The indispensable quality to be successful in life is courage. However, courage needs to be channelized in the right direction.
For this particularly, its inevitable to take an expert’s advice and consultation.
And, who better than Sports Astrologer & Sports Strategist – Hirav Shah !
Hirav Shah is the top-most influencer and adviser in the field of Sports, Entertainment, Real Estate and Business World.
Talking about sports, Hirav Shah picks 10 most successful players (male) of the most popular sport, Football, who can inspire you in 2021.
Table of Contents
1. Robert Lewandowski
Photo Credit
Rufus46, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Robert Lewandowski ( born 21 August 1988) is a Polish professional footballer who plays as a striker for Bundesliga club Bayern Munich and is the captain of the Poland national team. He is renowned for his positioning, technique and finishing, and is widely regarded as one of the best players in the world, and one of the best strikers in Bundesliga history.
Past Performances
After being the top scorer in the third and second tiers of Polish football with Znicz Pruszków, Lewandowski moved to top-flight Lech Poznań, helping the team win the 2009–10 Ekstraklasa. In 2013, he also featured with Dortmund in the 2013 UEFA Champions League Final. Prior to the start of the 2014–15 season, Lewandowski agreed to join Dortmund’s domestic rivals, Bayern Munich, on a free transfer. In Munich, he has won the Bundesliga title in each of his first six seasons. Lewandowski was integral in Bayern’s UEFA Champions League win in 2019–20 as part of a treble. He is one of only two players to achieve the European treble, while being the top scorer in all three competitions.
Turning Point
Turning Point came after he scored over 500 senior career goals for club and country.
USP
A full international for Poland since 2008, Lewandowski has earned over 110 caps and was a member of their team at UEFA Euro 2012, Euro 2016 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup. With 63 international goals, Lewandowski is the all-time top scorer for Poland. He won IFFHS World’s Top International Goal Scorer of the Year Award in 2015. He has been named the Polish Player of the Year a record eight times.
Meanwhile, the striker scored a staggering 55 goals in 47 games during Bayern Munich’s treble-winning campaign, finishing as top scorer in the Bundesliga, the DFB-Pokal and the Champions League- thus becoming the most successful male footballer of the world in 2020.
2. Kevin De Bruyne
Photo Credit
Светлана Бекетова, CC BY-SA 3.0 GFDL, via Wikimedia Commons
Kevin De Bruyne (born 28 June 1991) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City, where he is vice-captain, and the Belgian national team.
Past Performances
De Bruyne made his full international debut in 2010, and he has since earned 76 caps and scored 19 goals for Belgium. He was a member of the Belgian squads that reached the quarter-finals both at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and at UEFA Euro 2016. He represented Belgium at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, where Belgium won the third place play-off match against England, and was named in the FIFA World Cup Dream Team.
Turning Point
Turning point came when De Bruyne was named in the IFFHS Men’s World Team twice, the UEFA Team of the Year twice, the ESM Team of the Year three times, the UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season three times, the France Football World XI, and the Bundesliga Team of the Year. He won the Premier League Playmaker of the Season twice, Manchester City’s Player of the Season three times, the PFA Players’ Player of the Year, the UEFA Champions League Midfielder of the Season, the Bundesliga Player of the Year, the Footballer of the Year (Germany), and the Belgian Sportsman of the Year.
USP
Recognized for his exceptional passing, shooting ability and dribbling, he is widely considered to be one of the best players in the world and has often been described as a “complete” footballer.
Meanwhile, Liverpool may have been crowned champions of England, but De Bruyne was the best player in the Premier League last season, with the 29-year-old not only scoring 13 goals but also racking up a record-equalling 20 assists- thus becoming the second most successful male footballer in 2020.
3. Lionel Messi
Photo Credit
Кирилл Венедиктов, CC BY-SA 3.0 GFDL, via Wikimedia Commons
Lionel Andrés Messi ( born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward and captains both Spanish club Barcelona and the Argentina national team. He is one of the most famous and influential athletes of the world.
