Golazo 100 countdown: Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr top the best men’s soccer players in the world list for 2024

The Sri Lankan captain is ranked fifth in the ICC’s Women’s T20 all-rounder standings and recently led her country to their first-ever Asia Cup title. The 34-year-old bowls accurate off-spin and can be an explosive batter in the shortest format of the game. Athapaththu has made 246 international appearances since her debut – at the age of 19 – in the T20 World Cup in 2006 and boasts a wealth of experience in franchise T20 cricket as well. Downs has returned from his ankle injury and has slowly gained work over the last two weeks. Last week he broke out, catching 8-of-9 targets for 82 yards and a touchdown against a good Steelers defense. Jacksonville ranks 30th in pass defense EPA and 28th in fantasy points allowed to wide receivers.

Who will present The Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony for 2024?

Kelce reached new heights of popularity in 2023, but that kind of recognition among his peers has been a constant in the Top 100. The Chiefs’ star is the highest-ranked tight end for the fourth consecutive year despite falling 16 yards short of his eighth straight 1,000-yard season in 2023 (93 receptions, 984 yards, five touchdowns in 15 games). A sure-handed model of consistency, Kelce was a force to be reckoned with during Kansas City’s successful run at back-to-back Super Bowls, catching 32 balls for 355 yards and three touchdowns.

Gavi — Midfield, Barcelona

I expect the 49ers to get a lead here, which will help Murray’s volume, but if they have to become a pass-first team for most of the game, the 49ers defensive line should feast. The Cowboys haven’t been great this year, but they are still an above-average offense, which should keep the Steelers offense from burying their head and waiting for the defense to win the game for them. Add in the fact that both Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence are out this week, and I love Fields fantasy upside again in Week 4. The two-footed Lino attacks space in behind opposing defences superbly and is a frequent contributor in the final third as a result. Another true freshman, walk-on Alexander Stoyanovich, handled kickoff duties last week at UCF, and walk-on linebacker Gage Goldberg played one game on special teams.

Golazo 100 Men’s List

That means an exclusive list has been unveiled, detailing the 100 best young male footballers in the world right now. Nominees for the Golden Boy must be under the age of 21 and play in the top flight of a European nation’s football divisions, so those putting in the work in second and third tiers are unfortunately ineligible for consideration. Rafael van der Vaart was the inaugural Golden Boy winner back in 2003, being given the award while on the books at Ajax and soon after moving to the Bundesliga with Hamburg, followed by the dream transfer to Real Madrid.

• The 49ers are getting after the quarterback this year and aren’t bringing extra help to get there.
• Anchoring Kyle Shanahan’s potent offense the past three seasons, Williams’ skill set as an elite run- and pass-blocking left tackle renders the complex scheme into a seemingly painless process.
• The 26-year-old Lookman landed at his sixth club in three countries when he joined Atalanta in 2022.
• If there is a player who excelled in the Champions League (think Divock Origi a few years ago) but was ordinary in the league, he probably shouldn’t be in your ranking.
• Another Portuguese prodigy ripped from Benfica for big money, only to then play for Inter Milan, Juventus, Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Barcelona in a six-year span.
• The 23-year-old has already racked up more than 200 appearances for the club in all competitions since 2018, and he is one of the few contenders who could, without a hint of delusion, claim to be sitting top of this list in several years time.
• Jacksonville ranks 30th in pass defense EPA and 28th in fantasy points allowed to wide receivers.

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• Backing the manager to the hilt is a pre-requisite for a healthy working relationship, and if Emery continues to hit the sweet spot in terms of transfer business and level of performance, there’s no reason why the good times can’t continue to roll at Villa Park.
• Just as with The FIFA Best Men’s Player, there is an award for the best female player each calendar year as well.
• However, he remains an exceptional dribbler and scorer of big goals for Los Blancos, regularly popping up in the latter stages of the Champions League with crucial strikes.
• Few had heard of N’Golo Kante when the French defensive midfielder signed with Leicester City in 2015.
• Goncalo Inacio may be the Sporting CP centre-back set for a big move this winter, but his fellow defender Diomande is certainly one to watch.
• Categorically one of the greatest players in Premier League history, Salah’s now getting the recognition he deserves, and is doing his best to add even more trophies to his legacy.

