Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, the Premier League's player of the year last season, also made the shortlist as did Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos. He says: "Lewandowski is a great centre-forward, he's been a great player for Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, but I don't think we should be putting him anywhere near Messi and Ronaldo. A fascinating study has revealed the most searched football players on Google in 2023 and shows there's 'no face of the Premier League'. For Neville, though, Haaland's character is as significant as his ability when it comes to his hopes of achieving greatness. That's been a problem for a lot of players, not just him.". As incredible as Ronaldo is, something tells us he will never catch up with Messi Zlatan and Hazard are the only two players to have reached 100 Man-of-the-Match awards or more since 2009. Messi's esteemed PSG teammates Neymar and Kylian Mbappe are ranked third and fourth while Robert Lewandowski, Karim Benzema, Paulo Dybala, Gerard Pique, Sadio Mane and Luis Suarez make up the top ten. - Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only) They meet again on Dec. 8. Among the women's best player nominees are European and French champions Lyon's captain Wendie Renard and former team mate Lucy Bronze, who moved to Manchester City. "He was in a brilliant team at that time with Suarez and Messi as a front three and Barcelona the best team in the world. "It's not a Liverpool thing, I think Salah is absolutely amazing, but I just think Mbappe has got the ability to be out-of-this-world special. And yep, that means all their star players are now sans tick. "But I think the season Salah is having, and the numbers he's got compared to anyone else in the Premier League, which is the best league in the world right now, just shows how far ahead of everybody else in the Premier League he is. Rivaldo was another one. Among the women's best player nominees are European and French champions Lyon's captain Wendie Renard and former team mate Lucy Bronze, who moved to Manchester City. - ESPN+ viewer's guide: Bundesliga, Serie A, MLS, FA Cup and more - Play responsibly | 18+ Only | https://t.co/TPg8xsbpGs@blazecom pic.twitter.com/47O5SlqbhM. "I like Haaland's personality," he says. Even then, though, emulating Messi and Ronaldo's longevity is likely to prove impossible, according to Neville. Spain legend and current Vissel Kobe star Andres Iniesta, who earns around 25.66m, is perhaps a surprise inclusion in seventh on the list. Yesterday's rainy training session! pic.twitter.com/sKZn6xmWxX. That's not because these players don't have the ability, it's just that there may be someone else who comes along in four or five years and takes their mantle. Salah and [Sadio] Mane are now doing that at Liverpool, [Raheem] Sterling at Manchester City - they are scoring a load of goals from the wide striker position, and that is all because Ronaldo and Messi have set that expectation at that level. (Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images), 11. There is often a debate about who is the better Premier League centre-back, between Nemanja Vidic, Virgil van Dijk and John Terry, but FourFourTwo has solved that, by putting them in 60th, 54th and 44th places respectively. Lewandowski was a firm favourite for the Ballon d'Or award before it was scrapped this year for the first time in its 64-year history because of the coronavirus. "It was always going to be a lot more difficult," says Carragher. Naturally, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are ranked No.1 and No.2 respectively, with the Al Nassr superstar beating the Paris Saint-Germain man to top spot, according to Foot Goal. I think he went for the wrong reasons. It was never normally a goalscorer who was the best player in the world, it was normally a playmaker. Madrid bounce back after Girona shock as Benzema rewrites record books, As 15-year-old Lamine Yamal makes history, Barcelona get back on track over hapless Betis, Pulisic, Maguire, Van de Beek among players who need a new club this summer, How to fix Europe's heavyweights, from Chelsea and Liverpool to PSG, Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only), ESPN+ viewer's guide: Bundesliga, Serie A, MLS, FA Cup and more, Goal of the Year! WebDue to your consent preferences, youre not able to view this. "When I was a lot younger, it wasn't so much about numbers, it was more about the play. - Goal of the Year! Please feel free to discuss with us the comment box is below. They are not so flush as to pay for a gold tick for their