Past Performances
An Argentine international, Messi is his country’s all-time leading goalscorer. At youth level, he won the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship, finishing the tournament with both the Golden Ball and Golden Shoe, and an Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. His style of play as a diminutive, left-footed dribbler drew comparisons with his compatriot Diego Maradona, who described Messi as his successor. After his senior debut in August 2005, Messi became the youngest Argentine to play and score in a FIFA World Cup during the 2006 edition, and reached the final of the 2007 Copa América, where he was named young player of the tournament. As the squad’s captain from August 2011, he led Argentina to three consecutive finals: the 2014 FIFA World Cup, for which he won the Golden Ball, and the 2015 and 2016 Copas América. After announcing his international retirement in 2016, he reversed his decision and led his country to qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and a third-place finish at the 2019 Copa América.
Turning Point
Turning point came when Messi won a record six Ballon d’Or awards, and a record six European Golden Shoes. He has spent his entire professional career with Barcelona, where he has won a club-record 34 trophies, including ten La Liga titles, four UEFA Champions League titles and six Copas del Rey. A prolific goalscorer and creative playmaker, Messi holds the records for most goals in La Liga , a La Liga and European league season, most hat-tricks in La Liga and the UEFA Champions League and most assists in La Liga , a La Liga and European league season and the Copa América . He has scored over 700 senior career goals for club and country.
USP
He is often considered the best football player in the world and widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all times.
On that note, he scored 25 times in La Liga alone, thus earning himself a record-breaking seventh Pichichi award – and a remarkable fourth in a row- thus becoming the 3rd most successful male footballer in 2020.
4. Neymar
Photo Credit
Antoine Dellenbach, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior ( born 5 February 1992), known as Neymar, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the Brazil national team. He is widely considered as one of the best players in the world.
Past Performances
Neymar came into prominence at Santos, where he made his professional debut aged 17. He helped the club win two successive Campeonato Paulista championships, a Copa do Brasil, and the 2011 Copa Libertadores; the latter being Santos’ first since 1963. Neymar was twice named the South American Footballer of the Year, in 2011 and 2012, and soon relocated to Europe to join Barcelona. As part of Barcelona’s attacking trio with Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez, he won the continental treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the UEFA Champions League, and finished third for the FIFA Ballon d’Or in 2015 for his performances. He then attained a domestic double in the 2015–16 season.
Turning Point
Turning point came when Neymar ranked among the world’s most prominent sportsmen; SportsPro named him the most marketable athlete in the world in 2012 and 2013, and ESPN cited him as the world’s fourth-most famous athlete in 2016. In 2017, Neymar was included by Time in its list of the 100 most influential people in the world.By 2018, France Football ranked Neymar the world’s third highest-paid footballer, and in 2019, Forbes ranked him the world’s third highest-paid athlete.
USP
Not even Neymar’s harshest critics would deny that the Brazilian played a pivotal role in Paris Saint-Germain reaching a first-ever Champions League final.
Having been restricted to just 15 appearances in Ligue 1 due to injury (he still managed 13 goals in another title-winning campaign), the forward returned to full fitness – and his dazzling best – in the Champions League knockout stage.
Neymar netted in both legs as PSG came from behind to beat Borussia Dortmund in the last 16 and then illuminated Lisbon with his wonderful array of tricks and flicks, inspiring Thomas Tuchel’s side to victories over Atalanta and RB Leipzig to set up a tournament-decider against Bayern Munich.
PSG may have come up short, but 2020 was the year in which Neymar restored his reputation as one of the finest players on the planet- thus becoming the 4th most successful male footballer in 2020.
5. Cristiano Ronaldo
Photo Credit
Анна Нэсси, CC BY-SA 3.0 GFDL, via Wikimedia Commons
Cristiano Ronaldo (born 5 February 1985) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Serie A club Juventus and captains the Portugal national team. He is often considered the best player in the world and widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.
