100 Best football players in the world 2022
100 Best football players in the world 2022
The definitive list of the world’s best football players in 2022, based on statistics and match performances. As the world prepares for 2022, netizens who want to ditch the old calendar are focusing on new ideas, goals, and lists. And what better list to start the new year than the best football players in the world in 2022?
Award platforms such as the Balon d’Or have come under fire in recent years for using a flawed popularity model to recognize outstanding players, as exemplified by the Messi-Lewandowski debacle in 2021.
This criterion, which takes the form of voting processes from teammates, coaches, and journalists, has proven to be ineffective, as players who do not generate front-page popularity or have no PR are relegated to the trenches.
For example, despite having only 8 league goal contributions all year, Neymar finished in the top 10 of the 2021 FIFA The Best Award final voting results. On the other hand, a player like Thomas Muller, who scored 40 goals in the more competitive Bundesliga, was completely overlooked.
Mohammed Salah and Karim Benzema have received high praise for their performances at the end of 2021. This disregard could be attributed to the German’s lack of commercial appeal, flamboyant aura, and youthful marketability. With this ambiguous flaw in mind, Clacified has used a more definitive yardstick based solely on statistics. To determine the world’s best players for 2022. This model ranks players solely based on their performance, regardless of transfer valuation, transfer fee, popularity, or position.
Criteria for Selection
The individuals included in this list of the best football players in the world were chosen based on a points system that is primarily determined by the difficulty of the league. The league’s difficulty is determined by its position in the UEFA league coefficient rankings.
Leagues with a coefficient score of at least 90 award their players 0.5 points, while leagues with:
- 80-89 = +0.4 points
- 70-79 = +0.3 points
- 60-69 = +0.2 points
- 50-59 = +0.1 points
- 40-49 = 0 point
- 30-39 = -0.1 points
- 20-29 = -0.2 points
- 10-19 = -0.3 points
- 0-9 = -0.4 points.
This means that if a player in the Danish Superliga is worth 8/10 points, his or her true value will depreciate by -0.2 points, whereas a player in the Bundesliga is worth 7.3/10 points, his or her true value will increase by 0.3 points. As a result, rather than a massive difference of 0.7 points as seen in their initial valuation, the quality gap will be reduced to 0.2 in consideration of each league’s competitiveness. Second, based on the quality of the competition, players who have accumulated a certain number of points in European competitions are considered and awarded extra points.
- Champions League = +0.3
- Europa League = +0.2
- Conference League = +0.1
Finally, the competitiveness of the club is the final criterion for determining quality. This benchmark was developed with the benefit of hindsight from history and factual evidence, which show that a player who excels at a smaller club in a top league is not necessarily on the same level as a similar player at a larger club in a lower league. For example, a top player at Arsenal in the world’s most competitive league will not rank higher than a player with a similar metric at PSG in the inferior Ligue 1.
Alternatively, despite the disparity in competitiveness between the two leagues, a top player from Leicester City is not equivalent in quality to a player from Ajax. However, because the competitive gap between clubs in different leagues has narrowed in recent years, this criterion has little influence on our player ratings.
Timeline
Player points have been accrued from the last quarter of 2020 to December 2021.
International competitions in that period, such as the EUROS and Copa America have not been considered. This is so as to avoid players from these regions having an advantage over other federations like CAF and AFC, who were without a competitive tournament in that window. Without further ado, here are the best football players in the world in 2022.
