Imagine having the ability to arm a fantasy footballer, choosing the best aspects of the great stars of world football to build the perfect attacker.
Many would argue that it does not take more than combining the strengths of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, to obtain a player without weaknesses. However, when we delve into the qualities that characterize football’s elite, even Messi and Cristiano are unable to match some of the hallmarks that distinguish their rivals.
Who is the best header? Which player has the better left or right hand? Who has the fastest speed? What strength makes it impossible for rival defenders to contain you?
ESPN has tried to get the answer, building the best soccer player from the pieces that serve as the business card of the greats of football.
Brain: Lionel Messi
It is obvious that the perfect footballer must be able to evaluate all situations, make the most appropriate decision with infallible regularity and have the skills to change the direction of a play; apart from dictating the pace with his ability to read game situations.
And there is no player in all of world football with a more cunning brain than Messi’s. The forward of Barcelona and the Argentine team is a genius with the ball at his feet, either choosing the right moment to define and score, or making a pass to his teammate capable of overwhelming any defense.
Likewise, Messi’s brain also allows him to fool his opponents and control the pace of the match. The 33-year-old from Rosario is still capable of disarming his opponents with a precise burst in the final third.
Messi’s goals often make headlines, but his vision and ability to dictate the pace of the game are the product of the sharpest intellect in world football.
Head: Cristiano Ronaldo
Olivier Giroud and Harry Kane deserve honorable mentions for their heading skills; However, Cristiano Ronaldo is at a level that sets him apart from the rest when it comes to scoring goals with his head. It’s not just about the power and sense of direction that Cristiano is able to combine with his header; Instead, his incredible spring allows him to jump to heights much greater than any player around him.
Just look at his Juventus jersey header against Sampdoria in December 2019, when the Portuguese striker posted a 2.56 height to connect with Alex Sandro’s center.
Likewise, Ronaldo converted a memorable header for the Real Madrid cause in a match against Manchester United in February 2013, when he jumped higher than Patrice Evra, dispatching a spectacular header goal to overwhelm goalkeeper David de Gea at the Santiago Bernabéu. .
When it comes to heading, nobody does it better than Cristiano.
In a sport in which right-handed players make up the vast majority, how do you choose the man with the most powerful right foot?
Toni Kroos has dominated the midfield for a decade wearing the jerseys of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Germany’s national team thanks to his repertoire of long passes; For his part, Cristiano Ronaldo has scored hundreds of goals with his prodigious right hand.
However, when it comes to combining skills to convert, generate danger and transition from defense to attack, no one can match the contributions of Kevin De Bruyne’s right foot.
The Manchester City and Belgium midfielder resembles a modern-day David Beckham with his deliveries from the right wing, recording 20 assists last season and 11 so far this season.
Additionally, De Bruyne poses a threat with his long-range shots and free throws. Thus, while other players have right-handers with similar destructive capabilities, none can match De Bruyne when it comes to possessing a full range of talents.
Lionel Messi could have led this category; For his part, Gareth Bale has arguments to prevail, thanks to the power and elegance that he has managed to combine with his left foot.
However, Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah was blessed with Messi’s artistic skills and dribbling along with Bale’s power, as well as the added ability to cushion and manipulate the ball.
Salah has shown during his time at Liverpool that he is capable of scoring all kinds of goals with his left foot: his shot against Chelsea in April 2019 highlighted his might; also converting a surprising goal against Roma in the semifinal of the 2019 edition of the Champions League. Additionally, Salah displayed his finishing skills with a touch that surrounded Ederson to overwhelm Nicolás Otamendi in his team’s quarter-final victory over Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
When the ball lands on Salah’s left foot and he has a view of the goal, the Egypt international is one of the most dangerous on the planet.
Soccer is full of players blessed with incredible rhythm; however, the ability to overwhelm opponents is only truly devastating when the player is able to deliver a defining touch, whether it be to score a goal or make a key pass.
Marcus Rashford has that rhythm; However, the Manchester United striker has yet to develop the cruelty that Kylian Mbappé has been able to combine with his speed on the pitch. Mbappé has always been a flying machine, establishing himself as one of the best forwards in the Champions League since his appearance on stage at the age of 19, wearing the AS Monaco shirt in 2017.
His rhythm and scoring production were crucial for the French team’s triumph at the 2018 World Cup in Russia and he remains the most powerful striker for Paris Saint-Germain, despite the presence of Brazilian striker Neymar at the Parc des Princes .
Mbappé is the perfect example of how rhythm can be extremely destructive when coupled with a sharp touch to define.
A forward can count on a multitude of talents; But if he is not strong enough to elude the physical challenges of defenders, his qualities will not get him very far.
Despite the above, lack of physical strength will never be a problem for Erling Haaland. In fact, the Borussia Dortmund striker and the Norwegian national team are beginning to rewrite the regulations for the best center-forwards in the world.
At just 20 years old, Haaland already has an imposing physique and 1.94 meters tall, much taller than rivals the likes of Robert Lewandowski (1.85m) and Harry Kane (1.88m). Rival defenders feel chills at the thought that the player who wore the FC Salzburg shirt as a teenager continues to grow.
And that reality becomes apparent when we see Haaland in action. Eighteen months ago, the Norwegian stormed onto the stage with Salzburg as a lanky teenager. But with Dortmund, it is clear that he has gained stature and muscle mass.
When Haaland is at his best, his speed and strength become unstoppable. It is only now that he learns how to make his opponents bounce as he bursts into the opponent’s goal.
The art of escaping defenders and creating spaces is a key component for the best gunners in the world. Figures such as Sergio “Kun” Agüero and Edinson Cavani have enjoyed long and fruitful careers thanks to their movements in the final third.
However, no one moves better than Bayern Munich figure Robert Lewandowski who, despite being 32 years old, is still able to overwhelm defenders better than anyone with a slight movement or misstep at the penalty spot.
The Poland international retreats and draws opposing defenders across the opposing area, constantly moving in order to deplete the goalkeeper’s energy and concentration levels.
Additionally, Lewandowski has the physical strength and work ethic necessary for all elite forwards, being able to head the ball like the best.
However, Lewandowski’s main quality is his movement, and that is why he remains the No. 1 striker on the Bayern squad.
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