Author: Joe Soriano

Joe Soriano is the editor of The Trivela Effect and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2010. He’s led top digital communities like The Real Champs (Real Madrid) and has run sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. He also helped manage NFL Spin Zone and Daily DDT, covering the NFL and pro wrestling.

Ranking the 10 best young La Liga players in 2026
22Feb By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Rankings

Ranking the 10 best young La Liga players in 2026

Unfortunately, La Liga is falling behind the other top five European leagues in terms of spending, so talent development on a grassroots level has become more important for Spanish clubs than ever before. Sadly, by the same token, La Liga are falling behind in developing talent, particularly the academies at the smallest clubs in Spain. They are seeing their talents poached and having more difficulty initially bringing bright young talents aboard with the scouting networks of Real Madrid and Barcelona, in particular, only growing stronger. It is no surprise, of course, that Real Madrid and Barcelona dominate the list of the best young players in La Liga today, and, in truth, these two powerhouse clubs have the best collection of young talent in the world out of any clubs around - and...
Read More
Ranking the 10 biggest stars in the Premier League in 2026
19Feb By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Rankings

Ranking the 10 biggest stars in the Premier League in 2026

The Premier League is the biggest league in world football, and the gap between the English top flight and all the other top five European leagues is only increasing in terms of both fan support and financial power. Nowadays, the biggest names are no longer in the Italian league, and while the biggest attacking superstars are still in La Liga, the Premier League is closing the gap on them, too, especially when looking outside Real Madrid and Barcelona. While talent is becoming more concentrated in the Big Six - which is quietly becoming more of a Big Five - of the Premier League these days, too, the overall star power in England still feels like it is growing overall. Instead of ranking the 10 best players in the Premier League solely based on numbers or on who is the best actual ...
Read More
The 10 best players Real Madrid could sign in the summer 2026 transfer window
16Feb By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Analysis

The 10 best players Real Madrid could sign in the summer 2026 transfer window

Although Real Madrid are still in La Liga title contention and among the clubs in the Champions League knockout stages, it has been another tumultuous season for the Royal Whites, who already gave up on Xabi Alonso after being embarrassed by Barcelona in yet another cup final. Meanwhile, in the other cup, the Copa del Rey, the Merengues were embarrassed by second division side Albacete (who have Jesus Vallejo, of all players). There is dysfunction rife in the heart of Madrid, but there are also genuine problems with the squad that have not been addressed. The defense remains shambolic in big games, while the midfield has been gutted by the losses of legends Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, who were never replaced. With the summer 2026 transfer window on the horizon in just four short mont...
Read More
Ranking the 25 best Serie A players of the 2025/26 season so far
14Feb By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Rankings

Ranking the 25 best Serie A players of the 2025/26 season so far

Briefly, Serie A was bucking the trend of being a league known for its top-notch defensive quality by having high-scoring games and open play, but that period has ended almost as quickly as it began. Although there are a few attacking standouts in Serie A these days like Lautaro Martinez and Nico Paz, the best players in the league right now are defenders. The Italian top flight, pound for pound, has the best central defenders and goalkeepers, and these players make up the majority of the list of the best footballers in the league in the 2025/26 season. Here are the top 25 players of the current campaign thus far, and while Inter Milan predictably dominate the rankings, the rest of the spread is pretty even among the other European contenders in Calcio. 25. Cremonese GK Emil Auder...
Read More
Ranking the 15 best tight ends in the NFL in 2026
13Feb By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Analysis

Ranking the 15 best tight ends in the NFL in 2026

The tight ends in the NFL today are potentially discussed by national analysts less often than they were a decade ago, and there are several quality tight end who receive a fraction of their team's target shares. But when you run through their numbers under a per usage basis, it's clear that tight ends are as talented and as valuable as ever, even if they are either underutilized or even more underrated in 2025 and 2026. Here is a ranking of the 15 best tight ends in the NFL right now, merging the playmakers with the safety valves, the staples of the offense with the secret superstars to create this list. 15. Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers Pat Freiermuth only started half of the Pittsburgh Steelers games last season despite appearing in all of them, which was quite the disse...
Read More
Ranking the 25 best Bundesliga players of the 2025/26 season so far
12Feb By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Analysis

