The Athletic Crowns Messi No. 1 in World Cup Top 50 as Spain Places 9 in Top 25
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 20
The Athletic Crowns Messi No. 1 in World Cup Top 50 as Spain Places 9 in Top 25
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 20
Summary
Lionel Messi finished No. 1 in The Athletic’s final 50-player World Cup ranking despite Argentina’s loss in the final, with Kylian Mbappe second and Spain captain Rodri third.
Spain’s title run dominated the list: the champions placed nine players in the top 25, while Rodri also collected FIFA’s Golden Ball as tournament best player.
Mbappe sealed the Golden Boot with 2 goals in France’s third-place win over England, lifting his tournament total and extending his World Cup record to 22 career goals.
The final ranking, based on The Athletic’s player-ratings model, also highlighted late movers including Dani Olmo up 13 places, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka up 7, and Ferran Torres entering after his extra-time winner.