French Ligue 1
Lionel Messi dethroned as world’s best player…Ronaldo drops to No. 34!
Following the release of the Football Manager 2022 Main Winter Update, which features an updated player database, Lionel Messi has been dethroned as the best player in the world on the game.
Lionel Messi is no longer ranked as the best player in the world on Football Manager 2022.
Sports Interactive released the Main Winter Update for Football Manager 2022 on Thursday, February 24, 2022, with players now able to load up and use an updated database (22.3.0) for their new save games.
The updated FM22 database features all of the latest winter transfers from around the world, but it also features updated player attributes and current ability levels. The FM22 Main Winter Update also introduces a Versus mode.
And following the FM22 Main Winter Update, there have been a number of current ability changes to some huge names, including the likes of Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Robert Lewandowski, and it’s completely changed the rankings of the best players in the world on the game.
On the new FM22 database (22.3.0), Messi’s current ability (CA) has been downgraded from 194 out of 200 to 186 out of 200, which has seen him drop from the best player on FM22, down to fourth.
This change means that Bayern Munich striker Lewandowski is now ranked as the best player in the world on FM22, followed by Man City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne in second and Kylian Mbappe in third.
But it’s even worse for Cristiano Ronaldo, who before the Main Winter Update was ranked as the seventh-best player on FM22, but following the release of the new update, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner is now ranked 33rd, following his current ability dropping from 182 to 167 out of 200.
Here is the definitive list of the best players in the world, according to Football Manager 2022, following the Main Winter Update.
- Robert Lewandowski – Bayern Munich (190/200)
- Kevin De Bruyne – Manchester City (187/200)
- Kylian Mbappe – Paris Saint-Germain (186/200)
- Lionel Messi – Paris Saint-Germain (186/200)
- Mohamed Salah – Liverpool (184/200)
- Virgil van Dijk – Liverpool (180/200)
- Karim Benzema – Real Madrid (180/200)
- Neymar – Paris Saint-Germain (180/200)
- Harry Kane – Tottenham Hotspur (179/200)
- Thibaut Courtois – Real Madrid (178/200)
- Manuel Neuer – Bayern Munich (178/200)
- Joshua Kimmich – Bayern Munich (178/200)
- Erling Haaland – Borussia Dortmund (177/200)
- Jan Oblak – Atletico Madrid (176/200)
- Sadio Mane – Liverpool (176/200)
- Luka Modric – Real Madrid (174/200)
- Marc-Andre ter Stegen – Barcelona (174/200)
- Alisson – Liverpool (174/200)
- Thomas Muller – Bayern Munich (174/200)
- Bernardo Silva – Manchester City (174/200)
- Romelu Lukaku – Chelsea (171/200)
- Ruben Dias – Manchester City (171/200)
- N’Golo Kante – Chelsea (170/200)
- Ederson – Manchester City (170/200)
- Toni Kroos – Real Madrid (169/200)
- Bruno Fernandes – Manchester United (169/200)
- Raheem Sterling – Manchester City (169/200)
- Leroy Sane – Bayern Munich (169/200)
- Heung-Min Son – Tottenham Hostpur (168/200)
- Aymeric Laporte – Manchester City (168/200)
- Jack Grealish – Manchester City (167/200)
- Joao Cancelo – Manchester City (167/200)
- Cristiano Ronaldo – Manchester United (167/200)
- Vinicius Junior – Real Madrid (166/200)
- Antonio Rudiger – Chelsea (166/200)
- Luis Suarez – Atletico Madrid (166/200)
- Lautaro Martinez – Inter (166/200)
- Antoine Griezmann – Atletico Madrid (165/200)
- Edouard Mendy – Chelsea (165/200)
- Leon Goretzka – Bayern Munich (165/200)
- Rodri – Manchester City (165/200)
- Mason Mount – Chelsea (164/200)
- Jorginho – Chelsea (164/200)
- Fabinho – Liverpool (164/200)
- Mateo Kovacic – Chelsea (164/200)
- Frenkie de Jong – Barcelona (164/200)
- David Alaba – Real Madrid (164/200)
- Serge Gnabry – Bayern Munich (164/200)
- Thiago Alcantara – Liverpool (164/200)
- Nicolo Barella – Inter (164/200)
- Angel Di Maria – Paris Saint-Germain (164/200)
- Sergej Milinkovic-Savic – Lazio (164/200)
Paul Pogba has joined AS Monaco on a free transfer after signing a two-year contract, the Ligue 1 club said on Saturday, as the 32-year-old French midfielder looks to revive his career following a doping ban.
Pogba was handed a four-year doping ban in February 2024 after testing positive for DHEA, which boosts testosterone levels. The suspension was cut to 18 months after a successful appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Italian club Juventus announced in November that they had mutually agreed to terminate his contract, which was due to expire in June 2026.
The 2018 World Cup winner had a disappointing second spell with Juventus due to injuries after returning to the Turin-based club following his departure from Manchester United on a free transfer in 2022.
Pogba was signed by United in 2016 for a then-world record fee of 89 million pounds ($122 million) but the four-times Serie A champion won only two trophies with the Premier League club — the League Cup and Europa League in his first season.
He last played for France in 2022 but knee surgery prevented him from appearing at the World Cup in Qatar.
Monaco finished third behind Ligue 1 champions Paris St Germain and Olympique de Marseille last season.
-Reuters
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After Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi signed a contract extension with French Ligue 1 side, Paris Saint-Germain, he became the World’s most-paid fullback.
The Moroccan international will earn a staggering €70 million in wages over his new five-year deal, cementing his status as football’s highest-paid defender.
He signed a contract extension with the French champions until 2029. The new deal adds three years to his previous contract, which was set to expire in 2026.
His net salary is increasing from €10 million to €14 million per season (€28 million gross).
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The 2024 Ballon d’Or nominee and Super Eagles winger, Ademola Lookman, is almost certain to leave the Serie A in the coming winter transfer window following interest from Premiership but the biggest interest is from Paris Saint Germaine.
The AFCON 2024 silver medal winner with Nigeria has been on the radar of the London side, West Ham United and three other sides from the league but all is more certain that the London club will find it difficult to compete for the signature of Atalanta star according to Football Insider.
Reports have suggested that the Irons are ready to swoop for the Nigeria international in the January transfer window.
However, sources say there will be “huge interest” from Europe in the 27-year-old ex-Everton star.
Paris Saint-Germain will be the frontrunner for the forward if he becomes available in the coming months.
Additionally, Lookman plays in the same area of the pitch as West Ham’s big-money summer signings Crysencio Summerville and Luis Guilherme.
The London-born has raised his stock with his displays for Atalanta since joining from RB Leipzig in 2022.
He finished 14th in the Ballon d’Or rankings this year after leading the Italian side to a Europa League title last term.
Lookman has already hit five goals and contributed five assists in 10 games across all competitions this term.
The forward, who is under contract until June 2026, hit 17 goals and notched 10 assists in 45 appearances last season.
West Ham are unlikely to have serious funds to spend in the January window after their lavish spending in the off-season.
Julen Lopetegui’s side started slowly and sat 13th in the Premier League after nine games.
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