Past Performances
A Portuguese international, Ronaldo was named the best Portuguese player of all time by the Portuguese Football Federation in 2015. He made his senior debut in 2003 at age 18, and has since earned over 160 caps, including appearing and scoring in ten major tournaments, becoming Portugal’s most capped player and his country’s all-time top goalscorer. He scored his first international goal at Euro 2004 where he helped Portugal reach the final. He assumed full captaincy in July 2008, leading Portugal to their first-ever triumph in a major tournament by winning Euro 2016, and received the Silver Boot as the second-highest goalscorer of the tournament.
Turning Point
The turning point in his life came when He became one of the few recorded players to have made over 1,000 professional career appearances and scored over 700 senior career goals for club and country. Another turning point is when he became the second player to score 100 international goals, and the first European to achieve the feat.
USP
One of the most marketable and famous athletes in the world, Ronaldo was ranked the world’s highest-paid athlete by Forbes in 2016 and 2017 and the world’s most famous athlete by ESPN from 2016 to 2019. Time included him on their list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2014. Ronaldo is the first footballer, as well as only the third sportsman, to earn $1 billion in their career.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo continued to score at a remarkable rate during what was a turbulent season in Turin. At one point, the 35-year-old netted in a record-equalling 11 consecutive Serie A games, thus becoming the 5th most successful male footballer in 2020.
6. Kylian Mbappe
Photo Credit
Brian Hargadon, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Kylian Mbappé Lottin (born 20 December 1998) is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the France national team. Considered one of the best players in the world, he is known for his clinical finishing, dribbling and strength.
Past Performances
At international level, Mbappé made his senior debut for France in 2017, at age 18. At the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Mbappé became the youngest French player to score at a World Cup, and became the second teenager, after Pelé, to score in a World Cup Final. He finished as the joint second-highest goalscorer as France won the tournament.
Turning Point
His turning point came in 2017,when he signed for league rivals Paris Saint-Germain on an initial loan, which was made permanent in 2018 in a transfer worth €180 million, making him both the second-most expensive player and most expensive teenager ever.With PSG, Mbappé has won three Ligue 1 titles, two Coupe de France titles, has finished as Ligue 1 top scorer twice, won Ligue 1 Player of the Year, and is the sixth-highest goalscorer in the club’s history.
USP
In 2018 FIFA World Cup, He finished as the joint second-highest goalscorer as France won the tournament, and he received the Best Young Player and French Player of the Year awards for his performances.
Mbappe, of course, had already proven his immense worth to PSG by helping them claim four domestic trophies with 25 goals in just 27 games, with his 18 strikes in Ligue 1 earning him the top-scorer award- thus becoming the 6th most successful male footballer in 2020.
7. Virgil van Dijk
Photo Credit
Brian Hargadon, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Virgil van Dijk (born 8 July 1991) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Premier League club Liverpool and captains the Netherlands national team. Considered one of the best defenders in the world, he is known for his strength, leadership, and aerial ability.
Past Performances
Van Dijk made his international debut for the Netherlands in 2015 and became captain of his country in 2018. In 2018, he scored his first international goal in a 3–0 win against Portugal. A year later, Van Dijk captained the Netherlands to the final of the inaugural UEFA Nations League, where they finished runners-up.
Turning Point
The turning point came when he was awarded the captaincy of his country by manager Ronald Koeman on 22 March 2018,and his first match as captain was a 1–0 home friendly defeat by England the next day.On 26 March, he scored his first international goal to conclude a 3–0 win over European champions Portugal at the Stade de Genève.On 13 October, he scored in a 3–0 win over 2014 World Cup champions Germany in the UEFA Nations League. More importantly, he scored the equaliser in the next match with Germany, after assistant coach Dwight Lodeweges sent him a small paper note during a break, with the request to play forward in the last minutes of the game. The goal enabled the Netherlands to win the group phase of the Nations League
USP
He is the only defender to win UEFA Men’s Player of the Year, and has finished runner-up for the Ballon d’Or and Best FIFA Men’s Player.
Meanwhile, he played every single minute of last season’s Premier League title-winning campaign-thus becoming the 7th most successful footballer in 2020.
