FourFourTwo Presents... The Top 100 Footballers In The World
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00:00then happy tuesday welcome to our top 100 footballers in the world 2023 we thought we
00:07would make a really nice long video just in case you need to get like 30 40 minutes away from all
00:13your relatives on boxing day while you finish off the after eights or something so what we did was
00:17we got the entire 442 team together oh look there they are say hello we compiled what we thought
00:22were our top 100 player in the world lists merged them into one big official 442 super list then
00:29this very handsome man mark white wrote it all up and then adam monk say hello to him and me
00:34made a video about it we didn't really have like stringent criteria for it it was just sort of like
00:40how good is their year being how good are they in general like an intangible just coolness factor
00:46it's just a bit of fun so if there are any picks you disagree with anyone who should be lower anyone
00:50who should be higher anyone we've missed out entirely please do get that in the comments below
00:55we'll sort of put all that together and make an even better list later on until then though sit
01:00back please undo the top button on your trousers and enjoy 442's 100 greatest players of 2023
01:07number 100 sergio busquets now sergio busquets he's been one of the best in his position for the past 15
01:14years that's fair to say and now he's playing out his days at inter miami but an absolute legend of the
01:20game and he's rolled back the years a bit this year 99 nowell molina bombing forward from wing
01:25back and contributing at both ends of the pitch it's been another great 12 months for one of
01:29european football's unsung heroes number 98 diogo costa no not that one the evil ex-chelsea striker
01:36the actual porto and portugal goalkeeper he's been really good for a couple of years now 97 mickey van de
01:42ven catching the eye at wolfsburg before becoming one of the premier league signings of the season
01:47his game reading and recovery pace has been one of the main reasons behind tottenham's early success
01:52number 96 kareem benzimar now he'd have probably been in the top five this time last year but now
01:57of course played in saudi arabia after an amazing 15 year stint at real madrid 95 lucas paketar
02:04delivering arguably the most important assist of west ham's modern history in the europa conference
02:09final it's been an electric 12 months for david moy's most mercurial player although i'm still convinced
02:15it's pronounced piquetta number 94 isco now his renaissance has just been absolutely beautiful
02:21to see i think he's always had it in his locker he's still only 31 so there's a couple more years
02:26left to go with this go but after leaving real madrid he has really shone in la liga at real
02:31betis 93 olivier giroux physical dominant aggressive lethal and graceful giroux is still at his best in this
02:39milan side and apparently somehow also really good in goal now too number 92 enzo fernandez now a world
02:46cup winner with argentina of course but after joining chelsea he's really just shown glimpses
02:50of being that world-class talent that we all know he can be and i'm sure eventually he will fully get
02:55there 91 seru garassi the surprise challenger to harry kane's one-man bundesliga golden boot race
03:01garassi might not have convinced everybody this former stuttgart is here to stay but he's certainly had
03:07one of the most explosive years number 90 nico williams now athletic club have really got their
03:12wish with a new four-year deal for nico williams he's been absolutely excellent this year showing
03:17two-footedness directness and intensity out wide and at 21 he's only going to get better 89 marcus
03:23turam the bundesliga's worst kept secret is now a smash hit in syria 2 an intelligent hungry footballer
03:30he's only going to finish higher on these lists in the future number 88 evan martin now gerona
03:36may well do a leicester city this season over in la liga but there's not really a counterpart in that
03:41leicester city team to compare to evan martin he's tricky skillful and he could be set for a big move
03:46in the summer number 87 christopher nkunku injury may have ravaged the back end of his 2023 but he was
03:53undoubtedly one of the best players in the world before that a lightning bolt through the center of
03:57the pitch able to create drift and attack the box chelsea fans will be hoping that if anyone can fix
04:02their season it's this man number 86 victor jocares jocares joca i don't know how to pronounce that
04:09one fully but coventry to sporting lisbon is not the most orthodox route to get in on this list however
04:14he's an absolute bagsman championship player of the year last year and has set the world alight
04:18at sporting lisbon too 85 martin zubermendi the heir apparent to sergio busquette's throne his skill and
04:25creativity have also drawn comparisons to david silva and javi alonso he's been instrumental in dragging
04:31sociedad both to and through their champions league campaign and if the rumor mill is to be believed
04:35offers from the premier league are just around the corner number 84 federico chiesa now of course we
