The 100 Greatest Footballers In The World
FourFourTwo Presents... The Top 100 Footballers In The World
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00:00then happy Tuesday. Welcome to our top 100 footballers in the world 2023. We thought we
00:07would make a really nice long video just in case you need to get like 30-40 minutes away from all
00:13your relatives on boxing day while you finish off the after eights or something. So what we did was
00:17we got the entire 442 team together. Oh look there they are, say hello. We compiled what we thought
00:22were our top 100 player in the world lists, merged them into one big official 442 super list,
00:29then this very handsome man Mark White wrote it all up and then Adam Monk, say hello to him,
00:33and me made a video about it. We didn't really have like stringent criteria for it, it was just
00:39sort of like how good has their year been, how good are they in general, like an intangible
00:45just coolness factor. It's just a bit of fun. So if there are any picks you disagree with,
00:49anyone who should be lower, anyone who should be higher, anyone we've missed out entirely,
00:53please do get that in the comments below and we'll sort of put all that together and make
00:57an even better list later on. Until then though, sit back, please undo the top button on your
01:02trousers and enjoy 442's 100 greatest players of 2023. Number 100, Sergio Busquets. Now Sergio
01:11Busquets, he's been one of the best in his position for the past 15 years, that's fair to say, and now
01:17he's playing out his days at Inter Miami, but an absolute legend of the game and he's rolled
01:21back the years a bit this year. 99, Noel Molina, bombing forward from wing back and contributing
01:26at both ends of the pitch, it's been another great 12 months for one of European football's
01:30unsung heroes. Number 98, Diogo Costa. No, not that one, the evil ex-Chelsea striker,
01:36the actual Porto and Portugal goalkeeper. He's been really good for a couple of years now.
01:4197, Miki van der Ven. Catching the eye at Wolfsburg before becoming one of the Premier
01:45League signings of the season, his game reading and recovery pace has been one of the main reasons
01:50behind Tottenham's early success. Number 96, Karim Benzema. Now he'd
01:55have probably been in the top five this time last year, but now, of course, playing in Saudi
01:58Arabia after an amazing 15-year stint at Real Madrid. 95, Lucas Paquetar. Delivering arguably
02:06the most important assist of West Ham's modern history in the Europa Conference final, it's been
02:10an electric 12 months for David Moyes' most mercurial player. Although I'm still convinced
02:15it's pronounced Paqueta. Number 94, Isco. Now his renaissance has just been absolutely beautiful to
02:22see. I think he's always had it in his locker. He's still only 31, so there's a couple more years
02:26left to go with Isco. But after leaving Real Madrid, he has really shone in La Liga at Real
02:31Betis. 93, Olivier Giroud. Physical, dominant, aggressive, lethal and graceful, Giroud is still
02:38at his best in this Milan side and apparently somehow also really good in goal now too.
02:43Number 92, Enzo Fernandez. Now a World Cup winner with Argentina, of course, but after joining
02:48Chelsea, he's really just shown glimpses of being that world-class talent that we all know he can be
02:53and I'm sure eventually he will fully get there. 91, Saru Garasi. The surprise challenger to Harry
02:59Kane's one-man Bundesliga golden boot race, Garasi might not have convinced everybody this former
03:04Stuttgart is here to stay, but he certainly had one of the most explosive years. Number 90,
03:09Nico Williams. Now Athletic Club have really got their wish with a new four-year deal for Nico
03:14Williams. He's been absolutely excellent this year, showing two-footedness, directness and
03:19intensity out wide. And at 21, he's only going to get better. 89, Marcus Turam. The Bundesliga's
03:25worst-kept secret is now a smash hit in Serie A too. An intelligent, hungry footballer, he's only
03:30going to finish higher on these lists in the future. Number 88, Ivan Martin. Now Girona may
03:37well do a Leicester City this season over in La Liga, but there's not really a counterpart in that
03:41Leicester City team to compare to Ivan Martin. He's tricky, skilful, and he could be set for a
03:46big move in the summer. Number 87, Christopher Nkunku. Injury may have ravaged the back end of
03:51his 2023, but he was undoubtedly one of the best players in the world before that. A lightning bolt
03:56through the centre of the pitch, able to create, drift and attack the box, Chelsea fans will be
04:01hoping that if anyone can fix their season, it's this man. Number 86, Victor Jokeres.
