Lionel Messi leads CIES ranking of most decisive players in past year

According to L'Équipe, the CIES Football Observatory released on Tuesday its top 100 most decisive league players over the past 365 days, with Lionel Messi ranked first. Two Frenchmen make the top 15.

On raw totals, Messi, with Inter Miami in MLS, recorded 59 goal contributions, 37 goals and 22 assists. He sits 17 clear of nearest rival Harry Kane , 35 goals and seven assists for Bayern Munich .

After applying a difficulty coefficient, the Argentine stays top on an adjusted 66.3, just ahead of Kylian Mbappé on 65.4, who has 41 contributions including 37 goals for Real Madrid .

By that measure, three Bayern Munich players sit in the top 10. Kane is third on 64.5, Michael Olise fourth on 54.6 with 37 contributions including 22 assists, and Colombian Luis Diaz ninth on 44.

Barcelona's Lamine Yamal is the youngest ranked, aged 18, placed seventh thanks to 18 goals and 11 assists in La Liga. The only other under 23 listed is Franculino Dju of Midtjylland, 21, joint 44th.

At the other end of the scale are Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, with 31 contributions, Lionel Messi , 38, and Argentina's Fernando Zampedri, 38.

Two Ligue 1 players feature. Marseille's Mason Greenwood is 20th with 27 contributions, 21 goals and six assists, while RC Strasbourg's Joaquin Panichelli is joint 44th with 21 goals and four assists.

Source: L'Équipe