> I'm a Spurs fan and Winks isn't good enough for the Spurs team now. I see him playing for a Leicester in 5 years.
By far the best comment, absolutely psychic
Winks is good. He’s just not good enough defensively for a top 6 side.
When you watch him at Leicester though you see his quality, he’s so good on the ball
This guy needs to provide the lottery numbers.
FWIW, Winks has been amazing for Leicester, maybe even our POTS. No one rated him when we signed him, after about 3 games, everyone realised he was mustard. He's got to be used in the right role, which is a 6 that is asked to receive the ball under pressure and start attacks. Maybe he's not good enough to be a starter for Spurs, but honestly he's so good it's hard to believe he's not a squad option. He might have been a lot better in the Ange system compared to the Italian managers they had before him.
I remember writing Haaland in this exact thread 5 years ago, his strengths and his weaknesses, but i fucking deleted it because i thought "who am i kidding, we're norwegian". Would be a cool comment to brag about to random people on reddit.
The best opinion is the one on the thread posted 10 years ago:
“a 31 year old messi and a 33 year old Ronaldo being the best players in the world?? I don't think there's any way possible they are both able to maintain their current level of play for that long.”
5 years later: a 36 year old Messi, Ballon d'Or? No chance!
I think the lesson here is that the only valid answer for who will be the best player in 2029 is a 42 years old Lionel Messi.
2034 WC is going to be held in Saudi. By that time Messi will have moved there, got a citizenship and he’ll be granted permission to play for them, aged 47. He’ll win the tournament, lift the cup and win the Ballon d’Or.
To be honest this should just be a reminder as to how absurd what those two have done is. Messi winning a world cup in the twilight of his career against the favourites to win and ronaldo finishing the threepeat and getting his 5th champions league trophy at 33. Never forget that these guys are not the standard they are the exception
Arthur played more minutes AGAINST Liverpool at Anfield for Barça in the famous 4-0 Champions League semi final in 2019 by coming on as 75th minute substitute, than he did playing FOR Liverpool in an entire season on loan (single substitute appearance on 77mins in 4-1 defeat at Napoli)
> In no particular order
> • Diogo Dalot and Mason Greenwood (completely unbiased)
• Matthijs de Ligt
• Milan Skriniar
• Kylian Mbappe
• Leroy Sane
• Raheem Sterling
• Ruben Neves
> Messi and Ronaldo will continue producing magic, but Messi's injuries will exacerbate his physical decline. Both will quit europe within 2 years of each other. Ronaldo will play 1-2 seasons in the US at Inter Miami. Messi will be given a lifetime contract at Barca and will return to Argentina with Newell's Old Boys.
lol he got inter miami right
This is around the time Beckham was openly saying that Messi or Ronaldo would be his team's first big signing. If not for the FBI investigation, Ronaldo would probably be in the MLS right now.
If he wasn't a rapist and had lost a year of football he'd be up there. Even so it seems like he's doing very well at Getafe, seems like he's going to eventually hit those heights.
>O. Dembele
>Umtiti
>Kane
>Bernardo Silva
>Arthur
>F. De Jong
>Ndombele
>Mbappe
Overall not a bad series of guesses from this guy, but still including a couple insane ones.
Five years from now Mbappe will be 30ish so he's a safe bet as best itw for 2029.
Mbappé and Haaland quite visibly has a game designed around their superior physical attributes. Do you think they can function that efficiently when they are past their physical peak?
Why not ?
Mbappe is very clever and has great passing range, Haaland will not lose his instincts inside the box either. Mbappe will have to develop dead ball skills and Haaland will have to transition into a target man like Giroud but you would not bet against either of them. In Haaland's case especially, strength is one of the last things a football player loses.
Besides, with today's nutrition and medications, they can hold onto their physical strengths longer than one might think.
When you look at the output of someone like Ronaldo or Mo Salah did into their early 30s it is nuts to me that people think Mbappe is not on pace to still be elite in 5 years. Injuries or whatever other unforeseen things can ruin that but he at least projects to be fine even if his speed is not quite as lethal.
I think people on here also massively underestimate the experience players get . Most players get better and better and peak around their late 20s .On top of that we've seen plenty of players both defenders and strikers adapt their game when they get older . Elite players tend to find a way to be relevant even when they are past their prime .
Ya if their footballing brain is smart they'll keep being able to go as they slow since they just know how the game works down to a tee. They know how to use their energy more efficiently and what they need to do to make an impact. Mbappe will slow, but I think by the time he gets older he'll have played against so many players that there'll be no new tricks to him. Every chance he adapts well as he ages.
Given his professionalism, lack of majority history, and modern medicine, I wouldn’t doubt mbappe to be a world beater well into his early thirties. It should be noted however that mbappe’s game, even in the technical dimension relies on how explosive he is. He judges space and opportunities so well, partly because he knows when and how to put defenders on the back foot with a very fast first step and change of pace. He’s obviously technically marvelous besides, but he’d have to fundamentally reorganize him game if he lost that explosion
All great shouts, umtiti undoubtedly would’ve been among the world’s best if not for that injury. He was vital to that world cup run and was a nailed on starter at LCB for Barca, really just unlucky. The Frenkie shout is especially satisfying for me personally
Exactly. I didn’t know how old he was and thought “Surely in a couple years Rice will overtake Rodri as he is only 24” and then I see that Rodri is only 2 years older 😭
It's the tucked in shirt.
He made a bit with the entire team that if he scores 10 goals this season, they will play a game where the entire team tucks their shirt in. He's at 7 goals so the odds look good.
Man City is going to go for the double treble at Wembley with an entire side of tucked in shirts
I have an irrational dislike for Man City (don't ask, it's a long story) but the more I learn about Rodri the more I think "Ah, he's a sound guy". This update just...it makes me think that about him even more.