04:42all remember his star-studded performances in euro 2020 but injuries have kind of played chiesa's
04:47career since then however when he is fit he is simply unplayable electric from that left wing
04:52a simply superb winger 83 douglas luis controlled yet aggressive able to carry the ball and sit with it
04:59vital in both boxes if you had to pick one reason why aston villa are so high in the premier league
05:05this season douglas luis would be it number 82 raheem sterling now another player who's struggled
05:11with consistency in 2023 but when he's on it boy is he on it still fighting for a place to get in the
05:16england squad under gareth southgate in that 4-4 draw against manchester city that could be the best
05:21individual performance in the premier league so far this season 81 federico valverde a flying right
05:28winger a composed central midfielder the legs to luka modric's brain valverde is the player who can
05:34be anything and yet somehow is still underrated number 80 victor boniface now one of the main
05:41reasons that by labor kusin have been so high flying this season his physicality and presence up front
05:46has really enabled that german side to bully teams in the final third and nigeria i mean he's their
05:52backup striker scary 79 dominic sabozlai already one of liverpool's most important players the
05:59hungarian has adapted to his new league to become one of the most consistently creative and hard
06:04working midfielders in the world number 78 jack greelish now a one-man army at villa very much a
06:10maverick has now become a cog in the pep guardiola machine but to adapt in that way and become a key
06:15man in a treble winning team is impressive nonetheless 77 marcus rashford now it might not be the best
06:21end to 2023 for marcus rashford but it's worth remembering that for the rest of the year he
06:26looked like one of the best left wingers in the world form is temporary classes permanence he'll get
06:31it back number 76 musa drb now playing that hybrid role aston villa with his electric pacing behind and
06:38rotating with leon bailey he has really set the world alight so far aston villa and has justified his
06:43price tag and you know what 2024 could be even better for him with how well aston villa are doing right
06:48now 75 hackan kalanoglu once a set-piece master who would just hang on the edge of the penalty area
06:54waiting for a chance to drop he now dictates the tempo and controls entire games for into milan
07:00a simply incredible evolution this year number 74 dayan kulasevski yes the ginger from sweden
07:07definitely one of daniel levy's better signings of recent years and now under and posta koglu
07:11he seems to arrive at the right moment when tottenham need him most so i think the best is yet to come
07:16from dayan 73 julian brandt a consistent mainstay at dortmund even when big stars around him have all
07:22departed brandt is one of the most consistent stars on a side that on its day is capable of magic
07:27number 72 phil foden now of course limited game time in city's tail end of the treble winning season
07:34but he's still had a great 2023 by anyone else's standards and he's one of the most exciting youngsters
07:40in the league and will no doubt be at the forefront of gara southgate's team in the oros in the summer
07:4571 sven botman an absolute monster at the back of newcastle united for someone so young to be so
07:51composed dominant and able to lead a back line is frightening if he stays on tyneside he could be
07:56a pillar at that club for a decade number 70 theo hernandez no longer living in his brother's shadow
08:02theo hernandez is one of the most consistent and fast he is very very fast fullbacks in world football
08:08these days and after winning the scudetto he's really a jewel in that milan side now 69 aurelian
08:15without hyperbole this is a midfielder with one of the most impressive skill sets in the world
08:21solid for real madrid vital for france and at 23 he's only going to get better
08:27number 68 granit xhaka now he was crucial in the arteta arsenal system and now he's crucial in xabi
08:32alonso's by a leverkusen system so to adapt in the way that he has in two different leagues two
08:37different countries in one year is impressive to say the least and i think it's fair to say
08:41xhaka's in his prime 67 anthony gordon a slow start to life on tyneside gordon returned from
08:47the under 21 euros the player of the tournament and has since managed to turn that into a premier
08:52league season absolutely full of goals and assists number 66 joe pelinha the main reason really why
08:58fulham didn't just survive last season they actually climbed up the table and tried to push in towards
09:03that top half and it's no coincidence that the likes of bayern munich and liverpool are knocking
09:08on the door for his signature 65 tony cruce undoubtedly one of the most decorated players
09:13of his generation it's also worth pointing out he's one of the best at real madrid he has become
09:18a simply sumptuous player who appears to operate in his own time and space apart from everybody else
09:24number 64 marquinhos ever since tiago silver left psg marquinhos has really been the main man in that
09:30defense playing alongside ramos kim pembe and now milan scrignard he's as good as he's ever been the