04:07Jokeres… I don't know how to pronounce that one fully, but Coventry 2 Sporting Lisbon is not the
04:12most orthodox route to get in on this list. However, he's an absolute bagsman, Championship
04:16Player of the Year last year, and has set the world alight at Sporting Lisbon too.
04:2085, Martin Zubermendi. The heir apparent to Sergio Busquets' throne, his skill and creativity have
04:26also drawn comparisons to David Silva and Xavi Alonso. He's been instrumental in dragging
04:31Sociedad both to and through their Champions League campaign, and if the rumour mill is to
04:35be believed, offers from the Premier League are just around the corner. Number 84, Federico Chiesa.
04:41Now of course we all remember his star-studded performances in Euro 2020, but injuries have
04:46kind of plagued Chiesa's career since then, however when he is fit, he is simply unplayable.
04:50Electric from that left wing, a simply superb winger. 83, Douglas Luiz. Controlled yet aggressive,
04:57able to carry the ball and sit with it, vital in both boxes. If you had to pick one reason why
05:03Aston Villa are so high in the Premier League this season, Douglas Luiz would be it. Number 82, Raheem
05:09Sterling. Now another player who struggled with consistency in 2023, but when he's on it, boy is
05:14he on it. Still fighting for a place to get in the England squad under Gareth Southgate in that 4-4
05:18draw against Manchester City. That could be the best individual performance in the Premier League
05:23so far this season. 81, Federico Valverde. A flying right winger, a composed central midfielder, the
05:30legs to Luka Modric's brain, Valverde is the player who can be anything, and yet somehow is still
05:38underrated. Number 80, Viktor Boniface. Now one of the main reasons that Bayer Leverkusen have been
05:43so high flying this season is physicality and presence up front has really enabled that German
05:48side to bully teams in the final third, and Nigeria, I mean, he's their backup striker. Scary. 79, Dominic
05:55Sebozlai. Already one of Liverpool's most important players, the Hungarian has adapted to his new league
06:00to become one of the most consistently creative and hard-working midfielders in the world. Number
06:0678, Jack Grealish. Now a one-man army at Villa, very much a maverick, has now become a cog in the
06:12Pep Guardiola machine, but to adapt in that way and become a key man in a treble-winning team
06:17is impressive nonetheless. 77, Marcus Rashford. Now it might not be the best end to 2023 for Marcus
06:23Rashford, but it's worth remembering that for the rest of the year he looked like one of the best
06:27left wingers in the world. Form is temporary, class is permanent, he'll get it back. Number 76, Moussa
06:33Diaby. Now playing that hybrid role at Aston Villa with his electric pacing behind and rotating with
06:38Leon Bailey, he has really set the world alight so far at Aston Villa and has justified his prize tag,
06:44and you know what? 2024 could be even better for him with how well Aston Villa are doing right now.
06:4975, Hakan Kalinoglu. Once a set-piece master who would just hang on the edge of the penalty area
06:54waiting for a chance to drop, he now dictates the tempo and controls entire games for Inter Milan,
07:00a simply incredible evolution this year. Number 74, Dejan Kulesevski. Yes, the ginger
07:06from Sweden, definitely one of Daniel Levy's better sign-ins of recent years, and now under
07:10Ange Postakoglu, he seems to arrive at the right moment when Tottenham need him most, so I think
07:15the best is yet to come from Dejan. 73, Julian Brandt. A consistent
07:19mainstay at Dortmund even when big stars around him have all departed,
07:23Brandt is one of the most consistent stars on a side that on its day is capable of magic.
