Real Madrid have 7 of the top 100 players in the world, yet two stars still massively underrated

Real Madrid fans have been very disappointed with most of the year-end awards in 2021. First, they saw Toni Kroos not even nominated on the Ballon d’Or shortlist despite clearly being one of the best midfielders in the world. Then, they watched as Thibaut Courtois was disrespected on the Yashin Award final list. And finally, Karim Benzema didn’t get a podium finish in the Ballon d’Or, which was won by Lionel Messi over Robert Lewandowski and had Jorginho sitting in third.

Unfortunately, Madridistas will also have a few bones to pick with The Guardian’s list of the top 100 male footballers of 2021.

Once again, Karim Benzema only finished in fourth, but at least the top three was more reasonable with Mohamed Salah in third instead of Jorginho (fifth) and Lewandowski in his rightful place at the top over Messi.

Elsewhere, Madrid favorites lined up the top 10, with Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, and Cristiano Ronaldo occupying the places in sixth through eighth. Though Madridisas will still point out that Jorginho probably should not be above them…

Only three Real Madrid players made the top 50

Who were the other six of the seven total Real Madrid players to make it into the top 100?

Aside from Benzema, there were only two other Madrid players in the top 50. Vinicius Junior’s amazing start to 2021-2022 buoyed him up to 31st place, sandwiched between Lautaro Martinez and Angel Di Maria. Looking at the list, Edouard Mendy, Nicolo Barella, Phil Foden, and Thomas Muller are the only players in the 20’s with a better case over Vini. Rankings like Leonardo Bonucci’s, Giorgio Chiellini’s, Raheem Sterling’s, and Sadio Mane’s seem to be more about visibility and reputation.

Luka Modric was the other one in the top 50, ranked 40 and 25 spots ahead of Kroos in 65th. So while Modric at least gets some respect, Kroos remains painfully underrated. With all due respect, how can Declan Rice and Zlatan Ibrahimovic be ranked above him?

In between Modric and Kroos, two more Real Madrid players were named just outside the top 50. Ace goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was in 53rd, inexplicably behind fellow keeper Emiliano Martinez and ex-Chelsea teammate Cesar Azpilicueta. David Alaba, who spent 2021 with Bayern Munich and Los Merengues, finished in 55th, which seems like an appropriate spot for him.

Casemiro was the seventh and final Madrid star in the top 100, as he was ranked in 68th over the likes of Marcos Llorente and Jude Bellingham in the early 70’s. So Madridistas cannot have complaints about his ranking.

Toni Kroos and Thibaut Courtois continue to get snubbed

So basically, The Guardian’s top 100 contains the same snubs that we have seen throughout 2021. While Madridistas would want Benz to be ranked higher, fourth is not an awful spot, all things considered. Modric and Casemiro are in fair spots, as is Alaba. If we are taking 2021 as a whole, Vini in 31st is fair given his comparatively average end to the 2020-2021 season, so if he should be ranked above the players in front of him, it is more about those players being overrated (especially Bonucci) than anything else.

Meanwhile, Kroos and Courtois remain underrated and, quite frankly, disrespected. There should not be 23 spots separating Mendy and Courtois, who were the joint-top keepers in the world in 2021. Jan Oblak being rated over Courtois is a joke, because Oblak has been quite poor to start the 2021-2022 season.

As for Kroos in 65th, the less I say about this, the better. I wouldn’t want to get in any hot water, but it is seriously disappointing to see that a player in the 99th percentile for so many midfield stats continues to get shafted in this manner.