09:35captain of that psg team he deserves his place in the list 63 gavi he's going to miss a lot of 2024
09:41but his 2023 more or less defined barcelona if he manages to come back as good as he left he's going
09:48to be a generational star for that club number 62 santiago jimenez yes the mexican hold-up man for
09:55feinord he's been nothing short of sensational this season so far strong physical and prolific
10:00won't be long till someone else goes for his signature in the summer 61 florian verts there's
10:05not really any other way to put it the german is one of the most watchable young stars on the planet
10:09and living up to that wonder kid hype with excellent displays at leverkusen every single week
10:15number 60 rodrigo yes mr clutch for real madrid don't remind me of that semi-final game oh my god
10:22but this season he's adapted into a forward in that front two with vinnie jr after benzem has left and
10:27he's been nothing short of phenomenal 59 ashraf hakimi this man might just be the most box office
10:33right back on the planet sometimes a wingback sometimes a winger sometimes just a full-blown
10:38attacker he's had another good year at psg and still looks like one of the best in the world
10:42number 58 alexander izak probably the closest thing aesthetically to thierry henry we've seen in
10:48the premier league since thierry henry those long strides the in-step finish with the inside of his boot
10:53just a fantastic fantastic striker and he plays with a little bit of arrogance too that's justified
10:5957 bruno fernandez both fernandez and manchester united have had their share of ups and downs in
11:042023 but one wonders where the latter would be without the former moving deeper dictating the
11:10play assisting he is still a shining star in that side number 56 lois oppender so after having an amazing
11:17season at lons and then joining rb leipzig to replace christopher unconku he's really done that and
11:22then some quick slight and direct he's been amazing all year and he's probably set for an even bigger
11:27move in the summer 55 dusan vlavic youventus are admittedly a bit of a basket case right now but
11:33this man remains the best signing in years bullying center backs across seria he carved out a reputation
11:39as one of the best center forwards on earth number 54 kingsley koman yep that man with the ridiculous
11:45trophy cabinet who just wins stuff every single year other than harry kane now he is the mainstay
11:50in that by munich attack under thomas tuchel and for good reason as well 53 luis diaz getting onto
11:56this list will probably not be what luis diaz remembers 2023 for but regardless he still lit
12:02up the premier league for liverpool quick direct lethal in front of goal he's so much more than
12:08just the air to sadio mane's throne number 52 alfonso davies now whether you can even call this man a
12:14left back is up for debate definitely the most fun left back to watch in world football but he is just
12:19so fast 51 gabriel martinelli the young brazilians attacking qualities are obvious but what's really
12:25endeared into arsenal fans is that he'll track back with as much intensity as you'll burst forward with
12:30a counter a manager's dream number 50 mike maignan an integral part of milan getting to the champions
12:37league semifinals last season and now france is number one in the sticks as well it's actually very
12:42impressive that milan have upgraded on donnarumma by bringing mainyan in 49 emiliano martinez i know
12:48this was 2022 so it doesn't technically count but let's just enjoy that picture of him from the world
12:53cup again for a few seconds there we go number 48 randall kolomuani sorry mate but you are the man who
13:00missed the biggest chance in the history of world football but nonetheless you've had a fantastic
13:0412 months so pat on the back for you 47 kim min jay the south korean defender joined napoli
13:10slotted into koulibaly's position won the league title and then got a massive money move to buy
13:14and where he's also looked incredible not a bad year number 46 frankie de jong sorry eric tenhage is
13:21still playing for barcelona but i think many barcelona fans thought that he'd be replacing busquets in
13:26that number six role but that's not been the case xavi's been deploying him as a number eight
13:30and he's been absolutely brilliant with his ball carrying ability ball winning there's been tough
13:34times for him at barcelona but he's still a top player 45 joshua kimic now a fully converted
13:40midfield metronome the philip lamification who wrote this of joshua kimic has been special to
13:46see absolutely imperious in 2023 and the reason buy and don't just dominate the league they kind
13:52of strangle it number 44 takafusa kubo now i think a lot of people wrote this guy off after he left
13:58real madrid and he kind of was paling into insignificance but after joining real social dad
14:03he's been one of the most otherworldly wingers in the game to be quite frank 43 luca modric yes okay
14:09probably had one of the quietest years of his career but he is still running rings in that real
14:14madrid midfield around players half his age at this rate you wouldn't put it past him to play
14:19there until he's 40. number 42 caro mitoma probably i would say brighton's best signing
