Vinícius Júnior has been the talk of the town for Madridistas. His transformation from a talented but wayward winger to a mature and clinical forward has helped Real Madrid to go into the New Year at the top of La Liga.
Vinícius Júnior was behind Eden Hazard in the pecking order at the beginning of the season but it did not take long for him to eclipse the Belgian in the starting eleven through his scintillating performances. In seasons past, the Brazilian teammates hesitated to give him the ball, and now he is the one to who they are eager to pass the ball.
The Los Blancos winger has proven himself to be one of the top players in Real Madrid, but where exactly does Vinícius Júnior rank among the best players in the world this season?
10. Sebastian Haller
Sebastian Haller struggled to make his mark at West Ham, but he has found a new life since his move to Ajax. The Ivory Coast striker took the Champions League by storm, scoring four goals in the first matchday and finishing the group stage with ten. Haller is only the fourth player in history to claim ten or more goals in the group stages.
He is now in the record books alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Robert Lewandowski. The Ajax forward also has ten goals in Eredivisie this season, taking his total goal contribution to 26 in all club competitions. I’d say he definitely deserves this selection at the moment.
9. Thomas Muller
Thomas Muller seems to go under the radar when it comes to talking about some of the best footballers in the world. He is an intelligent player who utilizes spaces in the attacking third and has an innate ability to read the game. The German attacker has been one of the top creators in world football in the past few seasons, and the current season is no different.
The 32-year-old forward has assisted in 13 Bundesliga goals in 17 matches, and he is well on his way to challenging the previous record of 21 assists set by himself in the 2019/2020 season. Muller has contributed to 22 goals in 23 appearances.
8. Erling Haaland
Erling Braut Haaland’s 2021/2022 season had a flying start but got interrupted by a hip flexor injury for almost two months. However, it is a testament to his talent and performances that he still features in this list.
Borussia Dortmund’s forward is a goal-scoring machine. He is at 16 goals and four assists for Dortmund in just 14 appearances thus far.
7. Trent Alexander Arnold
Jurgen Klopp’s system relies heavily on his fullbacks to create opportunities in the attacking third, and Trent Alexander Arnold is one of the best in his position. He improved on his numbers of two goals and nine assists last season with two goals and ten assists so far, and we still have more than half a season to go. England’s number one right-back is also completing 3.2 key passes per 90 in Premier League, which is just exceptional, really.
6. Bernardo Silva
Bernardo Silva is seemingly in the midst of a resurgence for Manchester City. The Portuguese midfielder looked like he was out of his depths last season and struggled to find himself in Pep Guardiola’s team.
However, Silva is a renewed player who has forced a spot in the starting eleven. He is a key player in City’s title challenge and even displaced Kevin De Bruyne from the first eleven. He has also scored seven goals and has two assists in 19 games this season.
5. Kylian Mbappe
Kylian Mbappe is the sole reason PSG is at the top of Ligue 1. Mauricio Pochettino has struggled to bring out a good, collective performance from his team, but it’s Mbappe who has time and again dragged PSG over the line. He also helped France qualify for the World Cup and played a vital role in their Nations League win.
He is at 13 goals and 12 assists in 23 appearances this season for PSG. The 23-year-old has a strong head on his shoulders and understands that being an elite player does not mean just scoring goals but also making an impact and helping your team win games.
4. Vinícius Júnior
I watched a lot of WWE when I was younger, and like many wrestling fans, The Rock was one of my favorite entertainers. He was called the ‘Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment.’ Now, that tagline is all I can think of when I watch Vinícius Júnior with the ball at his feet. Step aside Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Vinícius Júnior is now the ‘Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment.’
There is currently no player that is more exciting than Vinícius Júnior. The confidence with which he glides past defenders is amazing, the tricks, the exuberance, and most importantly, the final product, all of it is just a joy to watch. He had all the talent in the world, but he didn’t have the clarity in the attacking third.
The Brazilian has changed that this season and his decision-making closer to goal has improved leaps and bounds. He had a total of 11 goals and 14 assists in La Liga and UCL in the last three seasons, and he is already at 12 goals and nine assists in 24 appearances this season, per Transfermarkt.com. Moreover, Vinícius is the player with the most carries into the attacking third, most carries into the box, and most successful dribbles in La Liga this season.
3. Robert Lewandowski
Robert Lewandowski cannot stop scoring. The Bayern striker scored 41 goals in 34 matches to break the 49-year-old single-season goal-scoring record of 40 goals set by Gerd Muller, and he continues to make new records to end 2021. The Polish captain completed the year with 69 goals from 59 games equaling Cristiano Ronaldo’s 2013 goal-scoring numbers and only behind Lionel Messi’s 91 goals in 2012 for most goals scored in a calendar year.
Lewandowski boasts 30 goals in the 2021/2022 season in just 24 appearances, scoring every 68 mins for the German Champions.
2. Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema is brilliant this season. He continues to get better with age, and he is arguably the best player in the world at the tail end of 2021. Benzema has 18 goals and eight assists in 22 games for Real Madrid, helping his team top La Liga with a healthy five-point lead and finish the Champions League group stages as leaders.
He is a complete forward who can start the attacking moves and finish them. According to Whoscored.com, he has a goal contribution every 70 minutes. He leads Los Blancos’ attack from the front, and he has cemented himself as the best player in La Liga this season.
1. Mohamed Salah
Mohamed Salah is in the form of his life going into the busiest time in the Premier League. He is playing at an immense level and is the prime reason Liverpool is challenging for the title and one of the favorites for the Champions League.
The Egyptian superstar has 22 goals and nine assists in all club competitions in 24 appearances, and it’s only December. He has at least a goal contribution in all but three games since the start of the season.
Salah’s performances have eclipsed any other players in England this season, and his hat-trick against Manchester United was just the beginning.