07:28Number 72, Phil Foden. Now of course limited game time in City's tail end of the treble-winning
07:33season, but he's still had a great 2023 by anyone else's standards, and he's one of the most
07:39exciting youngsters in the league, and will no doubt be at the forefront of Gower Southgate's
07:43team in the Euros in the summer. 71, Sven Bottman. An absolute monster at
07:48the back for Newcastle United, for someone so young to be so composed, dominant and able to
07:53lead a back line is frightening. If he stays on Tyneside, he could be a pillar at that club
07:57for a decade. Number 70, Theo Hernandez. No longer living
08:01in his brother's shadow, Theo Hernandez is one of the most consistent and fast. He is very,
08:06very fast. Full-backs in world football these days, and after winning the Scudetto, he's really a
08:11jewel in that Milan side now. 69, Aurelien Touchemene. Without hyperbole,
08:16this is a midfielder with one of the most impressive skill sets in the world. Solid
08:22for Real Madrid, vital for France, and at 23, he's only going to get better.
08:27Number 68, Granit Xhaka. Now he was crucial in that Arteta Arsenal system, and now he's crucial
08:32in Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen system. So to adapt in the way that he has in two different
08:36leagues, two different countries, in one year, is impressive to say the least. And I think it's
08:40fair to say, Xhaka's in his prime. 67, Anthony Gordon. A slow start to life,
08:45on Tyneside, Gordon returned from the under-21 Euros the player of the tournament,
08:49and has since managed to turn that into a Premier League season absolutely full of goals and assists.
08:55Number 66, João Pelinha. The main reason really why Fulham didn't just survive last season,
09:00they actually climbed up the table and tried to push in towards that top half,
09:04and it's no coincidence that the likes of Bayern Munich and Liverpool are knocking on the door for
09:08his signature. Number 64, Marquinhos. Ever since Thiago Silva left PSG, Marquinhos has really been
09:29the main man in that defence, playing alongside Ramos, Kimpembe and now Milan's Skriniar. He's
09:34as good as he's ever been, the captain of that PSG team, he deserves his place in the list.
09:3863, Gavi. He's going to miss a lot of 2024, but has 2023 more or less defined Barcelona.
09:45If he manages to come back as good as he left, he's going to be a generational star for that club.
09:51Number 62, Santiago Jimenez. Yes, the Mexican hold-up man for Feyenoord, he's been nothing
09:56short of sensational this season so far, strong physical and prolific. It won't be long till
10:01someone else goes for his signature in the summer. 61, Florian Wurz. There's not really any other way
10:06to put it, the German is one of the most watchable young stars on the planet and living up to that
10:10Wunderkid hype, with excellent displays at Leverkusen every single week. Number 60, Rodrigo.
10:17Yes, Mr Clutch for Real Madrid, don't remind me of that semi-final game, oh my god. But this season
10:23he's adapted into a forward in that front two with Vinny Junior after Benzema's left and he's
10:27been nothing short of phenomenal. 59, Ashraf Hakimi. This man might just be the most box-office
10:33right-back on the planet. Sometimes a wing-back, sometimes a winger, sometimes just a full-blown
10:38attacker, he's had another good year at PSG and still looks like one of the best in the world.
10:43Number 58, Alexander Isak. Probably the closest thing aesthetically to Thierry Henry we've seen
10:48in the Premier League since Thierry Henry. Those long strides, the in-step finish with the inside
10:52of his boot, just a fantastic, fantastic striker and he plays with a little bit of arrogance too
10:58that's justified. 57, Bruno Fernandes. Both Fernandes and Manchester United have had their
11:03share of ups and downs in 2023 but one wonders where the latter would be without the former.
11:09Moving deeper, dictating the play, assisting, he is still a shining star in that side.
11:13Number 56, Lois Openda. So after having an amazing season at Lons and then joining RB
11:19Leipzig to replace Christopher Nkunku, he's really done that and then some. Quick, slight and direct,
11:24he's been amazing all year and is probably set for an even bigger move in the summer.
11:2855, Dusan Vlaevic. Juventus are admittedly a bit of a basket case right now but this man
11:33remains their best signing in years. Bullying centre-backs across Serie A,
11:37he's carved out a reputation as one of the best centre-forwards on earth.