Ranking the 25 best Bundesliga players of the 2025/26 season so far

The German Bundesliga doesn't quite have the same firepower across the top flight as it used to, but between Luka Vuskovic's incredible maiden season in a top flight league of any kind, the ludicrously elite Bayern Munich front three, and the underrated stars of Stuttgart and RB Leipzig (and now Hoffenheim, too), there is a lot of talent in the league worth getting excited about. With more than half of the 2025/26 season now in the bag, it is time to rank the 25 very best players in the Bundesliga this season in order from worst to first. Obviously, Bayern Munich dominate the list, but even the likes of Hamburg and Mainz have representatives in what has been an unpredictable season beyond the top spot. 25. Hamburg LB Miro Muheim Miro Muheim was Hamburg's best player in the 2. Bundes...
Read More
Ranking the 10 best Premier League center backs in 2026
11Feb By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Rankings

Ranking the 10 best Premier League center backs in 2026

Most people agree that the Premier League has ascended all the other leagues in European football with the most money, production value, drama, and individual quality than the rest. Where the Premier League's difference in quality truly shines out the most than at any other position is at center back, where clubs like Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, and Arsenal have an embarrassment of riches at the position - and that is not even including all the great underrated defenders at smaller clubs beyond the Big Six. As 2026 continues, let's take a look at the 10 finest center backs in the Premier League right now, ranking them in order. 10. Marcos Senesi, Bournemouth Set to be one of the hottest free agent center backs on the summer 2026 transfer market, Marcos Senesi h...
Read More
Ranking the 10 best available center backs in the 2026 summer transfer window
11Feb By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Analysis

Ranking the 10 best available center backs in the 2026 summer transfer window

The summer 2026 transfer window is several months away, but as the last winter window taught us, there have already been a lot of seeds planted for the big moves that could be ahead in the next chapter of the transfer market. Center backs are becoming more desired in the modern game as teams beef up defensively with multiple top talents at the position, and there will be some real gems available in the upcoming summer transfer window. So let's rank the 10 very best center back transfer targets in order who could make major splash moves in the summer 2026 transfer window. 10. Jarrad Branthwaite, Everton Jarrad Branthwaite looked poised to leave Everton for a ton of money in the summer 2024 transfer window, but Manchester United and others ultimately balked at an asking price appro...
Read More
Ranking the 10 best quarterbacks in Miami Dolphins history
10Feb By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Analysis

Ranking the 10 best quarterbacks in Miami Dolphins history

The Miami Dolphins haven't been at their dominant best since Dan Marino left the game in the 1990s, but they are one of the most historically relevant NFL franchises with a degree of dominance in the 1970s and 1980s that really needs to be revisited more. As such, they have had their fair share of great quarterbacks over the years despite the well running a bit dry after Marino's retirement. Even then, there are several notable names, hidden gems, and cult heroes who have called Miami home and started under center for this great franchise. So in honor of them - and not just Bob Griese and Dan Marino - let's rank the 10 greatest starting quarterbacks in the history of the Miami Dolphins. 10. Matt Moore One of the best backup quarterbacks in the modern NFL, Matt Moore had already mad...
Read More
Ranking the 10 best young left backs in world football in 2026
10Feb By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Analysis

Ranking the 10 best young left backs in world football in 2026

Because left footers are more rare than right footers and because top fullbacks are hard to find in the modern game, left backs are among the most valuable players in world football and can often be a weak link for the top teams in European football. As 2026 trudges onward, let's take a look at the best young left backs in world football today, ranking the current crop of young talent under the age of 24 from 10th to 1st. 10. Daniel Svensson, Borussia Dortmund If this list were solely about the players' performances in the 2025/26 season, Daniel Svensson would probably rank a couple of slots higher, because he has overperformed this season as a workhorse player on the left flank in that wing back role on a Dortmund team that is otherwise pretty atrocious out wide. While projectin...
Read More