official English, Arabic, French, Japanese or Portuguese Twitter feeds. - Goal of the Year! "In terms of speed of play, talent, skill, agility, intelligence, link-up play - I've never seen forward play as creative and skilful as I witnessed that day in my life. So Messi has been given the most Man-of-the-Match awards in world football since 2009 - and it's not even close. Julien Laurens debates whether Erling Haaland would be a better signing than Lionel Messi. You have come to the ESPN Africa edition, for other ESPN editions, click above. There is further Premier League representation in the form of Belgium duo Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard - the former one of Pep Guardiola's key players in Manchester City's title-winning season. "I think we are already in that era now," says Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher. With Liverpool's Mo Salah (Egypt), Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos (Spain) and Tottenham's Son Heung-Min all potentially playing at the Tokyo Games this summer, Mbappe may just join the party. Lionel Messi - 306 (52% of Please elaborate why Messi gets to play with players like Mbappe and Neymar and Ronaldo is playing with players like "Ghareeb" 28 Apr 2023 20:37:07 FIFA Best: Messi vs. Ronaldo rivalry resumes as I would sign Mbappe, he is the one who most reminds me of me and my playing times, he said. Messi, Ronaldo, Mbappe, Salah: The top 100 players of Ashley Cole; 22. Cristiano 5. That means there's only four Premier League players in the top 20 (the aforementioned Casemiro and Salah as well as Manchester United 's Harry Maguire and Neymar, Lewandowski and De Bruyne all make the top 10, while Mbappe, despite only being 23, is 18th having been named Man-of-the-Match 58 times since making his professional debut in 2015. You have come to the all new Global edition, for other ESPN editions, click here. Ronaldo ($113 million), Messi ($110 million) and Neymar ($91 million) fall in behind Mbapp within the top 10 earners. "I think he's done well," says Carragher. Another Saturday, another chance to win 250,000 with Super 6. "But if you said to me I could sign one player for Manchester United tomorrow, I would still probably go for Mbappe or Haaland over Salah. This is what went down. But while Real Madrid have paid top dollar to show their stars' accounts are genuine, Barcelona have shunned the new pay-for-a-tick scheme. While Lionel Messi doesn't have a personal Twitter account, his official "Team Messi" profile has also seen the tick removed. "He gets a little bit of criticism at different times, maybe because he didn't become the best player in the world. "What Ronaldo and Messi have achieved is out of this world, the numbers have been unrelenting, obscene.". Anyone who saw either of Lionel Messi's assists in Paris Saint-Germain's recent 3-1 win over St Etienne at the Parc des Princes will be aware the old magic is still there. "To play at that level for Manchester United at 37 is unbelievable, but we're judging him against the player he was before that. Who was your country's GOAT? QUIZ: At what club did these 40 players make their professional debut? The Champions League, and another World Cup, would be the crowning glory for Mbappe to succeed Ronaldo and Messi.". Arsenals dream of reaching a first Womens Champions League final since their 2007 triumph came to an end after Pauline Bremers extra-time goal saw Wolfsburg beat the Gunners 5-4 on Cameras catch Jordan Pickford's ingenious system to save Leicester pen. When can Manchester City win the Premier League title? (1:51). 10 Stars Who Played With Cristiano Ronaldo But Said Lionel Over the years I've thoroughly enjoyed connecting with you all on Twitter. "Purely on goals, Ronaldo and Messi have redefined football. Those moments of inspiration took him to 10 assists in Ligue 1 this season, the joint-most in the division, but in terms of goals, his output has dropped dramatically for the first time in his career. The next 20 names also make for some rather interesting reading, with 11 of the players ranked, such as Mohamed Salah and Harry Kane, still plying their trade in the Premier League at the moment. How Ronaldo made it in Manchester, became a Madrid and Juve goal machine, Lionel Messi's evolution as a player: From Ronaldinho's Barcelona understudy to GOAT candidate. The next 15 names, ranked from 26th to 40th also feature some incredible talents, with the likes of Didier Drogba, Sergio Aguero and Gareth Bale. - ESPN+ viewer's guide: Bundesliga, Serie A, MLS, FA Cup and more 50, Klopp says referee has agenda against