Sportskeeda's list of 50 best players playing currently: 10-1

‘Mr. Bayern Munich’, Lahm has been with the club since 2001

For those of you who have been following, this is the final instalment of the Sportskeeda Top 50 series, detailing the top fifty players currently plying their trade in the top leagues across the globe. Naturally, such a debate is subjective, but these rankings have had a sprinkle of objectivity and statistics to back up the views presented.

The best fifty footballers in the world were selected primarily on ability and form. From there, each individual was given a score out of 100 for their overall ability, success and recent form, relative to their age and time in the game and with injuries taken into account. The former was supplied with a 40% weighting, while the other two categories each received 30% weightings.

A weighted average was deducted and the fifty players on the list have been ranked based on said averages. To distinguish between players who were particularly close in the rankings, other factors such as potential and contribution to their respective teams were factored in.

So, with no further ado, here is the pinnacle of the ongoing series, with the top ten footballers in the world currently:

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#10 Philipp Lahm

There is no mincing of words when it comes to the phenomenon that is Phillipp Lahm, he has permanently etched his name in German football history. Having captained Bayern Munich to the treble in 2013 and his nation to the World Cup title a year later, the 33-year-old evidently has all the makings of the perfect leader on the pitch.

Pep Guardiola stated undeniably that Lahm is “perhaps the most intelligent player I have ever trained in my career. He is at another level”. High praise indeed and well-deserved too; Lahm showed not only how competent a player he is but also his versatility when he excelled in a holding midfield role after having served the Bavarians at full-back for his career prior to the change around. 

Bayern are desperate to renew the German’s contract come the end of the season; in a team full of big egos and up-and-coming starlets, a veteran like Lahm is sorely needed to add gravity to the team. The former German international was recently named in the UEFA Euro All-time XI and nobody could deny that he deserves such praise given his stellar success, inspiring approach to the game and never-say-die attitude.

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