14:26uh maybe not for resale value but certainly on ability he's really gone up a level under roberto
14:31two footed and even if he's being double or triple marked he seems to just get out of it and
14:37weave his way through the word wizard really comes to mind and i think it's justifiable
14:41number 41 mark andre testegen the barcelona goalkeeper has reportedly said that he just
14:47sees football as his job well my input on this is that he's really really good at his job
14:54number 40 kieran trippier yes the man who gave every england fan their best moment of their lives
14:59with that free kick against croatia but did any england fan really think that three years later
15:04he'd still be a mainstay in the side particularly with all the debates over recent years between
15:08reese james and trent alexander arnold he is really still probably the most well-rounded fullback in the
15:14country so for good reason that he's in that england side and the fact he's playing in the champions
15:18league well not anymore but he was for newcastle united is impressive and he fully fully deserves his
15:24place on this list a great player 39 julian alvarez in 2023 alvarez here won a premier league and fa cup
15:33a champions league and a world cup not bad for and i'm doing extreme air quotes here erling harland's
15:39understudy number 38 james madison now for me the signing of the summer i think not only the fact that
15:46he joined tottenham and moved up a club but also the fact that he was kind of assigned with giving
15:50spurs fans hope back especially on the pitch with harry kane leaving so playing in that number 10 role
15:55his ball striking ability from range and also his vision in the final third he's really matured
16:00into one of the finest midfielders in the country and it's going to be very very hard
16:04for garris southgate to ignore him in the oros but obviously he will 37 alejandro balde in a world
16:11of inverting fullbacks balde here is a classic bombing up and down the touchline rather than moving
16:16into midfield his development in 2023 has been nothing short of incredible number 36 eduardo
16:22camavinga the the swiss army knife in world football play him left back play him cdm play
16:28him center back play him in net play him in the stands it doesn't matter he will do a job he will
16:33he will have an impact on the game and it's for that reason why he's been so tried and trusted in
16:37this ancelotti team ancelotti will play him in any position on the biggest of stages you know the
16:41champions league semi-final for instance he played at left back and at such a young age he's such a
16:46mature player number 35 warren zaire emery despite being just 17 years old there are those in french
16:52football who believe his importance to the french national team is second only to killian mbappe there
16:58is a lot of hype around this young man right now but in 2023 it was fully deserved number 34 lautaro
17:05martinez now if you ignore the fact that he couldn't hit a barn door in the world cup final against
17:09france he has actually got 21 goal contributions this season in syria and has been one of syria's best
17:14forwards for the last few years 33 pedri carrying both the weight of barcelona and spain on his back
17:20pedri already feels like a veteran of the game despite being just 21 number 32 virgil van dyke
17:27now he's dropped down on this list a bit of course he was an absolute behemoth and goliath of a center
17:31back a couple of years ago but even at 32 he tends to bully strikers and i think what's so impressive
17:37about van dyke is that klot likes to play a high line and even at his age he's completely comfortable
17:41not only covering for trent alexander arnold but seemingly being one step ahead of any attacker
17:46that approaches him 31 xavi simons psv's best player at the start of the year and now moving to
17:52leipzig where he's easily one of the best in the bundesliga too 2023 was a year that suggests that
17:57xavi simons will probably go on to very big things number 30 son hyung min now i think some people were
18:04starting to be fickle and reactionary and right son off at the end of last season under antonio conti
18:08but under ang pasta koglu he's been revived captain of tottenham too and of course reaching the premier
18:14league 100 club recently i think it's time that english football fans start discussing son as one
18:19of the all-time greats in the english game 29 kyle walker incorrectly classified as merely a speed
18:25merchant kyle walker has spent the last 12 months adapting to every single crazy tactical tweak
18:30pep guardiola's thrown at him wingback center back central midfielder he's now got a treble to add to
18:36his collection too number 28 robert levendowski uh this guy has just been scoring goals forever
18:44the definition of a bagsman if you look it up in the dictionary robert levendowski will come up of
18:50course a legend at bayern munich but now playing in catalonia for barcelona he spearheaded them last
18:55season to the la liga title and is continuing to do it at 35 years of age so blackburn fans just
19:01imagine what would have happened if you'd assigned him 27 leroy sane it may have taken him a while to
19:06return to the levels we all knew he was capable of but the alliance arena is simply his backyard now