Liverpool, Haaland equals PL goal record as Man City go top, Man United beat Villa to bolster top-4 bid, Napoli's title party on hold after late equaliser, Bayern win to overtake Dortmund atop Bundesliga, Wilson double puts Newcastle on brink of Champions League, Spain FA chief: Messi return would be 'welcomed', IWL 2023: News, Schedule, Scores, Results, Points table, Man United in pole position for top four, but can't take their eyes off Liverpool, The VAR Review: Red cards for Jota, Skipp; Richarlison penalty claim, Moment of the Weekend: Golazo from the muchacho - Alvarez's screamer has City dreaming again, Haaland first to 50, Benzema hat-trick takes him fourth, Ronaldo ends drought: Stats, Bayern back in charge, Yamal makes history, Napoli's party spoiled: Weekend Review, Liverpool rescue three points, chase top-four finish after surviving epic Spurs comeback, Man United end Villa's run, take step towards top-four finish against backdrop of fan protests, Madrid bounce back after Girona shock as Benzema rewrites record books, As 15-year-old Lamine Yamal makes history, Barcelona get back on track over hapless Betis, AFC Cup playoff: Diego Mauricio hat-trick powers Odisha into Asia after 3-1 win over Gokulam Kerala, LIVE Transfer Talk: Man United, PSG to battle for Abraham. The Frenchman is six years younger at 23 but dominating the game in the same way as Messi and Ronaldo could be a tall order, according to Carragher. WebPlayer Comparison: Neymar vs. Kylian Mbapp vs. But, at 34, a player who dominated the sport for well over a decade together with Cristiano Ronaldo returns to the Spanish capital having only scored seven times in 24 games for PSG this season. SUITA, JAPAN - JULY 25: Lionel Messi of Paris Saint-Germain in action during the preseason friendly between Paris Saint-Germain and Gamba Osaka at Panasonic Stadium Suita on July 25, 2022 in Suita, Osaka, Japan. Right now, it is not that one is better than another, but if Real Madrid had to make a big investment, they should do so thinking about the future, he said. Brentford 2-1 Nottingham Forest: Player ratings as Bees complete Cristiano 5. Football News and Latest Updates | Football News | Sky Sports Messi, Mbappe, Ronaldo & Salah all nominated for The Best FIFA Men's Player of the Year, record-breaking 32 goals in 36 league appearances, Zinedine Zidane, Guardiola and England manager Gareth Southgate all part of the list. This service is provided on talkSPORT Ltd's Terms of Use in accordance with our Privacy Policy. It is also a chance for Neymar. Barcelona icon Messi was the Brazilian's first pick, with Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, Real Madrid's Eden Hazard and Paris Saint-Germain pair Neymar and Kylian Mbappe also making the cut. Eden Hazard - 100 (19% of games) 3. Players Zinedine Zidane, who is not someone you recognise for lots of goals, more great goals. Son, Suarez, WSL stars up for FIFA Puskas Award. PSG's trip to the Bernabeu on Wednesday is not just a chance for Messi and Mbappe to strengthen their claim for the crown of world's best. 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However, the striker can still lay claim to being the best player if he picks up the FIFA award, which will be presented at a ceremony on Dec. 17. His former teammate, Liverpool midfielder Thiago Alcantara, was also nominated. Cristiano Ronaldo has leapfrogged his great rival Lionel Messi as the worlds highest paid footballer. When can Manchester City win the Premier League title? Son, Suarez, WSL stars up for FIFA Puskas Award. Salah 4. PSG predicted XI v Lorient: Kylian Mbapp and Lionel Messi to start up front, PSGs Lionel Messi travels to Saudi Arabia hours after defeat to Lorient, PLAYER RATINGS | PSG 1-3 Lorient: Kylian Mbapp scores but league leaders lose at home again, David Beckham poses with Kylian Mbapp during PSG training ground visit, Lionel Messi renewal talks with PSG stall amid increased salary demands, Leicester escape PL relegation zone after Everton thriller. Due to your consent preferences, youre not able to view this. FIFA have also announced the nominees for the Coach of the Year award, with the likes of Zinedine Zidane, Guardiola and England manager Gareth Southgate all part of the list. The Brazilian's time in Paris has perhaps not fully lived up to expectations following his 200m move from Barcelona in 2017, with persistent injury problems impacting his availability, meaning he has never made more than 20 league appearances for PSG in a single season. Bayern Munich's treble-winning Robert Lewandowski will battle it out with Juventus star Ronaldo and Barcelona's