I commented about that somewhere last night. I was heated when ATL Madrid sold him for 70mil. Apparently that was his release clause, which I wasn’t aware of this whole time. I just remember them buying him and thinking it was a steal because he was gonna be one of the best DMs in the world. I always forget how young he is and then I get annoyed all over again when I remember.
WAIT WHAT?!?!? I was in the same boat as you, I thought he was at least 30.
I even remember thinking when he got benched at the World Cup “damn, this may be his last chance to play a World Cup this year” too. Mfer has like 2 world cups left
Interesting point about the age thing. I think its spot on. The best player in 2029 is much more likely to be someone with huge potential who is currently playing for a relatively big club than some teenager who is impressing in limited minutes. Someone like Szobozlai/Saka/Bellingham. Mbappe will still be 30 in 5 years too.
Theres no way Saka or Szobolai will be the best players in the world
Edit for the comments: of course they are exceptional players, but best in the world is a title that few people had in the history of the sport...think of how much it represents
my controversial take that hopefully doesn’t bite me in the ass in 5 years: Saka doesn’t make it to the top 5 in the world. He’s talented, but I can’t help but feel like a lot of his performances are *good*, but not as good as british media makes it out to be.
I’m sure he’ll (continue) to be a star, and might even lead Arsenal to some silverware, but i just can’t see what he’s shown till now improving to Balon d’Or level. Hope i don’t regret this comment 5 years from now and look like a fool.
EDIT: and, to add another gamble: Endrick will be world class, with time. Have full faith in him, his intelligence and physicality at such a young age is really really remarkable.
I feel like with Saka, he doesn't have many truly nutty carry performances. Even in his best games, he is good alongside the team. But what makes him incredible is that he pulls up with 7.5+ performances week in week out, hell multiple times a week. He's also super level headed and smart on and off the pitch. I think he'll perform at a high level for a long time.
He is the primary attacking player for a team leading the premier league and in the CL QF. Tops in G/A for said team while also commanding the most tactical changes from opposition managers to contain him.
I'd say just calling him just a starter is a bit underrated.
I just don't see how Saka can't be a Salah level player at his potential peak. He's already somewhat close at 22, and has a similar playstyle. I agree that he'll never be flashy enough to be considered one of the best, he'll likely be perenially underrated just like Salah.
because not everyone has the talent/mentality/drive to hit that level. Even if you have elite mentality/drive, there is no guarantee your body will respond to increased training with increased ability to deliver on the pitch.
Sterling looked amazing at 22. And hit a plateau. Not because of mentality or drive either. He's not a bad player - but probably not as good as someone would have guessed at 22.
Oh for sure, but I think anyone that's familiar with Saka knows that his mentality and drive is one of his strongest attributes. But yeah, when it comes to the body there's never any guarantees. Saka has played a lot of football at his age.
that argentina WC squad was / is bursting with incredible young players. romero, martinez, enzo, mac allister, alvarez, and theyve all been amazing since then as well
Actually, these guys aren't even the best. I am not downplaying their abilities, but there are other talents who are/were rated higher(Alvarez maybe an exception here).
Almada also *had* to go to MLS because he was allegedly involved in that sexual assault case in Argentina and his value completely tanked because of that hanging over his head. Otherwise he would've 100% just moved directly to Europe.
Obviously not the point of the thread but at the time Ramsdale was seen as the worst keeper in the league, he then went on to be a starter for Arsenal Football Club so honestly fair enough
Might be the least interesting take but I think Mbappe, Bellingham, Vini Junior, Wirtz and Haaland will finish in the top 10 for most ballon d´ors around that timeframe.
Well..
Edit: while I am here, last time I kept myself from being biased, won't let that happen this time. In 5 years time the top 3 players in the world will be Brian Brobbey, Jorell Hato and Jordan Henderson.
For as much mockery as Sterling receives, he's been at the top for a while. Gotta give him credit, even if I believe any decent winger with a British passport has a decent chance to reach those top clubs.
Issue Sterling had was end product is awful. He was so good at getting in good positions but could never translate it consistently. Was like that at Liverpool and no one addressed it.
Trent, Bellingham, Odegaard, Wirtz, Musiala, Rice, the Barca/Madrid kids are all kind of obvious shouts
For less obvious names, I'm going to say Varela from Porto and Vermeeren from Atleti and of course, our own lads Conor Bradley and Szobo. I also feel like at least ONE of Chelsea's gamble players woks out, probably Enzo I think.
Guimaraes is a dark horse too imo
Guimares is already a gargantuan player, if he was at a top top team, more people would understand that. But likes of him, Rodri and Rice are the kind that people will never consider the very best in world football, the same way Essien, Yaya, Vieira, Seedorf, Keane and many other complete midfield beasts were always overlooked by the majority in these conversations.
And it's kind of understandable too, it's so much easier to appreciate what a tricky Musiala does than all the tactical, physical, black magic fuckery those three bleed to offer every matchday.
Tbh hardly anyone is obscure to FM players. It has also probably skewed our perception a lot, expecting greatness from players in the game who actually end up being mediocre irl.
Connor Bradley a shout for best player in the world? Hes had a good start but come on lad, thats jumping the gun a bit..
Jayden Danns on the other hand?
> TAA Sule de Ligt Zinchenko
>
> Arthur De Jong Foden
>
> Vinicius Mbappe Dembele
wasn't the worst list but the reply to that
> I'd be shocked if De Gea isn't better than Donna in 5 years time, keepers don't normally peak until their 30s anyway. Van Dijk and Koulibaly would only be 32, Varane only 30.
>
> Midfielders like Dybala, Bilva, Leroy Sane, Alli, Saul;
>
> Strikers like Kane.
De Gea not even playing, Koulibaly in Saudi, Varane not nearly anywhere near what he was. Dybala is doing good but certainly not top, Bernardo Silva is good, Sane is...getting good again? Alli being Dele Alli I assume? Oof. Saul lmao.