S/N |
Name |
Age |
Club(s) |
Nationality |
Top achievement |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Lionel Messi |
34 |
Barcelona, PSG |
Argentina |
2nd top scorer – Europe 2020/21 |
2 |
Robert Lewandowski |
33 |
Bayern Munich |
Poland |
Most league goals since 2020 – Global |
3 |
Joshua Kimmich |
26 |
Bayern Munich |
Germany |
Most progressive passes – Bundesliga 2020/21 |
4 |
Karim Benzema |
34 |
Real Madrid |
France |
2nd most direct goal contribution – Global first half 2021/22 |
5 |
21 |
Borussia Dortmund |
Norway |
Golden boot – UCL 2020/21 |
|
6 |
Kevin de Bryune |
30 |
Manchester City |
Belgium |
2nd most through balls – Europe top leagues 2020/21 |
7 |
Trent Alexander-Arnold |
23 |
Liverpool |
England |
2nd most touches – Europe’s top leagues 2020/21 |
8 |
Toni Kroos |
32 |
Real Madrid |
Germany |
Most chances created – UCL 2020/21 |
9 |
Dusan Tadic |
33 |
Ajax |
Netherlands |
Most chances created – UCL Group stages 2021 |
10 |
Riyahd Mahrez |
30 |
Manchester City |
Algeria |
Most carries into opposition penalty area – UCL 2020/21 |
11 |
Cristiano Ronaldo |
36 |
Juventus, Manchester United |
Portugal |
3rd top scorer – Europe top leagues 2020/21 |
12 |
Juan Cuadrado |
33 |
Juventus |
Colombia |
Best playmaker – UCL 2020/21 |
13 |
Paulo Dybala |
28 |
Juventus |
Argentina |
Most shots attempted per minute – Europe first half 2021/22 |
14 |
Bruno Fernandes |
27 |
Manchester United |
Portugal |
2nd most chances created – Europe’s top leagues 2020/21 |
15 |
Harry Kane |
28 |
Tottenham |
England |
Most goals + assists – Premier League 2020/21 |
16 |
Steven Berghuis |
30 |
Ajax |
Netherlands |
2nd Most opportunities created – UCL Group stages 2021 |
17 |
Hakan Calhanoglu |
27 |
AC Milan, Internazionale |
Turkey |
Most chances created – Europe’s top leagues 2020/21 |
18 |
Lorenzo Insigne |
30 |
Napoli |
Italy |
3rd most shots attempted – Europe’s top leagues 2020/21 |
19 |
Thomas Muller |
32 |
Bayern Munich |
Germany |
Best playmaker – Europe’s top leagues 2020/21 |
20 |
lkay Gündoğan |
31 |
Manchester City |
Germany |
2nd most progressive player – UCL 2020/21 |
21 |
Mohammed Salah |
29 |
Liverpool |
Egypt |
Most direct goal contribution – Global first half 2021/22 |
22 |
Mason Mount |
22 |
Chelsea |
England |
4th most chances created – Europe’s top leagues 2020/21 |
23 |
Kylian Mbappe |
23 |
Paris Saint-Germain |
France |
2nd top scorer – UCL 2020/21 |
24 |
Sebastian Haller |
27 |
Ajax |
Ivory Coast |
Top scorer – UCL Group stages 2021 |
25 |
Christopher Nkunku |
24 |
RB Leipzig |
France |
Best finisher – UCL Group stages 2021 |
26 |
Gerard Moreno |
29 |
Villarreal |
Spain |
Most goal + assists – Europa League 2020/21 |
27 |
Dani Parejo |
32 |
Villarreal |
Spain |
Most touches – Europa League 2020/21 |
28 |
Memphis Depay |
27 |
Lyon, Barcelona |
Netherlands |
Best playmaker – Ligue 1 2020/21 |
29 |
Dimitri Payet |
34 |
Olympique Marseille |
France |
Since August 2020, the most clear-cut chances have been created in Ligue 1. |
30 |
Marcelo Brozović |
29 |
Internazionale |
Croatia |
3rd most progressive passes – UCL Group stages 2021 |
31 |
Sebastian Coates |
31 |
Sporting CP |
Uruguay |
UCL Group stages 2021 has the 4th most successful pressures. |
32 |
Iago Aspas |
34 |
Celta Vigo |
Spain |
Best playmaker – La Liga 2020/21 |
33 |
Kingsley Coman |
26 |
Bayern Munich |
France |
