Popular Leagues

Other Leagues

Ronaldo's name is not on the list of the top 50 best players in the world

A ranking of the top 100 male football players in the world in 2022 was recently published by The Guardian. While Messi ranked first, Ronaldo’s position decreased dramatically.
Leey
By: Leey

Besides journalists from all over the world, the jury of the election (organized by the Guardian) includes former players such as Patrik Andersson, Rune Bratseth, Maicon, Juninho Pernambucano... show more famous coaches, including Fatih Terim, Avram Grant...

76% of the judges chose Messi for the first place, overwhelming the following players such as Mbappe (13%) and Benzema (10%). Man City is the team with the most players in the top 100, with 12 players.

The different situations of Ronaldo and Messi

After Argentina won the World Cup, Lionel Messi was chosen as the best player in 2022. He also excelled at Paris Saint-Germain. Messi and PSG won Ligue 1 before shining strongly in the 2022–23 campaign. In 2022, M10 scored 35 goals and contributed 30 assists in 51 matches. He and PSG won Ligue 1 and the French Super Cup.

Cristiano Ronaldo will have another dismal season if Lionel Messi has a strong year. He had to relocate to Saudi Arabia to play for Al-Nassr after being fired by MU. According to The Guardian's list of 100 players for 2022, Messi is the best, while Ronaldo is only ranked 51st.

While Messi ranked 1st place, Ronaldo only stood 51st place

This is also Ronaldo's lowest position since the Guardian started compiling the list in 2012. He scored 16 goals and assisted four times in 46 matches in 2022. In the past 11 years, CR7 has topped the Guardian's poll twice (in 2014 and 2016). Ronaldo is ranked eighth in the 2021 election, trailing both Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe.

About this achievement, journalist Marcus Christenson commented: "Every good thing must come to an end." This is the first year Ronaldo has fallen out of the top 10 since this ranking was announced in 2012. Ronaldo's failure came from not being able to get along with coach Erik ten Hag at MU, an interview with journalist Piers Morgan, and a disappointing 2022 World Cup. Ronaldo was also criticized by his own coach, Fernando Santos, for his harsh reaction to being substituted in the match against South Korea. Then he was pushed to the bench.

Another places

The French duo of Kylian Mbappe (who scored a hat-trick in the 2022 World Cup final) and Karim Benzema are 2nd and 3rd, respectively. Erling Haaland of Manchester City is fourth after displaying exceptional form at Dortmund and Man City.

Top 15  best players in the world of 2022 according to The Guardian

Haaland's Man City teammate Kevin De Bruyne is sixth, while Luka Modric is ahead of the Belgian. Robert Lewandowski, Vinicius Jr., Thibaut Courtois, and Mo Salah rounded out the Top 10. In addition to the top 10, former Liverpool player Sadio Mane is ranked 11th, while Brazilian superstar Neymar is 12th. Harry Kane is in 13th place, Jude Bellingham is right behind him in 14th, and MU star Casemiro is in 15th. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez is 20th, while Bukayo Saka is 22nd, ahead of Rafael Leao and Phil Foden.

Other Premier League stars in the Top 30 are Son Heung-Min, Virgil van Dijk, Bruno Fernandes, and Bernardo Silva. A few other Premier League players, including Julian Alvarez, Alisson, Martin Odegaard, Joao Cancelo, and Cody Gakpo, are in the Top 50.

Marcus Rashford ranks 58th, just behind Riyadh Mahrez and ahead of Liverpool's Luis Diaz and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Declan Rice comes in at number 88. A few other stars in the Top 100 are Gabriel Jesus (No. 62), Hakim Ziyech (No. 63), Cristian Romero (No. 72), Lisandro Martinez (No. 81), Darwin Nunez (No. 82), Aleksandar Mitrovic (No.  83), and Reece James (No. 94).

Click star to rate
5 (2 rating)
Leey
Written by: Leey
Leey is the reporter for Betimate. She currently has a series of articles about football. She specializes in researching football data to come up with evaluations about the tournament and predictions about the matches.

Related Content

Ranked: The 11 Worst Misses in Premier League History
Ranked: The 11 Worst Misses in Premier League History
The likes of Fernando Torres, Sergio Aguero, and Cristiano Ronaldo have all experienced forgettable moments in their careers.
Nassr's AFC Champions League Exit: Ronaldo's Late Penalty Falls Short
Nassr's AFC Champions League Exit: Ronaldo's Late Penalty Falls Short
Despite Cristiano Ronaldo's late heroics, Al-Nassr's journey in the AFC Champions League came to an end as they were knocked out by Al-Ain in a penalty shootout.
Frustration for Ronaldo as Wasteful Performance Contributes to Woeful Loss against Al-Raed
Frustration for Ronaldo as Wasteful Performance Contributes to Woeful Loss against Al-Raed
A wasteful Cristiano Ronaldo displayed evident frustration as Al-Nassr's aspirations for the title were essentially dashed following a dismal 3-1 defeat to Al-Raed.
Former Chelsea Defender Believes Portugal Will Win Trophy if Ronaldo Doesn't Play
Former Chelsea Defender Believes Portugal Will Win Trophy if Ronaldo Doesn't Play
Frank Leboeuf, who won Euro 2000 with France, believes that Portugal has a strong chance of contending at Euro 2024. However, he suggests that in order to maximize their chances, they should consider excluding the ageing Cristiano Ronaldo from their squad.
The Top 10 Highest Jumps in Football History (2024)
The Top 10 Highest Jumps in Football History (2024)
Soccer showcases a variety of talented players who excel in different aspects of the game. Some possess exceptional dribbling and scoring abilities, while others stand out with their remarkable aerial prowess. Renowned stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimović, and Youssef En-Nesyri have gained recognition for their remarkable jumping abilities, allowing them to outperform opponents in aerial duels.