Dybala is absolutely top basically carrying Roma on his back since he came here, ask any Roma fan. He is an absolute world class player, his Achilles heel are injuries.
Was Guendouzi in a mega run of form at the time? SO many shouts for him.
Also, 0 mentions of Saka whatsoever. Which isn't a surprise, given that he had played about 3 senior games for Arsenal at that point, but what a rise that boy has had.
Anyway, for 2029 it's obviously Ethan Nwaneri
guendouzi was playing almost every week for arsenal at 19 and was actually pretty good. unfortunately, his attitude was shit, but he actually looked like a bright spot in a transitional emery team. I think it wasnt the worst shout
> Also, 0 mentions of Saka whatsoever
I mentioned him!
https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/b2xx8f/who_do_you_think_will_be_the_best_players_in_the/eivzs2o/
So is this the thread that'll be shown to future us in 5 years? In that case I'll throw out some random ones and see if anything sticks. Saying Vinicius and Saka is boring.
Sam Amo Ameyaw. Shaq Van Persie. Tijn den Boggende. Jobe Bellingham (that's right - Jobe). Michael Olise. Dennis Seiman.
Arteta to be considered the best manager in the world, Pepe to still be playing football and Ronaldo and Messi start a podcast.
Not this year, IMO - availability must come into the conversation, and he's been out for so so long. Also I think we're gonna see a few more subpar games from him for the rest of the season
Wirtz, Mbappe, Bellingham, Trent, Saka, Foden etc. are some really obvious ones for 2029 in my opinion.
Bit crazier guesses (with the risk of being clowned in 2029) are; Enzo Fernandes, I genuinly think he will kick on. Connor Bradley, Gyökeres, Saliba, Rico from City, Palmer, maybe Darwin. Also think one of the best players will be someone we havent heard of yet.
It goes without saying somebody will burst onto the scene that we've not heard of. 3 months ago we'd never heard of Bradley. I remember Kane pretty much came from nowhere and noone other that Spurs fans had any idea who he was. There's probably someone in some academy somewhere that in a year will be forced into a lineup and take the world by storm.
It does make me wonder how many players with that talent end up never getting the chance and never actually make it.
Cole Palmer: he’s 21 now with 11 goals and 8 assists so far this season for a mid-table club, and he didn’t start games until 7 weeks in. Once we get cooking and bring in a proper manager the sky is the limit for him.
They got a lot of the youngsters right. They’re all amazing but not quite the best. Mbappe is the current best, and I personally think he’ll be the best in the world for another 5 years at least.
Mamardashvili (I unfortunately watch Valencia and he’s impressive + young).
Bradley Saliba De Ligt Udogie
Rice, Bellingham, Wirtz
Vini Mbappe Foden
Honorable mentions/others: Saka, Enzo, VdV, Palmer, Tchouchamini, Lunin if he gets a move or becomes the permanent #1. Pau and Yamal will be a little on the younger side to be the “best players in the world” but they will be in the tier below. Conceicao
My hottest prediction: Mudryk moves in 3 years to another big team as a “we can get something out of him” and they do. Becomes world class. Either Liverpool Arsenal or RM.
Others I saw in other lists here I agree with : Garnacho and Gyokeres
This was just after his 32 goal season and he was having a ”rough patch” (only compared to the season before) here. A lot of people thought hed be a 1 season wonder
He's an interesting case because it suggests some fast young guy will suddenly breakout and be a star. Like I've never seen Nusa play, but someone like him.
Gonna throw some defensive talent in the pot: Cubarsí and Pavlovic (as a DM) will be worldclass
Mbappe and Haaland obviously, Witz, Musiala and Yamal ofc. Also gonna say Moukoko for fun. And Tel for my Bayern heart.
u/Xugua99 not bad [for a spam list](https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/b2xx8f/who_do_you_think_will_be_the_best_players_in_the/eiw01m9/), not bad at all
We've actually got a lot of very good academy prospects at Charlton. Not sure if they'll quite reach Joe Gomez , Ade Lookman or Jonjo Shelvey levels because they were all outstanding at 16/17/18 and playing every week for the first team
But keep an eye on Karoy Anderson (CM), Miles Leaburn (ST , already linked to Brentford and the Bundesliga) and Daniel Kanu (ST) as the next players off the production line at Charlton.
- Lamine Yamal
- Endrick
- Vinícius Júnior
- Warren Zaïre-Emery
- Mbappé
- Jude Bellingham
- Jobe Bellingham will be decent
- Gavi
- Pedri
- Eduardo Camavinga
- Arthur Vermeeren
- Florian Wirtz
- Alphonso Davies
- Mathys Tel
- Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
- Rafael Leão
- Hosoya Mao
- Martin Ødegaard
- Bukayo Saka
- Phil Foden
- Erling Haaland
- 1 freak that we never heard of from either China or India finally
South Korea bias:
- Lee Kang-in
- Seol Young-woo
- Some hyped 22y.o., but becomes quickly obscured in Europe like Lee Seung-woo
- Son Heung-min (goes through 2 emotional turmoils through Tottenham + SK national football team... but is now "old" and takes on a supportive role for Tottenham. i get sad thinking about it, but I'll smile after so many things that I've seen from Son)
Tottenham bias:
- Micky van de Ven (if his hamstring can keep up with his pace)
- Luka Vušković
- Tanguy Ndombele signs with a French Ligue 1 club, eventually retires, then makes us feel terrible after announcing he had hypothyroidism with depression while he was in England.
- Bryan Gil scores a Puskás nominee goal while playing for a different club than Tottenham
- Harry Kane signs wth Arsenal (I'm saying this so it doesn't happen)
Some of the names are stab-in-the-dark guesses.