2nd-most big chances created – UCL Group stages 2021/22 |
34 |
Leon Goretzka |
26 |
Bayern Munich |
Germany |
|
35 |
Jorginho |
30 |
Chelsea |
Italy |
Most defensive actions – UCL 2020/21 |
36 |
Matteo Kovacic |
27 |
Chelsea |
Croatia |
|
37 |
Reece James |
22 |
Chelsea |
England |
3rd most crosses – UCL 2020/21 |
38 |
Thiago Silva |
37 |
Chelsea |
Brazil |
10th highest pass accuracy – Europe’s top leagues 2020/21 |
39 |
VinÃcius Junior |
21 |
Real Madrid |
Brazil |
Global first-half 2021/222 most progressive player |
40 |
Neymar |
29 |
Paris Saint-Germain |
Brazil |
3rd-most goal contributions – UCL 2020/21 |
41 |
Ousmane Dembele |
24 |
Barcelona |
France |
2nd-most shots on target – UCL 2021/21 |
42 |
Rodrigo de Paul |
27 |
Udinese, Atletico Madrid |
Argentina |
Most progressive player – Serie A 2020/21 |
43 |
Cristian Romero |
23 |
Atalanta, Tottenham |
Argentina |
Most interceptions – UCL 2020/21 |
44 |
Lisandro Martinez |
24 |
Ajax |
Argentina |
Most touches – UCL Group stages 2021 |
45 |
Antony |
21 |
Ajax |
Brazil |
2nd Player with the most assists – UCL Group stages 2021 |
46 |
Ruslan Malinovskyi |
28 |
Atalanta |
Ukraine |
Best playmaker – Serie A 2020/21 |
47 |
Pedro Gonclaves |
23 |
Sporting CP |
Portugal |
Golden boot – Primeira Liga 2020/21 |
48 |
Filip Kostic |
29 |
Eintracht Frankfurt |
Serbia |
Most accurate crosses per game – Global first half 2021/22 |
49 |
Florian Wirtz |
18 |
Bayer Leverkusen |
Germany |
4th most assist – Europe’s top leagues first half 2021/22 |
50 |
Zlatan Ibrahimovic |
40 |
AC Milan |
Sweden |
Europe’s top leagues 2020/21 have the 3rd-Most Shots on target per 90 minutes. |
51 |
Maximilian Arnold |
27 |
Wolfsburg |
Germany |
3rd most assists – UCL Group stages 2021 |
52 |
James Maddison |
25 |
Leicester City |
England |
2nd most through balls – UEL 2020/21 |
53 |
Evander |
23 |
Midtylland |
Brazil |
Best dribbling accuracy – UCL 2020/21 |
54 |
Domenico Berardi |
27 |
Sassuolo |
Italy |
Most assists – Serie A first half 2021/22 |
55 |
Antonio Candreva |
34 |
Sampdoria |
Italy |
The player with the fifth most chances created in Europe’s top leagues in the first half of 2021/22 |
56 |
Serge Gnabry |
26 |
Bayern Munich |
German |
3rd most big chances created – UCL Group stages 2021 |
57 |
Rodri |
25 |
Manchester City |
Spain |
2nd most accurate passes – 2020/21 Premier League |
58 |
Gabriel Jesus |
24 |
Manchester City |
Brazil |
The player with the best chance converter – UCL Group Stages 2021 |
59 |
Bernando Silva |
27 |
Manchester City |
Portugal |
Most pressures applied – UCL 2020/21 |
60 |
Ferran Torres |
22 |
Valencia, Manchester City, Barcelona |
Spain |
7th most goals per minute – |
61 |
Virgil Van Dijk |
30 |
Liverpool |
Netherlands |
|
62 |
Joel Matip |
30 |
Liverpool |
Cameroon |
3rd most aerial duels won – UCL 2021/22 |
63 |
Andrew Robertson |
27 |
Liverpool |
Scotland |
Most touches – Europe’s top leagues 2020/21 |
64 |
Ben Chilwell |
25 |
Chelsea |
England |
|
65 |
Ngolo Kante |
30 |
Chelsea |
France |
8th most dribbles completed – UCL 2020/21 |
66 |
Antonio Rudiger |
28 |
Chelsea |
Germany |
9th most aerial duels won – UCL 2020/21 |
67 |
Romelu Lukaku |
28 |
Chelsea |
Belgium |
2nd top scorer – Serie A 2020/21 |
68 |
Casemiro |
29 |
Real Madrid |
Brazil |
8th most tackles completed – UCL 2020/21 |
69 |
Angel Di Maria |
33 |
Paris Saint-Germain |
Argentina |