The 49ers are getting after the quarterback this year and aren’t bringing extra help to get there. It’s a perfect situation to keep Murray under wraps as both a runner and passer. So far, the 49ers rank 11th in pass defense EPA and are third at pressuring quarterbacks.

Robert Lewandowski — Forward, Barcelona

In the summer of 2020 Bayer Leverkusen had nearly $100 million to spend on a replacement for Kai Havertz, the best homegrown player the club had produced in two decades. They didn’t need to spend a cent to find a player who four years later would be the outstanding player in one of the greatest teams the Bundesliga has ever seen, German football’s first Invincibles. Wirtz was the X-factor, 18 goals and 20 assists in 49 games across all competitions, the man whose vision and understanding of space brought the best out of those around him. They’re a potent blend of close-range finisher, playmaker and space creator for teammates around the box. They’re talented enough to handle the free role and graceful enough under pressure to constantly deliver. Fleet of foot and quick of mind, their ability to read the play and anticipate where the ball will be three passes before it gets there is what sets them apart.

Federico Chiesa — Winger/Forward, Juventus

Neuer spent the better part of a year away from the pitch after fracturing his right knee during a ski trip in December 2022, but played his first game in 350 days when Bayern beat Darmstadt 8-0 in October of last year. He has since collected new individual records in his comeback year, chief among them https://st-bet.net/ breaking Iker Casillas’ record for most clean sheets in the Champions League. Neuer now has 58 clean sheets to his name in European competition, the most recent of which came in Bayern’s 1-0 win over Arsenal in the quarterfinals, when the usually attack-minded team delivered a defensive masterclass.

Christian Pulisic — Winger, AC Milan

• One of the most underappreciated attackers in the modern game, Rodrygo has often been left in the shadows by his Real Madrid teammates.
• None of the greats that occupy the top of the sport have a season to compare with 73 goals and 32 assists in 60 games.
• The global players’ union FifPro, which had supported Diarra’s case, said the ruling “will change the landscape of professional football”.
• The promising prodigy has a ridiculously low £8m release clause in his contract, and as such Boca currently trying to tie him to a new contract in order to maximise the fee they receive.
• The Ravens are very much a pass-funnel defense, as they rank 21st in EPA against the pass, but sixth in EPA against the run.
• He’s not one of those players that have a long list of trophies but when it comes to goals, there are few players that can come close to his level.

Defenders are often left with the only recourse being to hack him down as his foul-winning ability is one of the best around. Already a key member of the Spanish team, he’s aiming for a deep run at this summer’s Euros. The posterboy of MLS players transitioning to – and thriving in – Europe, Davies has gone from a 15-year-old winger who was coming into his own to becoming one of the best left backs in the world with Bayern Munich.

NHL Teams

GOAL OF THE MONTH WINNERElsewhere, our Goal of the Month prize has also been declared, with Christian Eriksen winning the accolade for the month of September. Wolvaardt will seek to captain her side to the final step having been runners-up at the last edition. The 25-year-old has a wealth of experience having made her debut as a 16-year-old in an ODI against England in 2016. The right-handed opening batter is fifth in the T20 rankings, her country’s highest in any discipline, and has one century and 11 fifties in 66 T20 innings for her country.

Fantasy Football Rankings, Tiers & Start/Sit Advice (Week

The Dutch international has been holding a makeshift back four together in recent weeks as Liverpool have moved clear at the top. Virgil van Dijk took over as captain following Jordan Henderson’s controversial exit for Saudi Arabia and has been a real leader, utterly dominant at the heart of the league’s best defence, with just 18 goals conceded. Unai Emery has completely transformed Aston Villa since taking over in November 2022 and no player epitomises that better than Ollie Watkins.