19:12another unbelievable year of performances tearing up bundesliga defenses number 26 ruben diaz now i'm
19:20surprised that pep guardiola doesn't actually hate this man's guts because he can only play one position
19:24but he plays that one position very very well because he's the most defensively adept defender in
19:30manchester city system not the best on the ball by any means but certainly the rock and the glue
19:34of that manchester city side and when he came back from injury at the start of the year
19:38that was really what won city the treble 25 kovicke kvartskelia 18 months ago nobody knew his name but
19:46today few can pronounce it correctly he has napoli's first scudetto in decades to add to his breakout year
19:53and you will no doubt spend most of 2024 speculating on where he goes next number 24 martin urdegaard now
20:01do you remember kind of like nine or ten years ago when urdegaard was a kid he was like 15 and there
20:05was loads of youtube compilations about him and then he went to madrid and tailed off but people
20:11really forgot how young urdegaard was at the time people people wrote him off and then he went to arsenal
20:16after an impressive spell at real social dad and is now one of the best number tens in the world
20:21he really can do it all and without him arsenal look a much much weaker side so fully justified that
20:27he goes in at 24 and i think he'll be in this list for many many more years to come 23 edison
20:33arguably the most underappreciated player in world football despite not even being a number one for
20:40his country edison has once again displayed a level of technical excellence rarely seen by players
20:45of any position let alone a goalkeeper number 22 bruno guimaraes now the best signing of the
20:53takeover for newcastle so far i don't think anyone can argue with that but also he can do it all he
20:58has grit he has bite in the middle of the park and he holds that newcastle midfield together alongside
21:02joe linton but also has that ability to arrive in the box when needed and get the odd important goal
21:07for newcastle as well 21 allison cover your ears liverpool fans but at one stage in 2023 allison was
21:14playing so well he was statistically propelling a mid-table side into european contention and while
21:20the reds have certainly reversed their fortunes this season allison's ability to bail them out of
21:24a jam has remained consistent number 20 it's rice rice baby declan rice yes a scorer of late goals
21:30for arsenal now mr clutch uh but also one of the best number sixes on the planet and also now at the
21:37age of 24 he's really matured into that leader that we all knew he could be um he is captain material to
21:43a tee 19 rafael liao 2022 brought a scudetto 2023 saw a champions league semi but in the land of
21:51cadenaccio and maldini there have been few stars who have dazzled with such swagger and ferocity
21:56liao has been milan's atlas standing as majestic as the san siro itself bulldozing and bludgeoning
22:03he has been electric as ever this year number 18 john stones now i was just talking about declan
22:09rice as being one of the best sixes on the planet but is john stones as well the revolutionary tactical
22:14change that shifted john stones up to number six from pep guardiola was the main reason really why
22:19manchester city won the treble they were able to control games so much more and john stones is
22:24spatial awareness of what's around him and how he receives the ball on the turn is just freakishly
22:30good for what for a player that is a center back by trade at the end of the day 17 trent alexander
22:35a player so good that the rest of the game just bends to his will jürgen klopp has ripped up a
22:41highly structured formation and redrawn it with trent alexander arnold as its nucleus after spending
22:462022 hearing about how he couldn't defend he has responded by becoming the side's most important
22:52player dictating play from midfield and showing himself to be absolutely unpressible when doing so
22:57number 16 william saliba yes the new wave van dyke he's really imperious is kind of the word when
23:04you think of saliba now he got injured at the start of this year and then arsenal started to
23:08drop points and then he's come back and arsenal has stopped leaking goals this season so that paints a
23:13picture in of itself but again similar to van dyke the way he seems to be one step ahead of his
23:18attackers he's so imperious so fast his anticipation of where the ball is going to go from a long ball
23:23over the top he really really is the all-round center half at the moment truly won the best center
23:28if not the best center half on the planet so fully justified number 16. 15 ilke gunduan often
23:35categorized simply as the man who finished the moves at man city 2023 showed that he's one of the most
23:41intelligent footballers of a generation he became immortal this year with treble but the lack of his
23:47stability craft and guile has punctuated city's faltering campaign so far pep guardiola or any manager
23:54for that matter would have him back in a heartbeat number 14 victor osseman now you remember earlier
23:59on in this list when i was talking about victor boniface and how he's a backup striker for nigeria