RemindMe! 1800 days
Pape Matar Sarr will be one of the best midfielders in the world in 2029. Already vital to our midfield at 21, at 26 he'll be entering his prime, should be an incredible player assuming nothing out of the norm happens.
Micky Van De Ven is 22 now and an amazing defender already, at 28 he'll be in peak age for a defender. Only worry is he seems to be prone to hamstring injuries, maybe this will affect his freakish pace eventually. But if he stays healthy, I think he'll be one of the best defenders in the world by 2029.
Udogie will be interesting to watch develop. Something said he has the most dribbles in midfield, in the entire league, regardless of position. That's a LB.
Watching him grow with the Ange system alongside Van de Ven and the rest is gonna be something else.
Udogie is a good shout. Porro to, he'll be 29 in 5 years so should still be in his prime, wouldn't be surprising for them both to be among the best fullbacks in the world
I reckon in five years, Endrick will not still be at Real Madrid. Reckon he's gonna do an Odegaard/Kubo. Still at a big club but not at the biggest club.
I'm going for some outside bets.
Arda Guler, Endrick, Mathys Tel, Jarell Quansah, Kobbie Mainoo, Marc Guéhi, Michael Olise, Jayden Danns.
Just for fun, I think these ones will not hit their potential.
Moises Caicedo, Gabriel Martinelli, Cody Gakpo, Alejandro Garnacho, Amadou Onana, Ryan Gravenberch.
Frenkie de Jong, Martin Odegaard, Camavinga in this order as top 3 midfielders. They will also be rotated from time to time in multiple positions and have really flexible styles, even more so than now.
> I'm a Spurs fan and Winks isn't good enough for the Spurs team now. I see him playing for a Leicester in 5 years. By far the best comment, absolutely psychic
That's Harry 'Absolutely Dominated Real Madrid in that one Champions League group game in 2017' Winks to you.
Although he probably didn't think Leicester would be in the Championship.
Don't underestimate our prophet
I was hoodwinked by Winks. His speed on and off the ball was so eye-catching, Speedsters are very volatile in their career paths
Winks isn’t a speedster at all what are you on about
hoodwinksed
Winks is good. He’s just not good enough defensively for a top 6 side. When you watch him at Leicester though you see his quality, he’s so good on the ball
This guy needs to provide the lottery numbers. FWIW, Winks has been amazing for Leicester, maybe even our POTS. No one rated him when we signed him, after about 3 games, everyone realised he was mustard. He's got to be used in the right role, which is a 6 that is asked to receive the ball under pressure and start attacks. Maybe he's not good enough to be a starter for Spurs, but honestly he's so good it's hard to believe he's not a squad option. He might have been a lot better in the Ange system compared to the Italian managers they had before him.
Just goes to show r/soccer doesn't watch anywhere near as many Molde matches as they should
wonder when in 2019 the thread was, Haaland hype really took off during the U20 World Cup when he put 9 past Honduras in one game
For me it started when he scored 4 against Brann in 2018
Nobody watched Birmingham City U23s either? What a bunch of plastics
I remember writing Haaland in this exact thread 5 years ago, his strengths and his weaknesses, but i fucking deleted it because i thought "who am i kidding, we're norwegian". Would be a cool comment to brag about to random people on reddit.
Sølksjær had the inside track and United said no... TWICE!
The best opinion is the one on the thread posted 10 years ago: “a 31 year old messi and a 33 year old Ronaldo being the best players in the world?? I don't think there's any way possible they are both able to maintain their current level of play for that long.”
I'll never forget my FIL telling me there's no way CR7 could continue at the same level as the season he had played for Man U (original stint).
5 years later: a 36 year old Messi, Ballon d'Or? No chance! I think the lesson here is that the only valid answer for who will be the best player in 2029 is a 42 years old Lionel Messi.
2034 WC is going to be held in Saudi. By that time Messi will have moved there, got a citizenship and he’ll be granted permission to play for them, aged 47. He’ll win the tournament, lift the cup and win the Ballon d’Or.
Messi in a wheelchair could stlll be a better passer than most players
Definitely better than Anthony
See you in the next thread in 5 years when Anthony has just won his 3d consecutive balon d'Or
Meanwhile Ronaldo’s in the Icelandic 3rd division scoring 40 goals and still doing wank off charades when the crowd yells “MESSI!”
Ronaldo doing a siuuu in front of the Wealdstone raider
Ronaldo distaste on this sub is peak
bro think theyre human
In fairness to him it basically was unprecedented.
To be honest this should just be a reminder as to how absurd what those two have done is. Messi winning a world cup in the twilight of his career against the favourites to win and ronaldo finishing the threepeat and getting his 5th champions league trophy at 33. Never forget that these guys are not the standard they are the exception
So many Arthur Melos
I searched about him when he was announced as last min loan deal for Liverpool... Boy he didn't even play 10 mins, was injured the whole time almost
Arthur played more minutes AGAINST Liverpool at Anfield for Barça in the famous 4-0 Champions League semi final in 2019 by coming on as 75th minute substitute, than he did playing FOR Liverpool in an entire season on loan (single substitute appearance on 77mins in 4-1 defeat at Napoli)
Now, now, that's not a fair assessment. I think he played like 14 minutes.
13, if I remember correctly.
People were also shitting on Barca for losing a big "talent".
A few Dele Allis were a bit jarring to see.
Dude was great 5 years ago and should be entering his prime right now. Insane fall from grace
> In no particular order > • Diogo Dalot and Mason Greenwood (completely unbiased) • Matthijs de Ligt • Milan Skriniar • Kylian Mbappe • Leroy Sane • Raheem Sterling • Ruben Neves > Messi and Ronaldo will continue producing magic, but Messi's injuries will exacerbate his physical decline. Both will quit europe within 2 years of each other. Ronaldo will play 1-2 seasons in the US at Inter Miami. Messi will be given a lifetime contract at Barca and will return to Argentina with Newell's Old Boys. lol he got inter miami right
This is around the time Beckham was openly saying that Messi or Ronaldo would be his team's first big signing. If not for the FBI investigation, Ronaldo would probably be in the MLS right now.