11:41Number 54, Kingsley Coman. Yep, that man with the ridiculous trophy cabinet who just wins stuff
11:46every single year. Other than Harry Kane now, he is the mainstay in that Bayern Munich attack
11:51under Thomas Tuchel and for good reason as well. 53, Luis Diaz. Getting onto this list will
11:57probably not be what Luis Diaz remembers 2023 for but regardless, he's still lit up the Premier
12:02League for Liverpool. Quick, direct, lethal in front of goal, he is so much more than just the
12:08heir to Sadio Mane's throne. Number 52, Alphonso Davies. Now,
12:13whether you can even call this man a left-back is up for debate. Definitely the most fun left-back
12:17to watch in world football but he is just so fast. 51, Gabriel Martinelli. The young Brazilian's
12:23attacking qualities are obvious but what's really endeared him to Arsenal fans is that he'll track
12:27back with as much intensity as he'll burst forward with a counter. A manager's dream.
12:33Number 50, Mike Magnan. An integral part of Milan getting to the Champions League semi-finals last
12:38season and now France's number one in the sticks as well, it's actually very impressive that Milan
12:42have upgraded on Donnarumma by bringing Magnan in. 49, Emiliano Martinez. I know this was 2022
12:49so it doesn't technically count but let's just enjoy that picture of him from the World Cup again
12:54for a few seconds. There we go. Number 48, Randall Colomuani. Sorry,
12:58mate, but you are the man who missed the biggest chance in the history of world football but
13:03nonetheless you've had a fantastic 12 months so pat on the back for you.
13:0647, Kim Min-jae. The South Korean defender joined Napoli, slotted into Koulibaly's position,
13:11won the league title and then got a massive money move to Bayern where he's also looked incredible.
13:17Not bad, yeah. Number 46, Frenkie De Jong. Sorry Eric
13:21Tenhage is still playing for Barcelona but I think many Barcelona fans thought that he'd be
13:25replacing Busquets in that number six role but that's not been the case. Xavi's been deploying
13:29him as a number eight and he's been absolutely brilliant with his ball carrying ability,
13:32ball winning. There's been tough times for him at Barcelona but he's still a top player.
13:3745, Joshua Kimmich. Now a fully converted midfield metronome, the Philipp Lahmification,
13:43who wrote this, of Joshua Kimmich has been special to see. Absolutely imperious in 2023
13:49and the reason Bayern don't just dominate the league, they kind of strangle it.
13:53Number 44, Takafusa Kubo. Now I think a lot of people wrote this guy off after he left Real
13:58Madrid and he kind of was paling into insignificance but after joining Real Sociedad,
14:03he's been one of the most otherworldly wingers in the game to be quite frank.
14:0643, Luka Modric. Yes, okay, he probably had one of the quietest years of his career but he is still
14:12running rings in that Real Madrid midfield around players half his age. At this rate,
14:17you wouldn't put it past him to play there until he's 40.
14:20Number 42, Kauro Mitoma. Probably, I would say, Brighton's best signing,
14:26maybe not for resale value but certainly on ability. He's really gone up a level under
14:31Roberto Di Zerbi, two-footed and even if he's been double or triple marked, he seems to just
14:36get out of it and weave his way through. The word wizard really comes to mind and I think it's
14:40justifiable. Number 41, Marc-Andre Testegen. The Barcelona goalkeeper has reportedly said
14:46that he just sees football as his job. Well, my input on this is that he's really, really good
14:53at his job. Number 40, Kieran Trippier. Yes, the man who gave every England fan their best
14:58moment of their lives with that free kick against Croatia but did any England fan really think that
15:03three years later, he'd still be a mainstay in the side, particularly with all the debates over
15:07recent years between Rhys James and Trent Alexander-Arnold. He is really still probably
15:13the most well-rounded fullback in the country so for good reason that he's in that England side
15:17and the fact he's playing in the Champions League, well, not anymore but he was for Newcastle United,
15:22is impressive and he fully, fully deserves his place on this list. A great player.
15:2639, Julian Alvarez. In 2023, Alvarez here won a Premier League, an FA Cup, a Champions League
15:34and a World Cup. Not bad for, and I'm doing extreme air quotes here, Erling Haaland's
15:39understudy. Number 38, James Maddison. Now, for me, the signing of the summer, I think not only
15:45the fact that he joined Tottenham and moved up a club but also the fact that he was kind of assigned
15:50with giving Spurs fans hope back, especially on the pitch with Harry Kane leaving. So playing in
15:54that number 10 role, his ball striking ability from range and also his vision in the final third,
15:59he's really matured into one of the finest midfielders in the country and it's going to be
16:03very, very hard for Gareth Southgate to ignore him in the Euros but obviously he will.