24:04well that's because of this man he is that but just on absolute steroids there is nothing this man
24:11cannot do his hold-up play his first touch his variety of finishing his aerial ability his pace
24:16his two-footedness he just has absolutely everything and at 24 years of age now he has become a napoli
24:22talisman and made history winning them their first title in 33 years so he's already gone down in
24:28history he's destined for greatness 13 kevin de bruyne perhaps guardiola's finest tactical
24:33achievement at city turning a playmaker into a swiss army knife of a midfielder playmaker still yes but
24:39forward winger number 10 and sometimes all at once on route to three trophies the fact he's missed most
24:46of this season and still feels like he has dominated 2023 is testament to just how important just how
24:52good he is number 12 jamal musiala this has really been the year that musiala has stepped up and
24:59become the face of bayern munich he pulled by munich to the title last season with that last
25:04minute winner when dortmund choked and he's now established himself as probably by munich's most
25:09important player maybe not since kane's coming but definitely last season anyway 11 bukayo saka
25:14first pick for his club and as good as for his country an absolute icon in english football already
25:20he has two traits that make him potentially generational one he always steps up from a
25:26setback taller and broader than when he was knocked down and two he has that incredible knack for seemingly
25:31downloading new patches to his repertoire as a footballer formerly a humble left back capable of
25:37exhilarating with his pace and precision he now dictates games with his stop start runs passing drifts in
25:43outer space and lethal left foot number 10 vinicius jr yeah i mean quite simply put one of the best
25:50wingers in europe if not the best i think the most impressive thing about vinnie jr now really is how
25:56watchable he is you know in an era of football where you know everything is so methodical and players are
26:01pigeonholed into zones and systems he really maybe he's the last of a dying breed of brazilians who sort
26:08of has that flair and that maverick sort of style of play about them and he's just a joy to watch quite
26:13simply put nine antoine griezmann few could touch him in qatar and no one scaled the same heights as
26:19him in spanish football in 2023 the barcelona nightmare has led to a fabulous renaissance back
26:25in his spiritual home in madrid with griezmann reborn as an all-action figure of invention and
26:30intelligence as well as the goals and there have been loads of goals the frenchman's hard running and
26:36creativity have separated him as being an utterly unique footballer and one that diego simione
26:41surely cherishes as the best he's ever had at atletico number eight muhammad salah i mean at what
26:48point do we start talking about salah now as as an all-time great of the game i think that time has
26:52come now the consistency from salah is just absolutely staggering last year was another 30 goal season
26:58for the egyptian on the right wing and you know it's just been that way for the last six or seven
27:03years quite simply put one of the best footballers i have ever seen and one of the best players in
27:08liverpool history now so well done mo pat on the back seven bernardo silva hard work beats talent when
27:15talent doesn't work hard but bernardo silva the weird little freak is absolutely both this was the
27:22year that the portuguese established himself as one of the defining footballers of the entire 2020s
27:27he destroyed real madrid in one of the most breathtaking champions league performances in recent memory
27:32and has toyed with opponents of every level always one move ahead number six lionel messi now to be
27:40quite honest i don't like what is there any point in me saying anything about this guy anymore like
27:45everyone knows who he is everyone knows what he's done everyone knows the trophies he's won the goals
27:49he scored and just the fact that he's a bloody good player but i think the main thing to note with
27:54messi right now is despite playing for into miami now in america i still firmly believe he's football's
28:00best player at walking pace still the best passer the best mover the best striker well he's up there
28:05with the best strikers of a ball 700 career goals at club level this year and also his 300th club
28:11career assist as well to go on top of the world cup so this might be the last time that he's in the top
28:15100 list because of the league he's playing in now but ultimately this year still belong to him
28:21and that league is now his number five rodri the consistency of this man has been almost robotic
28:28it's not that he never loses possession but he never wastes it either always looking to progress
28:34always looking for the next move forward rather than thinking about the last midfield veteran homes
28:39are supposed to provide control but rodri is there to ensure dominance he has the grace of a
28:45perlo for sure but the edge of a gattuso wanting to strangle opponents with incessant strings of
28:51passes the midfielder of the year number four killian mbappe yeah 24 years old now this guy is
28:59his greatness personified already and i think he's gonna go on too i mean the scary thing is he could
