness in the box, was given the opportunity to lead France for a brief while in 2010. #10. If Kevin De Bruynes the conductor in Manchester Citys grand orchestra, Bernardo Silva and Riyad Mahrez are first chairs in the string section. An unpolished gem, Cristiano started his career at Sporting and was identified by Sir Alex Ferguson as a precocious talent in Sporting CP, and it is at Manchester United that the Portuguese superstar initially established his legacy as one of the best footballers of our age. The 10 best players in every position in world soccer right now. A ruptured Achilles sustained in the quarterfinal win over Belgium has sadly ruled him out ever since, but those performances were enough to seal his place in the official team of the tournament. He is still playing for his country, Argentina. Karim Benzema received votes from Real . Yet a bright year on the international stage didn't really translate at club level. Despite the fact that most great players in todays game have busy seasons in club football, the vast majority of them are routinely called upon to represent their countries at the international level; some even do so with distinction as leaders of their respective national teams. But hes still doing something remarkable at Liverpool, and analysis that says he will be a midfielder someday misunderstands what makes him so special. Ronaldos missed out on silverware as a youngster when Portugal was defeated by Greece in the 2004 European Championship final at home. His 2021 has had chapters of failure and redemption a missed penalty for France at the Euros, followed by a Nations League-winning goal because, in typical PSG fashion, the individual development of Les Bleus favourite son has been far more noteworthy than anything his teams have achieved. 32 league goals in his first season back in the Premier League, a successive golden boot, then a title, then a Champions League; the Egyptian King has barely stopped for breath, slicing between left-back and centre-back either side of COVID, through Liverpools good form and bad. All three are exquisite players let them have the ball between them and youre never getting it back. Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid) A defender scores many decisive goals. History of the award. From there we derive our own valuation for each and every player in the worlds major football competitions. FEATURE How Trent Alexander-Arnold is reinventing the full-back. A number of players on the lists did not make Insider's ranking of the world's best soccer players at the end of 2020, but have raised themselves into our top 10s through scintillating performances in 2021. The lists do not create a definitive ranking the 11th best attacker in the world may be better than the eighth best goalkeeper, for example. A case in point would be the frankly stunning Nations League final curler that he plucked from thin air; perhaps the equaliser against Switzerland at the Euros in which he somehow pulled a pass behind him into his path, or maybe against Mallorca where he controlled the ball with his back before scoring. Robert Lewandowski has been named the Best FIFA Men's Player of 2021 after retaining his crown. Olympique Lyon 's 2021/22 away jersey by adidas is, in our humble opinion, simply outstanding. As henchmen on either side of Ciro Immobile, Insigne and Chiesa were both responsible for match-winning moments at the Euros and helped bring the title back to Italy. The goalkeeper, as well as the three defenders, three midfielders and three forwards who received the most votes are selected for the World 11. Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski complete the top three in this surprise list. "Football League Rankings" is a list of professional football leagues in the world and their strength. Germanys goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is a vital member of the national team, which he has led with distinction since the retirement of Phillip Lahm in 2017. Through it all, hes been the consistency that managers and fans alike have looked to. The Frenchman is 34 now somehow, hes actually getting more magical with each trip around the sun. The small Argentinian, who is the all-time leading scorer for both Barcelona and Argentina, is sometimes blamed for failing to perform for his countrys national team, which is often unjust. In his defense, it should be noted that Messi has benefited from the presence of players like Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez, as well as more recently, Neymar and Luis Suarez, who has given him the flexibility to be creative and express himself in the offensive third. This season has been stop-start again but a recent man of the match display in a 7-0 win against Leeds proves that you cant keep him down for long. The 29-year-old full-back is without doubt one of the best players in women's football right now. Tore Keller captained Sweden in four matches and led the team to a fourth place at the 1938 FIFA World Cup. Next on the list of the best dribblers in football is Douglas Costa. 10. The winner in 2020 was Mattia Agnese, who administered critical first aid to an opponent who lost consciousness following an on-field collision. Bath While Tuchels arrival was integral, Silva and Mendy are emblematic of Chelseas now imperious defence. Some feel Fernandes struggles with Cristiano Ronaldo hogging the limelight his comparatively poor Portugal record would support this theory and Ralf Rangnick will hope to correct this issue in the coming months. For a player whos seemingly played at Inter for a decade, 2021 has been the breakout year for Martinez, as winning the Scudetto in May was followed by Copa America glory in the summer. By the way, Ronaldo is his second given name. A season in which Foden became a starter for club and country culminated in an EFL Cup and Premier League double, with the 21-year-old also starting in Mays Champions League final defeat to Chelsea. as well as other partner offers and accept our. Get the latest transfer insights and analyses directly in your mailbox. That made him the first goalkeeper to produce an assist in a World Cup game in more than four decades. Cristiano Ronaldo (35 y.o, Portugal, Juventus F.C.) Interestingly in 1999, he was voted World Player of the Century by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics. They must be very healthy and capable to be able to combine their club and national team duties with such grace and ease. September 2020s 30m switch from Calgiari to Inter marked the start of a phenomenal year for the composed midfielder. The biggest and best names from the world of football were honoured at The Best FIFA Football Awards 2022 ceremony in Paris. Hes been a no.6 for Pep, a secondary playmaker, the creative heartbeat and last season, a false nine and Manchester Citys top scorer in all competitions. The Spaniard is also a strong contender here too, with United States legend Alex Morgan considered an outsider to win. 10. From De Bruyne being crowned as No 1 . 