8. Karim Benzema
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Addesolen, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Karim Mostafa Benzema ( born 19 December 1987) is a French professional footballer who plays as a striker for Spanish club Real Madrid and the France national team. He has been described as an “immensely talented striker” who is “strong and powerful” and “a potent finisher from inside the box.
Past Performances
Benzema made his professional debut in the 2004–05 season and appeared sporadically in his first three seasons as Lyon won three titles in that span. In the 2007–08 season, Benzema became a starter and had a breakthrough year scoring over 30 goals as Lyon won its seventh straight league title.
Turning Point
In the 2007–08 season, Benzema’s turning point came. For his performances, he was named the National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP) Ligue 1 Player of the Year and named to the organization’s Team of the Year. Benzema was also the league’s top scorer and given the Bravo Award by Italian magazine Guerin Sportivo.
USP
After more than a decade of selfless service, Benzema has belatedly become Madrid’s main man – and has now been rewarded with his best-ever Goal 50 ranking- thus becoming the 8th most successful male football player.
9. Thomas Müller
Photo Credit
Michael Kranewitter, CC BY 3.0 AT, via Wikimedia Commons
Thomas Müller ( born 13 September 1989) is a German professional footballer who plays for Bundesliga club Bayern Munich and the Germany national team. A versatile player, Müller plays as a midfielder or forward, and has been deployed in a variety of attacking roles – as an attacking midfielder, second striker, centre forward and on either wing.
Past Performances
A product of Bayern’s youth system, he made his first-team breakthrough in the 2009–10 season after Louis van Gaal was appointed as the main coach; he played almost every game as the club won the league and cup double and reached the Champions League final. Müller scored 23 goals in the 2012–13 season as Bayern won a historic treble; the league title, cup and Champions League.
Turning Point
His turning point came when he broke the Bundesliga record for assists by providing 21 in a season (a record in the top five leagues jointly held with Lionel Messi in La Liga) and scored 14 goals as Bayern won a second treble in the 2019–20 season.
USP
Muller scored 12 goals and a whopping 25 assists during the second treble triumph of his trophy-laden career and is now being hailed as “the most extraordinary player in German football history” by Jupp Heynckes. Thus, he is now the 9th most successful male football player in 2020.
10. Sadio Mané
Photo Credit
Steindy (talk) 18:26, 7 October 2013 (UTC), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Sadio Mané (born 10 April 1992) is a Senegalese professional footballer who plays as a winger for Premier League club Liverpool and the Senegal national team. Known for his finishing, dribbling, and speed, Mané is considered one of the best players in the world.
Past Performances
Mané represented Senegal at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon and scored a goal in each of the nation’s opening two games, 2–0 wins against Tunisia and Zimbabwe.After a goalless draw in the quarter-final clash against Cameroon, he missed the penalty in the shoot-out that saw Senegal eliminated from the tournament.
In May 2018, Mané was named in Senegal’s 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.He scored the opening goal in a 2–2 draw against Japan in the group stage. Mané started all three of Senegal’s group matches as they were eliminated after the first stage, finishing below Japan on fair play points. Mane was once again called up to Senegal’s final squad for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.
Turning Point
After Liverpool sealed their first league title in 30 years, the Premier League picked out five crucial wins during the Reds’ record-breaking season.
The turning point came when Mane netted in four of those games (Leicester, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace away, and Manchester City at home) and registered an assist in the other (the return fixture with the Foxes), as he solidified his status as one of the most decisive forwards in the game today.
USP
Indeed, the Senegalese isn’t just revered at Anfield for his incredible mix of industry and incision – team-mate Fabinho says Mane is the “complete player” – he’s universally popular, as underlined by the fact that the 28-year-old won the PFA Fans’ Player of the Year award for 2019-20 and today he ହା become the 10th most successful male football player in 2020.
Conclusion
All the top 10 players mentioned above are goal machines and the best players of the world. All of them are record holders and unstoppable !!
Today, in these unprecedented times, how does one then overcome all hindrances to become unstoppable?
Astro-Strategy is the Key- concludes Hirav Shah, India’s Top Sports Astrologer and Sports Strategist
