Barcelona dynamic duo finishes among world's most influential players
According to the 506th edition of the CIES Football Observatory rankings, two of the club's brightest young stars, namely, Pedri and Lamine Yamal, have been named among the top three most influential players in global football.
Advertisement
The report, which studies players from 60 leagues worldwide, placed Liverpool's Mohamed Salah at the top, with Lamine Yamal in second and Pedri in third.
This recognition is another sign of how strong Barcelona's project under Hansi Flick is turning out to be, with young talents stepping up and delivering consistently on the pitch.
How are players ranked?
The ranking is based on six specific areas of play, with data gathered exclusively by Impect.
These areas include aerial play, ground defence, distribution, attack, chance creation, and finishing.
Each player's influence is determined using a combination of their performance in these categories, the number of minutes they've played, and the results their teams have achieved.
Although Salah and Pedri did not top any individual category, their balanced and consistent displays helped them earn their places among the best.
Advertisement
Yamal, meanwhile, stood out for his exceptional ability to create chances, ranking highest in that particular field.
Who are the rest?
Other top performers across categories included Alexander Sörloth (aerial play), Moisés Caicedo (ground defence), Nico Schlotterbeck (distribution), Vinicius Jr. (attack), and Ousmane Dembele (finishing).
Raphinha, another Barcelona forward, was also recognised and ranked eighth overall, underlining the club's attacking depth.
This recognition comes during a season where Barcelona's young players have taken centre stage.
Yamal and Pedri, both still very young, continue to show maturity well beyond their years, carrying the club's footballing identity into the next era.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
4 hours ago
- Fox News
Barcelona star Lamine Yamal faces backlash for allegedly hiring entertainers with dwarfism for birthday party
Officials in Spain demanded an investigation into Barcelona star Lamine Yamal after it was alleged the 18-year-old soccer player hired entertainers with dwarfism for his birthday party over the weekend. Spain's Ministry for Social Rights asked officials, including the Public Prosecutor's Office, to investigate the allegations and whether disability laws were violated at Sunday's party. ESPN reported that guests were not allowed to film during the celebrations, but videos on social media appeared to show people with dwarfism arriving at the event outside of Barcelona. The photos prompted one group to issue a statement threatening legal action. The Association of People with Achondroplasia and Other Skeletal Dysplasias (ADEE) said in a statement it condemned Yamal. "The association announces that it will take legal and social actions to safeguard the dignity of people with disabilities, considering that these events violate not only current legislation, but also the fundamental ethical values of a society that claims to be egalitarian and respectful," ADEE said in the statement, according to a translation. "During the birthday of the young soccer player, a relevant figure in Spanish sports, people with dwarfism were hired solely for entertainment and protest activities. For ADEE, this type of practice is intolerable because it perpetuates stereotypes, fuels discrimination and undermines the image and rights of those with achondroplasia or other skeletal dysplasias, as well as all people with disabilities." The BBC reported Tuesday that the ADEE had filed a complaint with the Ministry. Fox News Digital has reached out to the soccer club for comment. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Forbes
4 hours ago
- Forbes
Why Signing Luis Díaz Could Be A Costly Mistake For Bayern Munich
Liverpool forward Luis Diaz celebrates. Bayern Munich has made an attempt to sign the Colombian ... More forward this summer. (Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images) Bayern Munich fans can now add Liverpool's Luis Díaz to the long list of forwards linked to their club this summer. Multiple reports out of England and Germany reported on Tuesday that Bayern has made an offer of €67.5 million ($78.3 million). Liverpool has immediately turned down that offer per multiple reports. It isn't the first time that Bayern has failed with their opening proposal for one of their targets this week. Yesterday, multiple reports out of Germany suggested that Bayern also saw an offer for Nick Woltemade turned down by Stuttgart. As things stand, Díaz could be the latest target Bayern fails to sign this summer. Indeed, Liverpool has made it quite clear in their briefings to journalists that the club has no interest in selling the Colombian forward. The only thing that could change Liverpool's thinking would be a significant offer significantly north of $100 million. The stance makes sense. Díaz played a strong season under manager Arne Slot last year, scoring 13 goals and seven assists in 36 Premier League games for the Anfield club. Statistically speaking, it was Díaz's best season in the Premier League