Forget about subjectivity. Don’t mind about individuals voting based on their perception. If you want to know who the best football players in the world are, based purely on numbers and statistical parameters, this is the only list you will need.
Because Sofascore is once again honoring the best players from the biggest football leagues in the world. With our traditional and redesigned, Player of the Season trophy that each player will get. Unique and personalized, as a reminder of their everlasting performance.
There is no way to trick anyone into getting this trophy because it is based on season-long excellence and ratings that are calculated on purely statistical performance every game week. At the end of the season there can only be one winner, with the highest average Sofascore rating. So here are the immortal ones:
Rodri (8.01), Manchester City, Premier League
Being the best in the hardest football league in the world and doing it as one of the few ones with an average seasonal rating above 8, is a campaign to remember. And Rodri did it with style at Manchester City. In 34 matches he played, he scored eight times and added nine assists to it. On average he had 121.1 touches per game and 92% of accurate passes. Irreplaceable midfielder in the machine that Pep Guardiola has perfected all the way to the smallest details.
Jude Bellingham (8.05), Real Madrid, LaLiga
If there was any doubt about how Bellingham will adapt to LaLiga style of football, the talented midfielder turned off all questions very early in the season. He was early on promoted to a leader of the team that went on to win three trophies. He scored 19 goals in the domestic championship and added six more assists. He had 90 % of accurate passes and in his 28 league matches played for Real Madrid, with only 21 years old, he was the one without whom Carlo Ancelotti couldn’t imagine his team.
Kylian Mbappé (7.89), PSG, Ligue 1
Another Sofascore Player of the Season award going to Madrid. But this one is for Kylian Mbappé who deserved it for his last season in PSG. He was the best rated Ligue 1 player with 7.89 Sofascore Rating. He was by far the best goal scorer in the league with 27 goals, in top five with assists (he had seven), he had most total shots per game (4.1 per game) and most shots on target (2.0 per game). He fully deserved the trophy as he was the key figure in PSG’s dressing room. But time has come for Mbappé to change the address. He is in Real Madrid now, but he shouldn’t worry – the Sofascore Player of the Season award is coming his way.
Harry Kane (7.76), Bayern Munich, Bundesliga
He came to Bayern in search of trophies, he didn’t win any team trophy with the club, but he got a valuable individual one. Harry Kane is Bundesliga’s Player of the Season. He played 32 matches in the Bundesliga and scored 36 goals. Even though Bayern was third in the final standings, Kane was a constant threat for opponents. He won the Sofascore Player of the Season trophy with 7.76 Average Rating, in a close battle with Bayer Leverkusen’s Alejandro Grimaldo who had just 0.01 less.
Hakan Çalhanoğlu (7.68), Inter, Serie A
How dominant was Inter’s 23/24 Serie A season shows the fact that they had five players among top 10 best rated. On top of the list is Turkish midfielder Hakan Çalhanoğlu who finished the campaign with a Rating of 7.68. He played in 32 matches, scored 13 times and had three more assists. Çalhanoğlu had 92% of accurate passes and was Simone Inzaghi’s key figure in their Serie A trophy hunt. Inter will try to repeat its great team season, and Çalhanoğlu will try to repeat great individual statistics. Who knows, maybe with another Sofascore trophy.
Viktor Gyökeres (7.92), Sporting, Liga Portugal Betclic
29 goals and 10 assists in 32 matches played. Enough for Sporting’s striker Viktor Gyökeres to win the Sofascore trophy. He helped his team win its 20th Primeira Liga title. In that everlasting Portugal battle with Benfica, Porto and Sporting, every goal counts and Gyökeres provided enough for the double pleasure – on team and individual level.
Joey Veerman (8.26), PSV Eindhoven, Eredivisie
Unbelievable PSV! Four best rated last season’s Eredivisie players were from PSV. Boscagli, Bakayoko, de Jong and on top of the list – Joey Veerman. Talented 25-year-old midfielder finished the season with the Sofascore rating of 8.26. He played 29 matches, scored 5 goals, provided 16 assists and his heatmap shows that he was all over the field for PSV. Fully deserved – Sofascore Player of the Season trophy is on its way to Eindhoven.
Dries Mertens (7.61), Galatasaray, Trendyol Süper Lig
It was a close battle in the Turkish football championship. With Galatasaray winning the title with only three points in front Fenerbahçe, and with Galatasaray’s Dries Mertens winning the Player of the Season trophy with just 0.06 in front Fenerbahçe’s Sebastian Szymański. The Belgian midfielder finished the season with a Sofascore rating of 7.61. He had the most assists in the league, finishing the campaign with 16, and he was second best in key passes per game category, he had 2.6 key passes per game. The main Galatasaray’s creator had great connection with Mauro Icardi and that duo was vital for all plans coach Okan Buruk imagined.