29:04hit his prime in about 2030 which is incomprehensible given he started playing in the champions league in
29:092017. 2023 wasn't exactly the most glittering year in terms of silverware for killian mbappe but
29:14nonetheless in january he came on and got a 10 minute hat trick and then five in a different
29:19game and then in february he drew level with edinson cavani for psg goals in 20 fewer games
29:24before then breaking his record in march he also won league on again of course and then was the
29:29division's player of the year award for the fourth consecutive season and of course this year as well
29:34he netted his 300th career goal and became france's all-time scorer by the end of the year and that's not
29:40even touching on how electric he is to watch and how he sits defenders down and gets fans
29:44off their seats and stood up he really is just he's a complete showman 24 years of age
29:49and only gonna get better number three harry kane 30 goals in the premier league before the definitive
29:56big money move to buy munich where he's made a mockery of all who faced him he has been unstoppable
30:02what a year for harry kane the england captain was phenomenal in his final flourish in england as the
30:09focal point of arguably the worst side he's ever led then came hollywood fc where he's merely one of
30:15many stars and unbelievably he's had pretty much the same impact it's the sign of a genuine great
30:21to simply perform almost in defiance of opposition or teammates all that's left for him to do is fire
30:29england to similar glory number two jude bellingham now truth be told like honestly i don't really
30:36know what more can be said about this guy do you remember that fifa game mode a few years ago i think
30:41it was about fifa 17 and it was called the journey and you played as this kid called alex hunter and
30:46then you could go to any club you wanted and it was kind of just like the ideal footballing career that
30:50never even seemed remotely realistic or the film goal with santiago munez where he ends up playing for
30:56real madrid and it's all fairy tale that is literally what is happening here of course he's
31:01very very young but it's so rare that you actually see a player get exponentially better at football
31:06the bigger a football club he goes to like it's actually so rare that joining real madrid has made
31:11him twice as good and scary a footballer to play against 20 real madrid games 17 goals so far that's
31:17playing at the tip of a diamond sort of as a a shadow striker kind of but it's just absolutely
31:23ridiculous he's turned into a complete world beater and like i can't remember football seeing
31:28anything quite like this in at least a decade maybe honestly maybe since the days where messi
31:34just sort of exploded into this goal scorer not saying he's that good but it's not far off in
31:39terms of like everyone just being in awe of what they're actually witnessing i don't know what the
31:43hell is in his dad's genes but he's got joe bellingham as a younger brother too who's of course at
31:47sunderland and is doing really well so this family honestly could be solely what ends up winning
31:53england major silverware in the next few years but joe bellingham right now on form undoubtedly i mean
31:58he's got a case to be number one but i think number two is fair because number one erling harland
32:05those who have been blessed by erling harland's company know him as a man of few words as minimalist
32:11as you would expect from a scandinavian artist but that is also how he plays the game no fluff
32:18no filler he barely touches the ball in 90 minutes but he makes every single one count it might seem
32:25underwhelming or very anti-football to call the best player on earth the one who does things with
32:30the most efficiency without ever giving you time to feel but it is also completely accurate 2023
32:38belonged to harland three trophies a premier league goal record for a 38 haul in a season
32:44and the fastest man to 50 in the competition by an absolute mile he is pretty much guaranteed to net
32:51if he plays others may be more complete or poetic as players but no one does what harland does
32:58as well as him and no one has done for a very long time he was the best player in the world this year
33:05that is just a fact as cold and as simple as the man himself would appreciate it and there you have
33:13it my friends that was the top 100 players of 2023 according to us anyway if you like that kind of
33:20thing you should really check out the brand new issue of 442 magazine available in all good retailers
33:24and i am required to say all the crap ones as well it's our awards issue so it's got all kinds of fun
33:30stuff in it like the best this and the best that and i even wrote a thing which was meant to be funny
33:35but i've read it back now and it's a bit i don't know follow 442 wherever you have your social fun
33:40the handles are in the corner of the video and you can get me wherever you like as well at adam
33:43cleary c-l-e-r-y but until 2024 next year my friends i will see you very soon unless of course it is
33:52already 2024 when you're watching this video in which case we'll just be calling it this year then
33:57won't we not next year because that's how that's how that works goodbye