16:0837, Alejandro Balde. In a world of inverting, full-backs, Balde here is a classic. Bombing
16:14up and down the touchline rather than moving into midfield, his development in 2023 has been
16:19nothing short of incredible. Number 36, Eduardo Camavinga. The, the Swiss army knife in world
16:26football. Play him left-back, play him CDM, play him centre-back, play him in net, play him in the
16:31stands, it don't matter, he will do a job, he will, he will have an impact on the game. And
16:34it's for that reason why he's been so tried and trusted in this Ancelotti team. Ancelotti will
16:38play him in any position on the biggest of stages, you know, the Champions League semi-final,
16:42for instance, he played at left-back and at such a young age, he's such a mature player.
16:47Number 35, Warren Zaire Emery. Despite being just 17 years old, there are those in French football
16:52who believe his importance to the French national team is second only to Kylian Mbappe. There is a
16:58lot of hype around this young man right now, but in 2023, it was fully deserved. Number 34,
17:04Lautaro Martinez. Now, if you ignore the fact that he couldn't hit a barn door in the World Cup
17:08final against France, he has actually got 21 goal contributions this season in Serie A and has been
17:13one of Serie A's best forwards for the last few years. 33, Pedri. Carrying both the weight of
17:18Barcelona and Spain on his back, Pedri already feels like a veteran of the game, despite being
17:23just 21. Number 32, Virgil van Dijk. Now, he's dropped down on this list a bit. Of course,
17:29he was an absolute behemoth and goliath of a centre-back a couple of years ago,
17:32but even at 32, he tends to bully strikers. And I think what's so impressive about Van Dijk is that
17:38Klopp likes to play a high line, and even at his age, he's completely comfortable not only
17:41covering for Trent Alexander-Arnold, but seemingly being one step ahead of any attacker that approaches
17:46him. 31, Xavi Simons. PSV's best player at the start of the year and now moving to Leipzig,
17:52where he's easily one of the best in the Bundesliga too, 2023 was a year that suggests
17:57that Xavi Simons will probably go on to very big things. Number 30, Son Heung-Min. Now,
18:03I think some people were starting to be fickle and reactionary and write Son off at the end of
18:07last season under Antonio Conte, but under Ange-Pasta Koglou, he's been revived.
18:11Captain of Tottenham too, and of course reaching the Premier League 100 Club recently,
18:15I think it's time that English football fans start discussing Son as one of the all-time
18:19greats in the English game. 29, Kyle Walker. Incorrectly classified as merely a speed merchant,
18:25Kyle Walker has spent the last 12 months adapting to every single crazy tactical tweak Pep Guardiola
18:31has thrown at him. Wing-back, centre-back, central midfielder, he's now got a treble to
18:36add to his collection too. Number 28, Robert Lewandowski. This guy has just been scoring
18:43goals forever. The definition of a bagsman, if you look it up in the dictionary, Robert Lewandowski
18:48will come up. Of course, a legend at Bayern Munich, but now playing in Catalonia for Barcelona,
18:53he spearheaded them last season to the La Liga title and is continuing to do it at 35 years of
18:59age. So, Blackburn fans, just imagine what would have happened if you'd assigned him.
19:0327, Leroy Sane. It may have taken him a while to return to the levels we all knew he was capable
19:08of, but the Allianz Arena is simply his backyard now. Another unbelievable year of performances
19:15tearing up Bundesliga defences. Number 26, Ruben Diaz. Now, I'm surprised that Pep Guardiola
19:21doesn't actually hate this man's guts because he can only play one position, but he plays that one
19:26position very, very well because he's the most defensively adept defender in Manchester City's
19:30system. Not the best on the ball by any means, but certainly the rock and the glue of that
19:35Manchester City side. And when he came back from injury at the start of the year, that was really
19:40what won City the treble. 25, Kovička Kvartškelia. 18 months ago, nobody knew his name,
19:46but today, few can pronounce it correctly. He has Napoli's first Scudetto in decades to add
19:52to his breakout year, and you will no doubt spend most of 2024 speculating on where he goes next.