Most big chances created – Europe’s top leagues 2020/21 |
70 |
Gianluigi Donnarumma |
22 |
Paris Saint-Germain |
Italy |
2nd highest save percentage – UCL Group stages 2021 |
71 |
Federico Chiesa |
24 |
Juventus |
Italy |
4th most big chances created – Serie A 2020/21 |
72 |
Alvaro Morata |
29 |
Juventus |
Spain |
3rd most goals – UCL 2020/21 |
73 |
Jadon Sancho |
21 |
Manchester United |
England |
The player with the third most big chances created – Bundesliga 2020/21 |
74 |
Antoine Griezmann |
30 |
Atletico Madrid |
France |
The player with the most non-penalty goals-assists – UCL Group stages 2021 |
75 |
Henrikh Mkhitaryan |
33 |
Roma |
Armenia |
10th most goals+assists – Serie A 2020/21 |
76 |
Son Heung-min |
29 |
Tottenham |
South Korea |
4th best chance converter – Europe’s top leagues 2020/21 |
77 |
Noussair Mazraoui |
24 |
Ajax |
Morocco |
Defender with the most goals in the first half of the Eredivisie in 2021/22 |
78 |
Mehdi Taremi |
29 |
Porto |
Iran |
2nd most goal contributions since Aug 2020 – Primeira Liga |
79 |
Otavio |
26 |
Porto |
Brazil |
2nd most fouled player – UCL 2020/21 |
80 |
Dominik Szoboszlai |
21 |
RB Salzburg, RB Leipzig |
Hungary |
7th most big chances created – Bundesliga 2021/22 |
81 |
Patson Daka |
23 |
RB Salzburg, Leicester City |
Zambia |
9th most goals+assists – Global 2020/21 |
82 |
Karl Toko Ekambi |
29 |
Olympique Lyon |
Cameroon |
3rd most chances created – Ligue 1 2020/21 |
83 |
Fabian Ruiz |
25 |
Napoli |
Spain |
Most long-range goals – first half Europe’s top leagues 2021/22 |
84 |
Victor Osimhen |
23 |
Napoli |
Nigeria |
Most goals per minute – first half Europa League 2021/22 |
85 |
Josip Ilicic |
33 |
Atalanta |
Slovenia |
Most big chances created – Serie A 2020/21 |
86 |
Rafa Silva |
28 |
Porto |
Portugal |
Most goals+assists – first half Primeira Liga 2021/22 |
87 |
Carlos Soler |
25 |
Valencia |
Spain |
9th most goals+assists – LaLiga 2020/21 |
88 |
Jesus Navas |
36 |
Sevilla |
Spain |
2nd most crosses – Europe’s top leagues 2020/21 |
89 |
Iuri Medeiros |
27 |
SC Braga |
Portugal |
5th most goal+assists – first half Primeira Liga 2021/22 |
90 |
Cody Gakpo |
22 |
PSV Eindhoven |
Netherlands |
3rd most goals+assists – first half Eredivisie 2021/22 |
91 |
Mario Gotze |
29 |
PSV Eindhoven |
Germany |
Most assists – first half Europa League 2021/22 |
92 |
Ibrahim Sangaré |
24 |
PSV Eindhoven |
Ivory Coast |
Most tackles+interceptions per game since Aug 2020 – Eredivisie |
93 |
Gernot Trauner |
29 |
Lask, Feyenoord |
Austria |
Most tackles+interceptions – 2020/21 Austrian Bundesliga |
94 |
Adnan Januzaj |
26 |
Real Sociedad |
Belgium |
Most opportunities generated 2021 Europa League group stages player |
95 |
Andrej Kramaric |
30 |
Hoffenheim |
Croatia |
4th top scorer – Bundesliga 2020/21 |
96 |
Jonas Hofmann |
29 |
Bo russia Mönchengladbach |
Germany |
7th most assists – Europe’s top leagues 2020/21 |
97 |
Sergio Canales |
30 |
Real Betis |
Spain |
Player with the fourth most big chances created in LaLiga 2020/21 |
98 |
Youri Tielemans |
24 |
Leicester City |
Belgium |
The first half of the Europa League 2021/22 saw the fourth most through balls per game. |
99 |
Declan Rice |
23 |
West Ham United |
England |
|
100 |
Aaron Cresswell |
32 |
West Ham United |
England |
5th most big chances created – 2020/21 Premier League |
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