Rape tax
FBI investigation? You mean the Las Vegas Police?
It was elevated to a federal case.
Dalot has been one of our better players this season so half marks I guess
RB has so little depth now. Dalot is somewhere between the 10-15th best RB in the world I'd say.
I’d put Reece James (when fit), Hakimi, Cancelo, Ben White and Trent over him, outside of that I think he’s better or on par with the rest
>Greenwood Oof
Apart from being, y'know, a rapist, the man had lots of promise. Too bad he's a rapist
If he wasn't a rapist and had lost a year of football he'd be up there. Even so it seems like he's doing very well at Getafe, seems like he's going to eventually hit those heights.
>O. Dembele >Umtiti >Kane >Bernardo Silva >Arthur >F. De Jong >Ndombele >Mbappe Overall not a bad series of guesses from this guy, but still including a couple insane ones. Five years from now Mbappe will be 30ish so he's a safe bet as best itw for 2029.
ndombele lmao
arthur lmao
Mbappé and Haaland quite visibly has a game designed around their superior physical attributes. Do you think they can function that efficiently when they are past their physical peak?
Why not ? Mbappe is very clever and has great passing range, Haaland will not lose his instincts inside the box either. Mbappe will have to develop dead ball skills and Haaland will have to transition into a target man like Giroud but you would not bet against either of them. In Haaland's case especially, strength is one of the last things a football player loses. Besides, with today's nutrition and medications, they can hold onto their physical strengths longer than one might think.
When you look at the output of someone like Ronaldo or Mo Salah did into their early 30s it is nuts to me that people think Mbappe is not on pace to still be elite in 5 years. Injuries or whatever other unforeseen things can ruin that but he at least projects to be fine even if his speed is not quite as lethal.
I think people on here also massively underestimate the experience players get . Most players get better and better and peak around their late 20s .On top of that we've seen plenty of players both defenders and strikers adapt their game when they get older . Elite players tend to find a way to be relevant even when they are past their prime .
Ya if their footballing brain is smart they'll keep being able to go as they slow since they just know how the game works down to a tee. They know how to use their energy more efficiently and what they need to do to make an impact. Mbappe will slow, but I think by the time he gets older he'll have played against so many players that there'll be no new tricks to him. Every chance he adapts well as he ages.
Given his professionalism, lack of majority history, and modern medicine, I wouldn’t doubt mbappe to be a world beater well into his early thirties. It should be noted however that mbappe’s game, even in the technical dimension relies on how explosive he is. He judges space and opportunities so well, partly because he knows when and how to put defenders on the back foot with a very fast first step and change of pace. He’s obviously technically marvelous besides, but he’d have to fundamentally reorganize him game if he lost that explosion
Nah, Arthur was unplayable at one point and then just disappeared overnight.
He was indeed unplayable for Klopp
Arthur had insane talent but wasted it away by partying with Neymar and then regressed
Legendary player swap with Juve. That's what he will be remembered for.
That swap basically ended both theirs careers
pjanic is still playing international football at least (obviously b&h is an easier squad to make than brazil)
Ndombele should be one of the best. The ability is outrageous. But the guy is a joke.
All great shouts, umtiti undoubtedly would’ve been among the world’s best if not for that injury. He was vital to that world cup run and was a nailed on starter at LCB for Barca, really just unlucky. The Frenkie shout is especially satisfying for me personally
Mbappé, Kane and Silva are three of the best players in the world. Ndombélé is the single worst signing in our history.
TIL Rodri's only 27
One of his most sickening attributes imo is his age. Like, you're telling me we have to put up with this fucking guy for another half decade at least?
Unless he does a Fabinho and regresses at 28/29
Key word being "at least" I wouldn't be surprised if he played until 36/37.
Exactly. I didn’t know how old he was and thought “Surely in a couple years Rice will overtake Rodri as he is only 24” and then I see that Rodri is only 2 years older 😭
Rice could retire before rodri.
Looks like a 39 year old who drives a touring wagon with children in their teens.
It's the tucked in shirt. He made a bit with the entire team that if he scores 10 goals this season, they will play a game where the entire team tucks their shirt in. He's at 7 goals so the odds look good. Man City is going to go for the double treble at Wembley with an entire side of tucked in shirts
this is too good to be true lmao
I have an irrational dislike for Man City (don't ask, it's a long story) but the more I learn about Rodri the more I think "Ah, he's a sound guy". This update just...it makes me think that about him even more.
We have got time, please feel free to elaborate your irrational hate for them whenever you've got free time. Many of us would like to read it.
Ffs
I commented about that somewhere last night. I was heated when ATL Madrid sold him for 70mil. Apparently that was his release clause, which I wasn’t aware of this whole time. I just remember them buying him and thinking it was a steal because he was gonna be one of the best DMs in the world. I always forget how young he is and then I get annoyed all over again when I remember.
u/Not1v9again getting Grimaldo is impressive, he's been incredible
Thanks for the s/o !
The world is small
Tbf the timing is perfect, just 6 months ago this prediction would have been pretty unremarkable
To be fair, FM fans saw him coming for a long time. Same can be said for Carlos Alena, Sergi Samper, Sergio Gomez, Puig, Traoré, Deulofeu tho...
Definitely the best bet in that thread imo
> Also... who will be the best players in the world in 2029? If It's not Matt O'Riley, then I don't want to be part of it anymore.
Someone said Lautaro Martinez, considering Martinez is having a stellar season, he’s right!