19:58Number 24, Martin Odegaard. Now, do you remember kind of like nine or 10 years ago when Odegaard
20:04was a kid? He was like 15 and there was loads of YouTube compilations about him. And then he
20:08went to Madrid and tailed off, but people really forgot how young Odegaard was at the time. People
20:14wrote him off. And then he went to Arsenal after an impressive spell at Real Sociedad and is now
20:20one of the best number 10s in the world. He really can do it all. And without him,
20:24Arsenal look a much, much weaker side. So fully justified that he goes in at 24,
20:28and I think he'll be in this list for many, many more years to come.
20:3223, Edison. Arguably the most underappreciated player in world football. Despite not even being
20:39a number one for his country, Edison has once again displayed a level of technical excellence
20:44rarely seen by players of any position, let alone a goalkeeper.
20:48Number 22, Bruno Guimaraes. Now, the best signing of the takeover for Newcastle so far. I don't
20:54think anyone can argue with that, but also he can do it all. He has grit, he has bite in the middle
20:59of the park and he holds that Newcastle midfield together alongside Joe Linton, but also has that
21:04ability to arrive in the box when needed and get the odd important goal for Newcastle as well.
21:0821, Alisson. Cover your ears, Liverpool fans, but at one stage in 2023, Alisson was playing so well,
21:15he was statistically propelling a mid-table side into European contention. And while the Reds have
21:20certainly reversed their fortunes this season, Alisson's ability to bail them out of a jam
21:24has remained consistent. Number 20, it's Rice,
21:28baby, Declan Rice. Yes, a scorer of late goals for Arsenal now, Mr Clutch, but also one of the best
21:34number sixes on the planet. And also now at the age of 24, he's really matured into that leader
21:39that we all knew he could be. He is captain material to a tee.
21:4419, Raphael Liao. 2022 brought a Scudetto, 2023 saw a Champions League semi, but in the land of
21:51Cagnaccio and Maldini, there have been few stars who have dazzled with such swagger and ferocity.
21:56Liao has been Milan's Atlas, standing as majestic as the San Siro itself,
22:01bulldozing and bludgeoning. He has been electric as ever this year.
22:06Number 18, John Stones. Now, I was just talking about Declan Rice as being one of the best
22:10sixes on the planet, but is John Stones as well? The revolutionary tactical change that shifted
22:15John Stones up to number six from Pep Guardiola was the main reason, really, why Manchester City
22:20won the treble. They were able to control games so much more, and John Stones' spatial awareness of
22:25what's around him and how he receives the ball on the turn is just freakishly good for a player
22:31that is a centre-back by trade at the end of the day. 17, Trent Alexander-Arnold. A player so good
22:37that the rest of the game just bends to his will. Jurgen Klopp has ripped up a highly structured
22:42formation and redrawn it with Trent Alexander-Arnold as its nucleus. After spending 2022
22:47hearing about how he couldn't defend, he has responded by becoming the side's most important
22:52player, dictating play from midfield and showing himself to be absolutely unpressable when doing so.
22:58Number 16, William Saliba. Yes, the new wave Van Dijk. He's really imperious is kind of the word
23:03when you think of Saliba. Now, he got injured at the start of this year and then Arsenal started
23:08to drop points and then he's come back and Arsenal has stopped leaking goals this season, so that
23:13paints a picture in of itself. But again, similar to Van Dijk, the way he seems to be one step ahead
23:18of his attackers, he's so imperious, so fast, his anticipation of where the ball's going to go from
23:22a long ball over the top, he really, really is the all-round centre-half at the moment. Truly one of
23:28the best centre-backs, if not the best centre-half on the planet. So fully justified, number 16.