3. Insider has ranked the 10 best midfielders in world soccer right now. A leader for club and country. The steady metronome throughout Frank Lampards implosion became a pillar for Thomas Tuchel to shape his side around; likewise, the Brazilian-born deep-lying playmaker was undroppable for Roberto Mancini at international level. He has become ageless despite the distinguished flecks of grey in his hair and now hes a history maker too. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, The spindly attacking midfielders are usually fielded together in the biggest Champions League ties a mark of their importance when margins are finest and are each world class performers in their own styles; Silva the scurrying, tenacious ball carrier; Mahrez the bandy-legged showman. Even when the last tree has been cut down, when the last river has run dry, when the Championship is fully Neil Warnock-free with no chance of him returning and when the plague of foul throws has been successfully and permanently eradicated from professional full-backs Mohamed Salah will slow down. Also Read: Top 10 Richest Golfers In The World & Their Net Worth In 2021. WPL 2023: UP Warriorz Full Schedule, Squad With Their Auction Price And Possible Playing XI. The perfect Christmas film to watch for fans of all 20 Premier League clubs, PREMIER LEAGUELive streams: How to watch every game from anywhere in the world, LATEST MAG2021 Awards! He doesnt thump in chest in celebration, he doesnt crave the limelight like an Ibrahimovic or a Ronaldo and hes not flashy. Get insight to top players, instructions & drills and extensive coverage of equipment. IPL 2023 Auction: All 10 Teams Released, And Retained Players List, FIFA World Cup 2022: Schedule, Venue, Qualifiers, Stadiums, ICC WTC 2021-2023: ICC World Test Championship Points Table And Fixtures, ICC Mens T20 World Cup 2021: SCHEDULE, VENUE, TEAMS, RANKING, HISTORY, OFFICIAL BROADCASTERS, PREDICTION, ICC WOMENS CRICKET WORLD CUP 2022 SCHEDULE, ICC MENS T20 World Cup 2022: Schedule, Venue, Qualification, Ranking, Winners, Mens Cricket World Cup 2023, Schedule, Teams, Venue, Qualifying Matches, Format, FIFA World Cup 2022: All Teams List, Captain, And Coach. Hes unlikely to greatly improve on his 17 caps, but will always cherish a 2021 when everything seemed to fall into place. Ilkay Gundogan, instead, embodied Jurgen Klopp. At the other end of father times glare, Luka Modric put Croatia on his back once more at the Euros, delivered the sweetest of strikes against Scotland and toiled away for Real Madrid in the background, as classily as ever. Most recently, he scored a hat-trick against Ecuador on the last day of qualification to send Argentina to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. The Bayer Leverkusen man has outscored Erling Haaland in the Bundesliga so far this season, and has a better goal-per-minute ratio than both Haaland and Robert Lewandowski at the time of writing. The pair flanked Roberto Mancinis Italy side at Euro 2020 and took turns to swoop into the box, cut in and devastate. These are the coaches eliminated: The final three nominees for The Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper were: Running in conjunction with the men's awards are the same prizes for women. 100 Million. More Trending News. The 2021-22 season Arsenal kit features Adidas with a slightly red color, made woven into the fabric. In addition to being the all-time leading scorer in Champions League history, he has also scored more goals for Real Madrid and Portugal than any other player. Robert Lewandowski picked up the Best FIFA Men's Player award for 2021, claiming the prize for the second successive year after scooping it 12 months ago. The Frenchman is still running at top speed, as key for club and country and still one of the most celebrated central midfielders of a generation. The duo dovetailed harmoniously as City waltzed a Premier League and EFL Cup double last season, and may also have secured European Cup medals were it not for Guardiolas tinkering. He has been a regular for Bayern Munich and the German national team for quite some time now. Get the best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week. Hes still the most likeable footballer on Earth, to boot. 36 club goals in all competitions in 2021 one every 113 minutes is frankly unbelievable from a player previously believed to be nothing more than a foil for goalscoring widemen. That makes deciding the 50 best players in the world all the harder. Haaland has already proved to a great asset for Manchester City this season, scoring 27 goals in 15 appearances so far. Broadcaster Reshmin Chowdhury and former Tottenham and England midfielder Jermaine Jenas presented the ceremony. From 29th March 2023, FlashSport will not be available. Also Read: Top 10 Richest Football Clubs In The World, Their Net Worth, Owners, And League Name. In 2021, Son has weathered Tottenhams withering. These are the players eliminated: The final three nominees for The Best FIFA Women's Coach were: The final three nominees for The Best FIFA Women's Goalkeeper were: Following the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy, FIFA decided to launch its own ceremony to celebrate the best player in the world