since joining Liverpool during the 2021/22 season. As a result, Liverpool has told Bayern Munich and Barcelona, who are also interested in the player, that they are not interested in selling Díaz this summer. What about Díaz? The player camp has signaled to Bayern that the 28-year-old winger is willing to move clubs this summer. Part of this might come down to money. Bayern and Barcelona are known for paying higher wages than Liverpool. Indeed, Fenway Sports, which owns and operates the Premier League club, is known for running a tight salary structure. It was for that reason that Bayern was able to lure away Sadio Mané from Liverpool in the summer of 2022. That transfer, however, should also be a warning to Bayern. Mané not only didn't work out at Bayern but also further complicated the Rekordmeister's salary structure. With Sané's departure, Bayern was finally on the path of creating a more homogenous wage structure, and signing Díaz could be a step back in this regard. Liverpool doesn't want to sell Luis Díaz this summer. (Photo by) 'I have to save, save, save,' director of sport Max Eberl said at the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States when asked about the Woltemade transfer. That stance is still true. Eberl is currently navigating a tight line between his club's efforts to restructure and cut down on salaries, while also adding quality players to remain competitive in the Champions League. In fact, the situation has only been further complicated by the horrendous Jamal Musiala injury. With Musiala out, Bayern now needs to add two players in the short term. The goal is to sign a left-winger and a player like Woltemade, who can replace Musiala in the short term and Harry Kane in the long term. As things stand, Bayern is in a situation where neither Díaz nor Woltemade will be added to the club. There is no doubt that Bayern is going to make another offer for the Liverpool forward. But the Reds have made their position quite clear. They don't want to sell, and instead of losing key players, are more interested in adding pieces. That will not keep Bayern from trying again. Sky Germany reported on Tuesday that Bayern is going to make another attempt. They also believe that the Rekordmeister has a verbal agreement in place with Díaz that would see him sign a contract until 2029 with an option for 2030. Is a Díaz deal possible? That's hard to imagine at this point. Bayern's recent bid was already beyond their comfort zone. Furthermore, it is a risky endeavor as it is. Díaz will turn 29 this season and is only one year younger than their other left-winger, Kingsley Coman. That's not the sort of forward-thinking transfer the club should be conducting this window. Indeed, Bayern Munich brought in Eberl from RB Leipzig and sporting director Christoph Freund from Red Bull Salzburg to cut out the middleman and sign players before they became top stars. Woltemade would have been available on a free transfer last year. Díaz, in the meantime, is an expensive player with a short runway. With that in mind, the current Bayern bosses are at risk of falling into the same trap that the previous regime under Hasan Salihamidzic and Oliver Kahn did. Díaz has the potential to be Mané 2.0—an expensive player who won't address the squad's structural issues in the long term.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
'No need to complain' – German football legend urges Marc-Andre Ter Stegen to leave Barcelona
Much has been made of Marc-Andre Ter Stegen's situation at Barcelona over the last few weeks, with the club captain having been replaced as starting goalkeeper for the 2025-26 season. Joan Garcia and Wojciech Szczesny are Hansi Flick's options going forward, which means that the German is in a tricky situation. Flick told Ter Stegen last week that he will almost certainly not play for Barcelona next season, but despite this, the 33-year-old is determined to stay and force his way into contention. The club want him to leave, but he is under no obligation to seek an exit, given that his contract runs until 2028. Advertisement Ter Stegen has options to leave, and according to German football legend Lothar Matthaus, he should take one of them, as he told Bild (via MD). 'He has to leave, he won't play there again. I understand Ter Stegen. He has played well, he has been captain and he has his life in Barcelona. But he has to accept it. Barcelona have other ideas, other plans. 'These are decisions that must be accepted. There is no need to complain, it is part of football. It is not an isolated incident. It's not Hansi Flick, it's Barcelona. And nothing is bigger than the club, and that also applies to Barcelona.' Image viaAdvertisement Ter Stegen has a big decision to make It must remembered that a World Cup year has now started, with the next tournament taking place in North America next summer. As things stand, Ter Stegen will be Germany's starter, but that could change if he sidelined for the entirety of the 2025-26 season. Barcelona are hoping that Ter Stegen relents once the gravity of that situation kicks in, but for now, he is still looking to remain at the club he joined over a decade ago. However, that stance could change in the coming weeks.