23:3315, Ilkay Gundogan. Often categorised simply as the man who finished the moves at Man City,
23:392023 showed that he's one of the most intelligent footballers of a generation. He became immortal
23:45this year with the treble, but the lack of his stability, craft and guile has punctuated
23:49City's faltering campaign so far. Pep Guardiola, or any manager for that matter, would have him
23:55back in a heartbeat. Number 14, Victor Ossiman. Now, you remember earlier on in this list when I
24:00was talking about Victor Boniface and how he's a backup striker for Nigeria? Well, that's because
24:06of this man. He is that, but just on absolute steroids. There is nothing this man cannot do.
24:12His hold-up play, his first touch, his variety of finishing, his aerial ability,
24:15his pace, his two-footedness, he just has absolutely everything. And at 24 years of
24:21age now, he has become a Napoli talisman and made history winning them their first title
24:25in 33 years. So he's already gone down in history. He's destined for greatness.
24:3013, Kevin De Bruyne. Perhaps Guardiola's finest tactical achievement at City,
24:34turning a playmaker into a Swiss army knife of a midfielder. Playmaker still, yes, but forward,
24:40winger, number 10, and sometimes all at once on route to three trophies. The fact he's missed
24:45most of this season and still feels like he has dominated 2023 is testament to just how important,
24:52just how good he is. Number 12, Jamal Musiala. This has really been the year that Musiala has
24:58stepped up and become the face of Bayern Munich. He pulled Bayern Munich to the title last season
25:03with that last-minute winner when Dortmund choked. And he's now established himself as
25:07probably Bayern Munich's most important player. Maybe not since Kane's come in,
25:11but definitely last season anyway. 11, Bukayo Saka. First pick for his club
25:16and as good as for his country, an absolute icon in English football already. He has two traits that
25:22make him potentially generational. One, he always steps up from a setback, taller and broader than
25:27when he was knocked down. And two, he has that incredible knack for seemingly downloading new
25:33patches to his repertoire as a footballer. Formerly a humble left-back capable of
25:37exhilarating with his pace and precision, he now dictates games with his stop-start runs,
25:42passing, drifts in and out of space, and lethal left foot.
25:45Number 10, Vinicius Junior. Yeah, I mean, quite simply put, one of the best wingers in Europe,
25:51if not the best. I think the most impressive thing about Vinicius Junior now really is how
25:56watchable he is. In an era of football where everything is so methodical and players are
26:01pigeonholed into zones and systems, he really, maybe he's the last of a dying breed of Brazilians
26:08who sort of has that flair and that maverick sort of style of play about them. And he's just a joy
26:12to watch, quite simply put. Nine, Antoine Griezmann. Few
26:16could touch him in Qatar and no one scaled the same heights as him in Spanish football in 2023.
26:22The Barcelona nightmare has led to a fabulous renaissance back in his spiritual home in Madrid,
26:27with Griezmann reborn as an all-action figure of invention and intelligence.
26:31As well as the goals, and there have been loads of goals, the Frenchman's hard-running and creativity
26:36have separated him as being an utterly unique footballer and one that Diego Simeone
26:42surely cherishes as the best he's ever had at Atletico.
26:46Number eight, Mohamed Salah. I mean, at what point do we start talking about Salah now as
26:50as an all-time great of the game? I think that time has come now. The consistency from Salah
26:54is just absolutely staggering. Last year was another 30-goal season for the Egyptian on the
26:59right wing and, you know, it's just been that way for the last six or seven years.
27:03Quite simply put, one of the best footballers I have ever seen and one of the best players
27:08in Liverpool history now. So, well done, Mo. Pat on the back.
27:12Seven, Bernardo Silva. Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard.
27:17But Bernardo Silva, the weird little freak, is absolutely both. This was the year that the
27:22Portuguese established himself as one of the defining footballers of the entire 2020s.
27:28He destroyed Real Madrid in one of the most breathtaking Champions League performances
27:32in recent memory and has toyed with opponents of every level, always one move ahead.
27:37Number six, Lionel Messi. Now, to be quite honest, I don't, like, is there any point in me saying
27:44anything about this guy anymore? Like, everyone knows who he is, everyone knows what he's done,
27:47everyone knows the trophies he's won, the goals he's scored, and just the fact that he's a bloody
27:52good player. But I think the main thing to note with Messi right now is, despite playing for
27:56Inter Miami now in America, I still firmly believe he is football's best player at walking pace.