every year. The prolific Pole set a new record for most Bundesliga goals . The Best FIFA Football Awards 2021: Best Mens Player and all the awards. Winning the Capocannoniere award in Serie A, becoming the first footballer to finish as top scorer in the English, Spanish and Italian leagues. FootballCritic (FC) has one main purpose - to help football fans of every level of obsession understand and enjoy the game just a little more. Having provided his usual brand of menace down Manchester Citys right flank in a season which saw the club win a Premier League and EFL Cup double, Walkers performances earned him a spot in the Euro 2020 team of the tournament. Our goal is simple - to become the #1 multi-language transfers source in the football world, serving the football fan their direct desire for everything around the most popular subject in football: Football Transfers. FIFA continued with their award last year as the hitman triumphed, while the 2020 Ballon d'Or was controversially cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. After his Champions League title-winning heroics, NGolo Kante has arguably become a top contender for the Ballon dOr. Fans make up 25% of the vote, with the other 75% coming from: national coaches of FIFA Member Associations, their team captains, and a select group of media from those countries. The shortlists for The Best FIFA Football Awards were unveiled on 22 November. However, there is no room for Cristiano Ronaldo. INTERVIEW Jude Bellingham: "It was never a case of this club over this club. FOOTBALLTRANSFERS' MOST VALUABLE PLAYERS IN THE WORLD. Here are the 20 Premier League captains for the upcoming season: Arsenal - Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Neymar, meanwhile, got the nod over Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappe for fourth-place. An excellent 2021 has seen the Chelsea captain reinstated in a back three under Thomas Tuchel after being dropped towards the end of Frank Lampards tenure. FC Barcelona midfielder Alexia Putellas won the 2021 Ballon d'Or Fminin prize on Monday, awarded to the best women's player of the year. Yet both were as captivating as one another at Euro 2020. Its not of him wheeling away in celebration, jinking past defenders as if they were cones or smashing a curler top bins from 30 yards. Benzema's enduring . All teams. 2021 is the first year in quite some time that its been easy to ignore Sadio Mane. 2021s PFA Player's Player Of The Year is as good as ever and one of the best midfielders in Premier League history, for good effect, too. The two-time champions were defeated 3-4 by France in the Round of 16 of that tournament, but Messi contributed two assists in that match. The Bayern Munich striker beat Lionel Messi of Paris Saint-Germain and Mohamed Salah of Liverpool to the gong. Ronaldo netted 115 times for Portugal at the time of the ceremony, which is more international goals than anyone in the history of the game, undoubtedly an achievement worth celebrating at The Best awards. 2021 has been a year filled with some stunning performances from top players around the world. The criteria are: an aesthetically beautiful goal, awarded without distinction of championship, gender or nationality. It is not that the football players earn only from match fees or endorsement of brands. Read More. Putellas wins the prestigious individual award after a . Now, there are nine awards to be won, as well as a FIFPro 11. The FIFA Fair Play award recognises exemplary behaviour that promotes fair play, sportsmanship and compassion in football. Whether it was a free-kick against Barcelona, a sublime strike against Manchester City or the trademark dart past three opponents, he was still the man to beat and still, few beat him. Who is the best woman football player in the world in 2022? There's not a single list where we won't see Ronaldo. Hes the central striker, now. Three moments are chosen and fans vote online to ultimately decide the winner. Fans can vote for their top three favourites per category, with first choice generating five points, second choice three points, and third choice one point. Lionel Messi. It doesnt matter that the last 12 months werent quite his: the future belongs to him. Several high profile stars, like FC Barcelona goalkeeper Marc Andre Ter-Stegen, Liverpool's injured defensive colossus Virgil Van Dijk, and even Cristiano Ronaldo, miss out. A sensational year for the defender, who has just six months left to run on his deal at Stamford Bridge. We provide exclusive analysis and live match performance reports of soccer players and teams, from a database of over 225.000 players, 14.000 teams, playing a total of more then 520.000 matches. Hes one of the most intelligent players in the Premier League were he a little flashier, perhaps hed be thought of as one of the best midfielders of the past decade. Paolo Maldini is regarded as the greatest left-back ever. A key figure in Brazil's pursuit of the 2022 Copa America Femenina - ahead of that she'd been named MVP in the NWSL Challenge Cup. Thomas Muller finished as the best of the rest outside the top 10 spots in 11th-place. Top 10 Best Defenders in The World 2023. ChowdhuryandRuud Gullit were the hosts in 2020. LONGREAD PSG's billion Euro gamble: Can Messi, Neymar and Mbappe win it all? Football Manager 2021 best full-backs. Leonardo Bonucci is a professional Italian footballer who plays as a center for both the Series A Juventus Club and the Italy national team and is serving as Vice-Captain. FEATURERevealed! 9. But theres plenty to separate the Azzurri zippers, too. The award is presented by FIFA. 7,37,97,60,000.0. It is one of the prestigious awards for sports personalities, especially for those in the football game. But it didnt take long for Lloris to take over as the regular captain of Les Bleus national team. Using our unique search, comparison and ranking tools, FC . Undeniably. Years captain: 2012-2021 Highest Premier League finish: 1st (2015/16) Played well above his level to deliver unto the world the miracle of Leicester City being Premier League Champions. And hes still capable of surprising us all.