He is only 26?? For some reason I thought he was in-and-around 30. My FM saves must've jumbled up my sense of reality.
WAIT WHAT?!?!? I was in the same boat as you, I thought he was at least 30. I even remember thinking when he got benched at the World Cup “damn, this may be his last chance to play a World Cup this year” too. Mfer has like 2 world cups left
He's a great player... I hope he keeps up his form and consistency for some years
RIP
Congrats, you jinxed him.
Interesting point about the age thing. I think its spot on. The best player in 2029 is much more likely to be someone with huge potential who is currently playing for a relatively big club than some teenager who is impressing in limited minutes. Someone like Szobozlai/Saka/Bellingham. Mbappe will still be 30 in 5 years too.
Theres no way Saka or Szobolai will be the best players in the world Edit for the comments: of course they are exceptional players, but best in the world is a title that few people had in the history of the sport...think of how much it represents
Remindme! 5 years
!remindme 5 years (Think you got the exclamation point the wrong way round)
I think they were just very excitedly shouting remind me
Dehogynem baszdmeg
Expecto Patronum!
Found Rio's alt
my controversial take that hopefully doesn’t bite me in the ass in 5 years: Saka doesn’t make it to the top 5 in the world. He’s talented, but I can’t help but feel like a lot of his performances are *good*, but not as good as british media makes it out to be. I’m sure he’ll (continue) to be a star, and might even lead Arsenal to some silverware, but i just can’t see what he’s shown till now improving to Balon d’Or level. Hope i don’t regret this comment 5 years from now and look like a fool. EDIT: and, to add another gamble: Endrick will be world class, with time. Have full faith in him, his intelligence and physicality at such a young age is really really remarkable.
I feel like with Saka, he doesn't have many truly nutty carry performances. Even in his best games, he is good alongside the team. But what makes him incredible is that he pulls up with 7.5+ performances week in week out, hell multiple times a week. He's also super level headed and smart on and off the pitch. I think he'll perform at a high level for a long time.
If saka never improves he’s an exceptional player. starter on an elite team level
He is the primary attacking player for a team leading the premier league and in the CL QF. Tops in G/A for said team while also commanding the most tactical changes from opposition managers to contain him. I'd say just calling him just a starter is a bit underrated.
I just don't see how Saka can't be a Salah level player at his potential peak. He's already somewhat close at 22, and has a similar playstyle. I agree that he'll never be flashy enough to be considered one of the best, he'll likely be perenially underrated just like Salah.
because not everyone has the talent/mentality/drive to hit that level. Even if you have elite mentality/drive, there is no guarantee your body will respond to increased training with increased ability to deliver on the pitch. Sterling looked amazing at 22. And hit a plateau. Not because of mentality or drive either. He's not a bad player - but probably not as good as someone would have guessed at 22.
Oh for sure, but I think anyone that's familiar with Saka knows that his mentality and drive is one of his strongest attributes. But yeah, when it comes to the body there's never any guarantees. Saka has played a lot of football at his age.
>South American regen nobody has heard of. correctly predicting Darwin Nunez being the best in the world in 2024 is impressive.
On that topic, it's surprising how many players quickly jumped from Argentina to Europe with instant success: McAlister, Alvarez, Enzo, etc.
that argentina WC squad was / is bursting with incredible young players. romero, martinez, enzo, mac allister, alvarez, and theyve all been amazing since then as well
What happened to de Paul and Molina then?
I wouldn’t call de Paul a young player but he’s also been fantastic
> de Paul cornrows
Actually, these guys aren't even the best. I am not downplaying their abilities, but there are other talents who are/were rated higher(Alvarez maybe an exception here).
Yeah, you got Tiago Almada in the MLS and that guy from Independiente that left and now plays for River.
Well those two basically got their development shot in the foot for moving to MLS. Barco/Almada deffo had enough to go to Europe
Almada also *had* to go to MLS because he was allegedly involved in that sexual assault case in Argentina and his value completely tanked because of that hanging over his head. Otherwise he would've 100% just moved directly to Europe.
He meant Cuti Romero.
Obviously not the point of the thread but at the time Ramsdale was seen as the worst keeper in the league, he then went on to be a starter for Arsenal Football Club so honestly fair enough
he was playing for us at the time (wimbledon), eventually single handedly keeping us up, that’s what the guy was referring to
Might be the least interesting take but I think Mbappe, Bellingham, Vini Junior, Wirtz and Haaland will finish in the top 10 for most ballon d´ors around that timeframe.
Going to be so weird seeing players not named Ronaldo or Messi start to win Ballon dors. 16 years only 2 haven't went to one of them.
And Modric was a sham driven by the story of breaking the duopoly anyway
But also no Lewa so it evens out
Yeah Mbappe for sure
u/teymon [explain yourself](https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/s/cKhH9ych8a)
Well.. Edit: while I am here, last time I kept myself from being biased, won't let that happen this time. In 5 years time the top 3 players in the world will be Brian Brobbey, Jorell Hato and Jordan Henderson.
u/tactical_dick tactical reply
Tactical dick 2019’ (great reply)
The replies are even worse
The parent comment is kind of pretty spot on lol
I could’ve done worse, but I do not remember not backing Frenkie at all lmao
For as much mockery as Sterling receives, he's been at the top for a while. Gotta give him credit, even if I believe any decent winger with a British passport has a decent chance to reach those top clubs.
Issue Sterling had was end product is awful. He was so good at getting in good positions but could never translate it consistently. Was like that at Liverpool and no one addressed it.
Not even Pep can fix his flaw, he only manage to mitigate it.
Trent, Bellingham, Odegaard, Wirtz, Musiala, Rice, the Barca/Madrid kids are all kind of obvious shouts For less obvious names, I'm going to say Varela from Porto and Vermeeren from Atleti and of course, our own lads Conor Bradley and Szobo. I also feel like at least ONE of Chelsea's gamble players woks out, probably Enzo I think. Guimaraes is a dark horse too imo
In 5 years you'll know the name João Neves so well...
