Liverpool Stars Dominate CIES 2024/25 Rankings

Liverpool’s current stars and incoming talents dominate the latest player performance rankings published by the CIES Football Observatory, underlining the club’s strong footing heading into the next phase of its evolution.

Topping the overall global index – which evaluates performances across six key areas of the game – is Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah who racked up an impressive 47 goals and assists on his way to claiming a second premier league title. The Egyptian forward led all players across 60 leagues worldwide, reaffirming his status as one of football’s most consistent and influential performers.

Joining Salah at the summit of their respective positional rankings are two of Liverpool’s defensive stalwarts: Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold, though the latter is bound for Madrid as confirmed this morning.

Van Dijk leads the way among centre backs, while Alexander-Arnold tops the list of fullbacks. The rankings reflect not just individual quality, but also the impact these players have on their team’s overall results and performance.

Equally eye-catching for Liverpool fans is the emergence of future stars destined for Anfield. Florian Wirtz – a key figure for Bayer Leverkusen and reportedly bound for Liverpool for a fee in the region of £110 million – ranks as the top attacking midfielder of the season, edging out England’s Cole Palmer.

Wirtz’s combination of creativity, composure, and output places him ahead of more established names, signalling his readiness for the Premier League spotlight.

Meanwhile, Jeremie Frimpong – another Bayer Leverkusen standout expected to succeed Alexander-Arnold at right-back – also features prominently. He places seventh overall among fullbacks and fifth specifically for right-sided defenders. Frimpong’s attacking dynamism and defensive contribution were central to Leverkusen’s historic unbeaten domestic campaign, and he continued to impress this season despite falling short of the Bundesliga title.

It remains to be seen how effectively he can replace Alexander-Arnold though, who has been central to Liverpool’s success regardless of who stands in the dugout.

The CIES report also highlighted standout performers from across Europe, with a number of emerging and established stars making the cut. Barcelona’s 17-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal ranked second overall behind Salah and topped the chart for chance creation – a remarkable feat for a player so early in his professional career. His teammate Pedri González also made the top three, showcasing the depth of talent in the Catalan club’s ranks.

Elsewhere, Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé led the rankings for centre forwards, narrowly ahead of Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyökeres. The Frenchman’s continued excellence underlines why he remains a central figure in the global game and a cornerstone of Madrid’s attacking plans moving forward.

The rankings were compiled using data from Impect and assessing metrics such as aerial duels, ground defence, distribution, chance creation, take-ons, and finishing.

Insideworldfootball.com