Ranking the 10 best players in 2020
The nightmare of 2020 (for most of the world) is about to end. In a unique year that saw sport having to be suspended for three months, it is a credit to the football authorities that the sport has gotten back up and running around the world.
The pandemic meant that a lot had to change in football this year. The 2020-21 season began with a shorter pre-season than has been the case in recent memory.
The 2019-20 UEFA Champions League had to be played in a bio-secure hub in Lisbon, with one-legged knockout ties from the quarter-finals.
However, what has not changed, even in 2020, are some of the players who have led their clubs to the big honors this year. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo remained close to the peak of their powers, even though the former couldn't win a trophy with Barcelona last season.
The all-conquering Bayern Munich side of Hansi Flick had their names written in the history books as well, for achieving the treble.
In this article, we take a look at the top 10 players from across the world in the calendar year 2020.
Honorable Mentions: Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane, Sergio Ramos.
#10 Mohamed Salah
Liverpool's Egyptian phenomenon had another crowning moment in 2020, as he wore a Premier League winners' medal around his neck in July. The Reds had wiped the floor with their competition in the Premier League last season.
Mohamed Salah was also Liverpool's top-scorer with 23 goals in all competitions last season, 19 of which came in the Premier League.
Salah has 27 goals and 11 assists to his name in all competitions in the calendar year. However, he was somehow overlooked for a spot in last year's PFA Team of the Season.
The Egyptian hasn't looked back, though, and has had a storming start to the new campaign as well. He has already scored 16 goals and has four assists in all competitions this season. 13 of those 16 goals have been in the Premier League, where he is the current top-scorer in the competition so far.
#9 Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema has been magnificent for Real Madrid this year and was one of the bedrocks that their 2019-20 La Liga-winning campaign was built on.
Ever since Cristiano Ronaldo left Real Madrid to join Juventus in 2018, Benzema has become the fulcrum of the Real Madrid attack. And it is a responsibility that he has taken with glee.
The Frenchman already has 11 goals and five assists to his name this season, even in a rocky start to Real Madrid's season.
Los Blancos struggled through their UEFA Champions League group but eventually finished top. Benzema sealed first place with a brace in the final group game that saw Real beat Borussia Monchengladbach 2-0.
Overall in 2020, Benzema scored 19 goals for Real Madrid in all competitions and had 10 assists to his name. That makes him a worthy entrant in the top 10.
#8 Bruno Fernandes
To say that Bruno Fernandes has transformed Manchester United would be an understatement. Since his January move to Old Trafford from Sporting Lisbon, the Portuguese midfielder has been central to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Manchester United revival.
When Fernandes arrived in January, United had just lost to lowly Burnley and were staring at another season without UEFA Champions League football.
However, the form picked up drastically with Fernandes's arrival, so much so that they eventually finished third in the Premier League last season.
They are also third in the league right now and could even go to second place if they win their game in hand.
With three more games still to play in the calendar year at the time of writing, Fernandes has 24 goals and 15 assists to his name this year.