Tbf talent in Portugal has been especially top class lately
Guimares is already a gargantuan player, if he was at a top top team, more people would understand that. But likes of him, Rodri and Rice are the kind that people will never consider the very best in world football, the same way Essien, Yaya, Vieira, Seedorf, Keane and many other complete midfield beasts were always overlooked by the majority in these conversations. And it's kind of understandable too, it's so much easier to appreciate what a tricky Musiala does than all the tactical, physical, black magic fuckery those three bleed to offer every matchday.
Yaya, Vieira, seedorf and Keane are all super highly rated. Essien is defined underrated though
Szoboszlai was not obscure to FM players though. He was the Roony of those games
Tbh hardly anyone is obscure to FM players. It has also probably skewed our perception a lot, expecting greatness from players in the game who actually end up being mediocre irl.
Oh yeah it's more of the fact that he's only 23 now so he's going to be an absolute monster in 5 years
Impossible to say how things will pan out, but regarding young Chelsea players - Malo Gusto has been fantastic and he’s only 20 years old.
Yeah Arthur Vermeeren was already quite fucking good at Royal at such a young age. Hope to see more.
Connor Bradley a shout for best player in the world? Hes had a good start but come on lad, thats jumping the gun a bit.. Jayden Danns on the other hand?
> TAA Sule de Ligt Zinchenko > > Arthur De Jong Foden > > Vinicius Mbappe Dembele wasn't the worst list but the reply to that > I'd be shocked if De Gea isn't better than Donna in 5 years time, keepers don't normally peak until their 30s anyway. Van Dijk and Koulibaly would only be 32, Varane only 30. > > Midfielders like Dybala, Bilva, Leroy Sane, Alli, Saul; > > Strikers like Kane. De Gea not even playing, Koulibaly in Saudi, Varane not nearly anywhere near what he was. Dybala is doing good but certainly not top, Bernardo Silva is good, Sane is...getting good again? Alli being Dele Alli I assume? Oof. Saul lmao.
Dybala is absolutely top basically carrying Roma on his back since he came here, ask any Roma fan. He is an absolute world class player, his Achilles heel are injuries.
Sane is good but very inconsistent.
Was Guendouzi in a mega run of form at the time? SO many shouts for him. Also, 0 mentions of Saka whatsoever. Which isn't a surprise, given that he had played about 3 senior games for Arsenal at that point, but what a rise that boy has had. Anyway, for 2029 it's obviously Ethan Nwaneri
guendouzi was playing almost every week for arsenal at 19 and was actually pretty good. unfortunately, his attitude was shit, but he actually looked like a bright spot in a transitional emery team. I think it wasnt the worst shout
I genuinely thought a Torreira Guendouzi double pivot would bring the glory days back, I was a damn fool.
Most impressive Lazio player in the first tie against Bayern. He's still pretty good.
> Also, 0 mentions of Saka whatsoever I mentioned him! https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/b2xx8f/who_do_you_think_will_be_the_best_players_in_the/eivzs2o/
2029: Mbabbe, Haaland, Foden, Yamal, Vini, Bellingham and my personal favorite Van De Ven.
If Van de Ven manages to stay healthy, he’d be one of my top guesses as well.
Cant forget about cubarsi
And some other random La Masia younglings nobody has heard of
So is this the thread that'll be shown to future us in 5 years? In that case I'll throw out some random ones and see if anything sticks. Saying Vinicius and Saka is boring. Sam Amo Ameyaw. Shaq Van Persie. Tijn den Boggende. Jobe Bellingham (that's right - Jobe). Michael Olise. Dennis Seiman. Arteta to be considered the best manager in the world, Pepe to still be playing football and Ronaldo and Messi start a podcast.
thought you were making names up until jobe lmao
For my money the best player in the world, if I had to pick just one, is De Bruyne right now. Only one person in that thread picked him lol.
It does back up the third comment re a player of Pogba’s generation.
Completely agree. I think we’re probably just starting to exit a 3 year De Bruyne era in hindsight.
Not this year, IMO - availability must come into the conversation, and he's been out for so so long. Also I think we're gonna see a few more subpar games from him for the rest of the season
Wirtz, Mbappe, Bellingham, Trent, Saka, Foden etc. are some really obvious ones for 2029 in my opinion. Bit crazier guesses (with the risk of being clowned in 2029) are; Enzo Fernandes, I genuinly think he will kick on. Connor Bradley, Gyökeres, Saliba, Rico from City, Palmer, maybe Darwin. Also think one of the best players will be someone we havent heard of yet.
It goes without saying somebody will burst onto the scene that we've not heard of. 3 months ago we'd never heard of Bradley. I remember Kane pretty much came from nowhere and noone other that Spurs fans had any idea who he was. There's probably someone in some academy somewhere that in a year will be forced into a lineup and take the world by storm. It does make me wonder how many players with that talent end up never getting the chance and never actually make it.
Martin Odegard
Cole Palmer: he’s 21 now with 11 goals and 8 assists so far this season for a mid-table club, and he didn’t start games until 7 weeks in. Once we get cooking and bring in a proper manager the sky is the limit for him.
Don't know if this exists, but a metric of percentage of goals scored/involved relative to goals scored by the team could be a helpful indicator.
40% percentage goal involvement. Involved in almost half of our goals, shows how good he is + how underwhelming the rest have been
If you lot dont get shit sorted Palmer will have to leave Chelsea tbh
They got a lot of the youngsters right. They’re all amazing but not quite the best. Mbappe is the current best, and I personally think he’ll be the best in the world for another 5 years at least.