28:01Still the best passer, the best mover, the best striker, well, he's up there with the best
28:05strikers of a ball. 700 career goals at club level this year and also his 300th club career assist
28:11as well to go on top of the World Cup. So, this might be the last time that he's in the top 100
28:15list because of the league he's playing in now, but ultimately, this year still belonged to him.
28:21And that league is now his. Number five, Rodri. The consistency of this man has been almost
28:28robotic. It's not that he never loses possession, but he never wastes it either,
28:32always looking to progress, always looking for the next move forward, rather than thinking about
28:37the last. Midfield metronomes are supposed to provide control, but Rodri is there to ensure
28:43dominance. He has the grace of a Pirlo for sure, but the edge of a Gattuso, wanting to strangle
28:49opponents with incessant strings of passes. The midfielder of the year. Number four, Kylian Mbappe.
28:57Yeah, 24 years old now, this guy is greatness personified already and I think he's gonna go on
29:02too. I mean, the scary thing is he could hit his prime in about 2030, which is incomprehensible
29:07given he started playing in the Champions League in 2017. 2023 wasn't exactly the most glittering
29:12year in terms of silverware for Kylian Mbappe, but nonetheless, in January, he came on and got a 10
29:17minute hat-trick and then five in a different game, and then in February, he drew level with
29:21Edinson Cavani for PSG goals in 20 fewer games, before then breaking his record in March. He also
29:27won league on again, of course, and then was the division's player of the year award for the fourth
29:31consecutive season. And of course, this year as well, he netted his 300th career goal and became
29:36France's all-time scorer by the end of the year. And that's not even touching on how electric he
29:41is to watch and how he sits defenders down and gets fans off their seats and stood up.
29:46He really is just, he's a complete showman 24 years of age, and only gonna get better.
29:513. Harry Kane 30 goals in the Premier League before the
29:55definitive big-money move to Bayern Munich, where he's made a mockery of all who've faced him.
30:00He has been unstoppable. What a year for Harry Kane. The England captain was phenomenal in his
30:07final flourish in England, as the focal point of arguably the worst side he's ever led.
30:12Then came Hollywood FC, where he was merely one of many stars, and unbelievably,
30:17he's had pretty much the same impact. It's the sign of a genuine great to simply perform almost
30:24in defiance of opposition or teammates. All that's left for him to do is fire England to similar glory.
31:124. Real Madrid 17 goals
31:42I don't know what the hell is in his dad's jeans, but he's got Joby Bellingham as a younger brother
31:46too, who's of course at Sunderland and is doing really well. So this family, honestly,
31:51could be solely what ends up winning England major silverware in the next few years. But
31:55Jude Bellingham right now on form, undoubtedly. I mean, he's got a case to be number one,
32:00but I think number two is fair because… 1. Erling Haaland
32:06Those who have been blessed by Erling Haaland's company know him as a man of few words.
32:10As minimalist as you would expect from a Scandinavian artist. But that is also how
32:16he plays the game. No fluff, no filler, he barely touches the ball in 90 minutes,
32:21but he makes every single one count. It might seem underwhelming or very anti-football to call
32:28the best player on earth the one who does things with the most efficiency, without ever giving you
32:33time to feel, but it is also completely accurate. 2023 belonged to Haaland. Three trophies,
32:41a Premier League goal record for a 38-hole in a season and the fastest man to 50 in the competition
32:47by an absolute mile. He is pretty much guaranteed to net if he plays. Others may be more complete
32:54or poetic as players, but no one does what Haaland does as well as him and no one has done
33:00for a very long time. He was the best player in the world this year. That is just a fact.
33:07As cold and as simple as the man himself would appreciate.
33:31The best this and the best that and I even wrote a thing which was meant to be funny,
33:35but I've read it back now and it's a bit, I don't know. Follow 442 wherever you have your social
33:39fun. The handles are in the corner of the video and you can get me wherever you like as well
33:43at Adam Cleary, C-L-E-R-Y. But until 2024, next year my friends, I will see you very soon. Unless
33:52of course it is already 2024 when you're watching this video, in which case we'll just be calling it
33:56this year then, won't we? Not next year because that's how that works. Goodbye.