Rankings

Ranking the 10 best young La Liga players in 2026
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...
Ranking the 10 biggest stars in the Premier League in 2026
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 ...
Ranking the 25 best Serie A players of the 2025/26 season so far
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...
Ranking the 10 best Premier League center backs in 2026
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...
Ranking the 15 best goalkeepers in world football in 2026
Rankings

Ranking the 15 best goalkeepers in world football in 2026

You would think the goalkeeper position would be the easiest to evaluate on the football pitch, because, well, goalkeepers are more stationary than other players and can be largely evaluated on how successful they are at stopping the other team from scoring. But it isn't really that simple. Although goalkeepers are primarily asked to make saves, ask any Manchester United or Tottenham Hotspur fan how much having a goalkeeper who does not command the box well or makes basic errors in possession can totally destroy your team's sense of stability. There is also the matter of reputation. Many goalkeepers can skate by on a reputation built up over the years of greatness, whereas some younger goalkeepers find it more difficult to gain a foothold for this reason. Finally, there is the mat...
2025/26 Premier League Power Rankings after Matchday 6
Analysis, Rankings

2025/26 Premier League Power Rankings after Matchday 6

Premier League Matchday 6 saw Liverpool lose to Crystal Palace, Arsenal gain ground in the title race, and Manchester City hammer Burnley 5-1. Let’s look back at these results and the rest of Matchday 6 to see where each club stands ahead of Matchday 7.   20. Wolves (–1) It feels harsh dropping Wolves back down to 20th place after their gutsy 1-1 draw against Tottenham, but someone has to be last, and they are definitely deserving candidates. Vitor Pereira’s side have just one point this season and the league’s worst goal difference through six matches (-9). They’ve pulled off great escapes before, but it’s looking pretty unlikely this season.  19. Burnley (-1) Burnley’s 5-1 loss to Manchester City was the most expected result of the weekend. I guaranteed City would win by two goals in...
2025/26 LaLiga Power Rankings after Matchday 7
Analysis, Rankings

2025/26 LaLiga Power Rankings after Matchday 7

LaLiga Matchday 7 saw Atlético Madrid destroy Real Madrid 5-2 in the Madrid Derby, Barcelona jump to the top of the table, and Elche stay undefeated with a 2-1 win over Celta Vigo. Let’s review these LaLiga Matchday 7 fixtures and rank teams ahead of Matchday 8.   20. Girona Girona managed to scrap out a 1-1 draw with Espanyol on Matchday 7 thanks to a five-save performance from goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga. The Argentine was the Blanquivermells man of the match, but the entire defense did their part, holding Espanyol to just 1.08 xG from 20 shots.  Offensively, though, Girona really struggled to convert solid opportunities. Of their seven shots in the box, they only managed to get one on target. They missed their only big chance of the game. Results like this draw are why I think Giron...
2025/26 Premier League Power Rankings after Matchday 5
Rankings

2025/26 Premier League Power Rankings after Matchday 5

Premier League Matchday 5 featured a full slate of games, including Manchester United’s 2-1 crazy upset victory against Chelsea and Arsenal’s hard-fought 1-1 draw against Manchester City.  With those results in the books, let’s take a look at our updated PL power rankings and see where each club stands ahead of Matchday 6.  20. West Ham (–1) West Ham aren’t bottom of the table, but they really should be. They only lost by one goal to Crystal Palace at the weekend. It could’ve been much worse. Palace created 2.31 xG from 18 shots to the Hammers’ 0.66 xG from 8 shots.  Graham Potter’s side have lost five of their six competitive matches this season, including three London derbies. I’m frankly stunned he still has a job. If recent reports are true, he might not have one for much longe...
Ranking the 10 best Serie A goalkeepers right now in 2025
Rankings

Ranking the 10 best Serie A goalkeepers right now in 2025

Serie A doesn't get nearly as much credit as it should for producing some of the finest goalkeepers in the world, and I don't think there's a league in world football right now that has had as much depth at the goalkeeper position among all the teams in the league over the past five years. Players like Guglielmo Vicario have gone on to have great success after leaving Serie A, but there's still more than enough high-end talent in the Italian top flight - and that goes beyond internationally recognized names like Yann Sommer and Mike Maignan. In celebration of all the goalkeepers in Serie A, including the more underrated ones, here's a ranking of the top 10 goalkeepers in the Italian top flight here in 2025. All statistics are courtesy of FBRef.com, which has, by far and away, the ...
Premier League Power Rankings: The 6 most important midfield anchors in 2025/26
Rankings

Premier League Power Rankings: The 6 most important midfield anchors in 2025/26

Although most of the attention in world football goes to the goal-scorers and the playmakers who grace the highlight reels and pile up the counting statistics, more appreciation has been given to defensive midfielders in recent years. Players like Aurelien Tchouameni and Declan Rice are going for massive transfer fees, others like Rodri and Ryan Gravenberch are winning or have been in contention for prestigious awards, and even fantasy football has increased the attention on and appreciation for the humble No. 6. These players are often vital to the success of their teams, and there's a reason why all the Big Six clubs in the Premier League have been pushing so hard for top defensive midfield talent. Here are the six most important midfield anchors to their respective Premier Leag...