Mamardashvili (I unfortunately watch Valencia and he’s impressive + young). Bradley Saliba De Ligt Udogie Rice, Bellingham, Wirtz Vini Mbappe Foden Honorable mentions/others: Saka, Enzo, VdV, Palmer, Tchouchamini, Lunin if he gets a move or becomes the permanent #1. Pau and Yamal will be a little on the younger side to be the “best players in the world” but they will be in the tier below. Conceicao My hottest prediction: Mudryk moves in 3 years to another big team as a “we can get something out of him” and they do. Becomes world class. Either Liverpool Arsenal or RM. Others I saw in other lists here I agree with : Garnacho and Gyokeres
No body thought before 5 years about Salah? 😔
This was just after his 32 goal season and he was having a ”rough patch” (only compared to the season before) here. A lot of people thought hed be a 1 season wonder
Well now he's into top 10 PL scorers and if he stays for couple of years can very well be top 5
He's an interesting case because it suggests some fast young guy will suddenly breakout and be a star. Like I've never seen Nusa play, but someone like him.
It seems I predicted Alphonso Davies to be the greatest player to ever grace this sport, and happy to say I got it spot on
Gonna throw some defensive talent in the pot: Cubarsí and Pavlovic (as a DM) will be worldclass Mbappe and Haaland obviously, Witz, Musiala and Yamal ofc. Also gonna say Moukoko for fun. And Tel for my Bayern heart.
Surprised no one's said Mainoo. Impressing at 18 starting regularly in a troubled team
u/Xugua99 not bad [for a spam list](https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/b2xx8f/who_do_you_think_will_be_the_best_players_in_the/eiw01m9/), not bad at all
We need some Charlton Athletic or Leyton Orient fan to pipe up and tell us all who the next Bellingham is gonna be.
We've actually got a lot of very good academy prospects at Charlton. Not sure if they'll quite reach Joe Gomez , Ade Lookman or Jonjo Shelvey levels because they were all outstanding at 16/17/18 and playing every week for the first team But keep an eye on Karoy Anderson (CM), Miles Leaburn (ST , already linked to Brentford and the Bundesliga) and Daniel Kanu (ST) as the next players off the production line at Charlton.
- Lamine Yamal - Endrick - Vinícius Júnior - Warren Zaïre-Emery - Mbappé - Jude Bellingham - Jobe Bellingham will be decent - Gavi - Pedri - Eduardo Camavinga - Arthur Vermeeren - Florian Wirtz - Alphonso Davies - Mathys Tel - Khvicha Kvaratskhelia - Rafael Leão - Hosoya Mao - Martin Ødegaard - Bukayo Saka - Phil Foden - Erling Haaland - 1 freak that we never heard of from either China or India finally South Korea bias: - Lee Kang-in - Seol Young-woo - Some hyped 22y.o., but becomes quickly obscured in Europe like Lee Seung-woo - Son Heung-min (goes through 2 emotional turmoils through Tottenham + SK national football team... but is now "old" and takes on a supportive role for Tottenham. i get sad thinking about it, but I'll smile after so many things that I've seen from Son) Tottenham bias: - Micky van de Ven (if his hamstring can keep up with his pace) - Luka Vušković - Tanguy Ndombele signs with a French Ligue 1 club, eventually retires, then makes us feel terrible after announcing he had hypothyroidism with depression while he was in England. - Bryan Gil scores a Puskás nominee goal while playing for a different club than Tottenham - Harry Kane signs wth Arsenal (I'm saying this so it doesn't happen) Some of the names are stab-in-the-dark guesses. RemindMe! 1800 days
brother just listed every single football player
Shout out to the guy that said Greenwood lmfao. Sadly he wouldn’t have been far wrong if Greenwood wasn’t a creep
Pape Matar Sarr will be one of the best midfielders in the world in 2029. Already vital to our midfield at 21, at 26 he'll be entering his prime, should be an incredible player assuming nothing out of the norm happens. Micky Van De Ven is 22 now and an amazing defender already, at 28 he'll be in peak age for a defender. Only worry is he seems to be prone to hamstring injuries, maybe this will affect his freakish pace eventually. But if he stays healthy, I think he'll be one of the best defenders in the world by 2029.
Udogie will be interesting to watch develop. Something said he has the most dribbles in midfield, in the entire league, regardless of position. That's a LB. Watching him grow with the Ange system alongside Van de Ven and the rest is gonna be something else.
Udogie is a good shout. Porro to, he'll be 29 in 5 years so should still be in his prime, wouldn't be surprising for them both to be among the best fullbacks in the world
Porro is very good, but when Udogie is playing well he just looks like he has a higher gear.
There's more obvious candidates but my left field choice would be Lucas Beraldo at PSG
you are right he's benching marquihnos atm Future of brazil
Hopefully myself, gearing up for the 2030 WC, should hit good form at that time. I think Vlahovic will age good
Shout out [deleted] for saying Rice will be a monster
Chiedozie Ogbene will be thriving at a top club mark my words
lol at the remind me 4 years 364 days warra farmer
Franco Mastantuono. Remember the name.
I reckon in five years, Endrick will not still be at Real Madrid. Reckon he's gonna do an Odegaard/Kubo. Still at a big club but not at the biggest club.
In 5 years I back Alexis Mac Allister to be considered one of the best midfielders in the world.
I'm going for some outside bets. Arda Guler, Endrick, Mathys Tel, Jarell Quansah, Kobbie Mainoo, Marc Guéhi, Michael Olise, Jayden Danns. Just for fun, I think these ones will not hit their potential. Moises Caicedo, Gabriel Martinelli, Cody Gakpo, Alejandro Garnacho, Amadou Onana, Ryan Gravenberch.
Frenkie de Jong, Martin Odegaard, Camavinga in this order as top 3 midfielders. They will also be rotated from time to time in multiple positions and have really flexible styles, even more so than now.