Salem Al-Dawsari (7.92), Al-Hilal, Saudi Pro League
A lot of football superstars came to Saudi Arabia, football legends with many trophies in their showcases. But the best player in the Saudi Pro League was a local, almost veteran, who spent almost all his career in Al-Hilal. Salem Al-Dawsari, a 33-year-old midfielder, finished the Saudi Pro League with 7.92. Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergej Milinković-Savić, Riyad Mahrez, Marcelo Brozović are just some global superstars behind him on the list. Al-Dawsari played 27 matches, scored 14 and assisted four times. Al-Hilal won the league with a 14 points gap in front of Al-Nassr, and Al-Dawsari was a key figure in a star-packed team to achieve that.
Ramón Miérez (7.55), Osijek, HNL
One of the few players who won the Player of the Season trophy without his team winning the league title is Ramón Miérez, striker for Osijek. They were fourth in the Croatian national football league, but Miérez absolutely dominated the campaign. He was the league top goal scorer with 18 goals scored and led the league in total shots and shots on target per game. 27-year-old Argentinian is the first global player who got his hands on this year’s new and redesigned Sofascore Player of the Season trophy. It will shine in his new home – Abu Dhabi. Miérez left Osijek and joined Al-Jazira.
Khadija Shaw (7.91), Manchester City, Women’s Super League
Of course, not only male footballers are honored with the Sofascore Player of the Season Trophy. The best female footballers of the world will also get their trophy. In the English Super League, striker for Manchester City, Khadija Shaw was the best rated player. She was by far the best goal scorer of the league, in 18 matches she played, she scored 21 goals. City failed to win the trophy based only on goal difference, but the 27-year-old Jamaican won the individual Player of the Season trophy that will shine in her showcase forever.
Caroline Graham Hansen (8.63), Barcelona, Liga F
And if we really want to talk about domination, we must talk about Caroline Graham Hansen, Norwegian striker who plays for Barcelona in Liga F and who absolutely dominated last season. 25 matches played, 21 goals scored, and 19 assists added to the score. It sounds incredible that her goals + assists total is almost double what second on the list has. She finished the season with an average Sofascore rating of 8.63 and she will be rewarded with the Player of the Season trophy that will remind her about that great season. Top five best rated players are all from Barcelona’s women’s team who also won the league title in front of Real Madrid.
This is not the whole list of course. More than 50 Sofascore Player of the Season trophies are handed out through the whole year, combined with the leagues finishing near the end of the calendar year. Those awards will forever stay as a reminder of a season long excellence and a recognition received without any subjective interference.
So, congratulations to all the winners, you really deserved it!
Sofascore Player of the Season award summer winners, season 2023/2024:
Marco Grüll (7.58, Bundesliga, Austria)
Rodri (8.01, Premier League, England)
Khadija Shaw (7.91, Women’s Super League, England)
Crysencio Summerville (7.79, Championship, England)
Kylian Mbappé (7.89, Ligue 1, France)
Sakina Karchaoui (7.97, Division 1 Féminine, France)
Gauthier Hein (7.65, Ligue 2, France)
Harry Kane (7.76, Bundesliga, Germany)
Ewa Pajor (7.84, Frauen-Bundesliga, Germany)
Fotis Ioannidis (7.54, Stoiximan Super League, Greece)
Hakan Çalhanoğlu (7.68, Serie A, Italy)
Manuela Giugliano (7.86, Serie A Femminile, Italy)
Salvatore Esposito (7.52, Serie B, Italy)
Joey Veerman (8.26, Eredivisie, Netherlands)
Viktor Gyökeres (7.92, Liga Portugal Betclic, Portugal)
Salem Al-Dawsari (7.92, Saudi Pro League, Saudi Arabia)
Guélor Kanga (7.88, Mozzart Bet Superliga, Serbia)
Jude Bellingham (8.05, LaLiga, Spain)
Iñigo Vicente (7.45, LaLiga 2, Spain)
Caroline Graham Hansen (8.63, Liga F, Spain)
Dries Mertens (7.61, Trendyol Süper Lig, Turkey)
Juan Brunetta (7.88, Liga MX, Mexico)
Ramón Miérez (7.55, HNL, Croatia)
Cameron Puertas (7.59, Pro League, Belgium)
Johan Rojas (7.52, Primera A, Apertura, Colombia)
Veljko Birmančević (7.70, 1. Liga, Czech Republic)
Andreas Schjelderup (7.54, Superliga, Denmark)
Mohamed Chibi (7.58, Premier League, Egypt)
Dimitri Petratos (7.64, Indian Super League, India)
Josué (7.63, Ekstraklasa, Poland)
Akram Afif (8.86, Stars League, Qatar)
Florinel Coman (7.86, Super Liga, Romania)
James Tavernier (7.96, Premiership, Scotland)
Caner Erkin (7.68, Trendyol 1.Lig, Turkey)
Fábio Lima (7.97, Pro League, United Arab Emirates)