The 100 best young footballers in the world right now – according to the Golden Boy awards

While Frimpong tends to hold his width and hover on the peripheries of attacks, Grimaldo has more freedom to glide around and get involved in the build up while still getting a sizeable number of penalty box touches. He may not always command the fanfare that others do, but few players are as universally respected and incredibly liked as Son Heung-Min, arguably Tottenham Hotspur’s greatest signing (if excluding academy products) in the last several decades. Another Chelsea export to Saudi Arabia, Kante signed for Al-Ittihad, also in the summer of ’23. The 33-year-old proved that he’s still one of the very best in the game during Euro 2024 and, like Koulibaly, is making a cool half a million quid per week over in Saudi. At the end of that season, Al-Hilal (more on them later) paid the Blues £20m for his services, and whacked a contract in front of him worth half a million a week.

It seems like this comeback kid has found a club where he can truly excel again, so the expectations for this season are high. Rare is the player that has been described as a Swiss army knife and can perform each of those tasks at elite levels, but Joshua Kimmich has been just that for several years now. The UEFA Champions League winner has rotated through roles as a defensive midfielder, a right back and a center back for most of his peak years, playing a key role in his team’s success for both club and country. He’s a leader on the field and many regard him as one of the finest technicians in the sport.

Iowa has been shut out against the last three ranked teams it has faced, and if the Hawkeyes fall behind here, they are not equipped to come back. Ohio State has playmakers all over the place, and the Buckeyes will put up a big number in advance of the game at Autzen next week. NC State got the win against NIU last week but had just 171 yards, were plus-4 in turnovers and got a non-offensive touchdown. Wake is 1-3, but two of its losses were decided by a combined four points against similarly talented teams in Virginia and UL Lafayette. You could hold out in hopes of a six here as well, as I think you might see one. The attacking midfielder, who has made five appearances for River Plate’s senior side, and looks all set to join Man City in January.

Bernardo Silva — Winger/Midfield, Manchester City

The Steelers have played four strong run defenses to start the season and their running backs have been shut down in the process. This week they get a much easier run defense on Sunday night against the Cowboys. Injuries to star defensive players Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence hurt, but even with them healthy, the Cowboys have been weak against the run. The Cowboys rank 28th in schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed to running backs, as well as 31st in run defense EPA. Federico Dimarco’s breakout performances at left-back for Inter saw the Italian giants quickly ditch previous signing Robin Gosens.His searing pace has become crucial for Simone Inzaghi and his sweet left foot is a proven threat in the attacking third.

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Despite becoming Tottenham’s record goalscorer, Kane was unable to win a trophy at his boyhood club and so departed for Germany in 2023. Here is the list of the highest paid football players on the planet in 2023. The 18-year-old centre-back has been pulling up trees in France this season already and is one of the key components behind Lille’s hugely impressive form and defensive record. Yoro has featured in pretty much every Ligue 1 game this season, exhibiting incredible maturity and composure for a teenager. The dynamic midfielder has taken the move to Arsenal, and a world of much greater pressure and expectation, comfortably in his stride.

The FIFA Fan award was created in 2016 and celebrates the best fan moment or event across the calendar year. The 2023 award was won by the Club Atletico Colon de Santa Fe fan who was spotted bottle-feeding his baby during a game. The location for The Best FIFA Football Awards 2024 has not been announced yet. The 2023 awards ceremony took place in London, while the 2022 edition was hosted in Paris.

Able to comfortably look like one of the best in the world at both centre back and right back, the Uruguayan is attracting interest from quite literally every big club in the world due to an expiring contract. Primed to take that mantle are Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe, who have long been pencilled in as football’s new attacking rivalry, though Harry Kane may have something to say about that. And our ranking of the world’s best players is based on who’s the best right now. The award, for the best player in the world in 2023, saw many of the voters take Messi’s 2022 World Cup heroics into account. His physicality is unrivalled, his finishing ability – including improvised, instinctive finishing by any means necessary – is staggering and he boasts a turn of pace that few in the Premier League could match. The next few years should be explosive and, if he proves his consistency over several years, he will sit No.1 in this list without rival.