Messi after finishing as top goal scorer in the Champions League and Bundesliga last season. This portion also features a strong Chelsea contingency, with four of the 15 names featured having played for the London outfit. Leicester City and Everton faced off in the weekends final Premier League fixture on Monday. But the Bayern Munich striker won FIFA's version of the prize on both occasions and few could argue he didn't deserve them. PL relegation fight: What are the remaining games? For a player who averaged more than 30 per season in league games alone at Barcelona, it is unfamiliar territory. Messi and Ronaldo are inevitably at the top, but in which order? Ronaldo, a former Real Madrid and Barcelona striker, had spoken Mbappe in the past when he urged his Real to make a move for 23-year-old over his PSG There is, however, no place for Neymar, who finished third in last year's voting, after an injury-hit season with PSG and difficult World Cupthat saw Brazil knocked out at the quarter-final stage by Belgium. Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar left unverified on Twitter Blue, but Real Madrid pay up for players play Why Man City are favorites vs. Real Madrid in UCL semis (1:33) Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski is sixth on 25m, while Liverpools Mohamed Salah completes the top five with earnings of around 30m-a-year. Ronaldo Fernando Gago Played with Ronaldo for three years at Real Madrid as well as Messi for the Argentina national team. Philipp Lahm; 17. "He's got a bit of Eric Cantona in him. Neymar According to Forbes, the Manchester United star earns approximately 91million-a-year ($125m) before taxes, with 50m of that through his wages and around 40m in sponsorship deals. Salah 4. Son, Suarez, WSL stars up for FIFA Puskas Award. Kylian Mbappe, Mohamed Salah, Erling Haaland vying to usurp "The wide striker can now be a 30, 40 goals a season machine. Arjen Robben; 21. 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The duo are more often than not the best player on the pitch whenever they take to the field. One of Chelsea's biggest problems was that they lacked creativity. FIFA Best: Messi vs. Ronaldo rivalry resumes as We saw the scenes when he left the club and I think we were all sad to see it. Neymar vs Kylian Mbappe "They would be the two who would split people now in the way Messi and Ronaldo have split people for so many years. Neymar 2. Now 35 and 37 respectively, they continue to play at the highest level with Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United. "What we mustn't underestimate with Ronaldo and Messi is their resilience, their consistency, the standards season in, season out, the number of games they have played, their toughness, mentally and physically, to withstand all the kickings they will have taken and the criticism they will have had, the pressure and scrutiny that is on them. And it seems Los Blancos don't want any imposters trying to claim they play for them -- because they are paying that $50-a-month fee for every player to keep their blue ticks -- as shown by Karim Benzema's account. Fans will also be allowed to make their vote count with public voting on FIFA's website open until Dec. 9. Carragher described Salah as the best player in the world in October following his dazzling performance in Liverpool's 2-2 draw with Manchester City at Anfield but he sees Mbappe as the Egyptian's main competition for the crown. 50, Kealia, J.J. 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For Carragher, though, his numbers are most important. If theres one thing football fans love in this world, its a debate. The list is going to cause some controversy, and ironically, probably even more debate, so lets jump right into it and not waste any more of your time. "I think the toss-up for me would be between Mohamed Salah and Kylian Mbappe," says Jamie Carragher; "there is no doubt Salah is world class, but Mbappe has got something different," says Gary Neville. Wide players were there to assist and cross. Who was your country's GOAT? One advantage Mbappe has over Salah is his age. So, to try and settle this one and for all, the team over at FourFourTwo have ranked the 100 best players from the 21st century. Please elaborate why Messi gets to play with players like Mbappe and Neymar and Ronaldo is playing with players like "Ghareeb" 28 Apr 2023 20:37:07 Wiegman was recently appointed England women's new coach and will replace Phil Neville in September 2021. As far as footballers are concerned, it doesn't appear that Musk has been willing to pay for any players to maintain their status, though a few significant names have obviously signed up to the service in order to protect their verified accounts. Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville adds: "For the first time in years, if you asked people which player in the world they would sign if they could only pick one, no one would say Messi or Ronaldo, they would likely say Mbappe, Haaland, Salah, Lewandowski. It is in the Champions League, though, that he has shone most brightly, contributing four goals and four assists in the group stage before his sensational, solo winner in the last-16 first-leg clash with Real Madrid, the club desperate to sign him this summer. They can pay another $50-a-month for every individual they want to keep their blue tick. Ronaldo leapfrogs Messi as best-paid footballer with play Ronaldo and Messi were drawn to face off in the Champions League group stage this season when Juventus were drawn against Barcelona in Group G. Ronaldo missed the opening game at Camp Nou on Oct. 28, a 2-0 win for Barca, after testing positive for COVID-19. However, the striker can still lay claim to being the best player if he picks up the FIFA award, which will be presented at a ceremony on Dec. 17. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window). Already lost it once, not scared of not having it anymore I'm not paying for this weird ideas lol. News Corp is a network of leading companies in the worlds of diversified media, news, education, and information services. I think he's a top player. FIFA Best: Messi vs. Ronaldo rivalry resumes as Mbappe, Salah, Neymar, Mane join stars in line for top award - ESPN Application error: a client-side exception has RB: Aaron Hickey - 6/10 - Covered the ground behind him well as Thanks to his ingenious system, Jordan Pickford denied James Maddisons penalty in Evertons clash with Leicester City. "I think the toss-up for me would be between Mohamed Salah and Kylian Mbappe," he says. Find out the results! But the world's most followed football club, Real Madrid (47.3 million followers) have matched the UEFA Champions League (47 million) in retaining their gold check mark, which denotes a verified business account. Lewandowski will be 34 when next season rolls around and yet he keeps getting better. Find out below VIGO, SPAIN - AUGUST 20: Karim Benzema of Real Madrid CF in action during the LaLiga Santander match between RC Celta de Vigo and Real Madrid CF at Estadio Balaidos on August 20, 2022 in Vigo, Spain. Messi 3. Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher explains why Mohamed Salah and Kylian Mbappe are the two strongest contenders to the crown of worlds best player, following Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's dominance. "They have not been traditional centre-forwards, which makes the numbers they have hit even more incredible," he says. As its counted as per the votes by players and coaches, its always interesting to Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe all feature in list of players with the most Man-of-the-Match awards since 2009. "We want professional, well-behaved people, but we also want personality and character and people who are willing to go against the norm, that is what Haaland does.". His former teammate, Liverpool midfielder Thiago Alcantara, was also nominated. "You would be naming players other than Ronaldo and Messi, and that is the clearest sign that while these two are still operating at the highest level, they are fading from the levels they were at before. Ronaldo Lionel Messi returns to Spain on Wednesday when Paris Saint-Germain face Real Madrid at the Bernabeu, the scene of some of the most iconic performances of his incredible career before he swapped Barcelona for Paris. NEYMAR JR. French side Paris Saint-Germain makes a third appearance on this list with Brazilian soccer star Neymar. (1:51), FIFA Best: Messi vs. Ronaldo rivalry resumes, Liverpool, Tottenham put on a show as Klopp goes overboard, Bundesliga title twists, Haaland scores No. Open Privacy Options That means Real Madrid are paying Twitter an incredible $1,000-a-month (plus tax) to be, well, the real deal. Haaland is still only 21 but his formidable goalscoring record already places him among the elite. Lyon's Jean-Luc Vasseur is nominated for the best women's coach along with Chelsea's Emma Hayes and last year's runner-up Sarina Wiegman of the Netherlands. Netherlands, Bayern great finishes marathon in under 3 hours. "There are always great players coming, and for Ronaldo and Messi to hold off that competition for so long just shows how far ahead of everybody else they were.".