Who are world class players?

Rozay

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Phil Foden, according to my television.
 

mark clatternburg

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Supports
Leicester City
Strikers:
Lewa
Kane
Ronaldo

RW/Attack:
Messi
Salah
Sancho

LW/Attack:
Mbappe
Neymar
Mane

AM/10:
De Bruyne
Bruno
Muller

CM:
Kroos
Gundogan
Pogba

DM:
Kimmich
Kante
Casemiro

LB:
Davies
Shaw
Theo Hernandez

CB:
van Dijk
Dias
Marquinhos
Maguire
Laporte
Skriniar

RB:
Cancelo
Hakimi
Walker

Top 3 in each position in my opinion. You could probably include the players who could make a fair argument to be included:

Haaland
Grealish
Benzema
Verratti
Alex-Arnold
few others

Rice and Bissouma wouldn't even be up for discussion subjective or not.
Maguire and Shaw? Really?
 

Stacks

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Forgot Courtois. Lukaku just can't be world class as his weakness with his technique ultimately doesn't outweigh his pros. In big games Lukaku has always been brutal and has remained to be poor in big games for Inter. He can be the tier below as a striker, but not world class. I would never place Mario Gomez as world class even when he was scoring 40+ per season, same thing now.

Yeah I thought about putting Robertson. He's in the conversation, and like you said the last 2 seasons you can say it's fair to have him there. I guess part of me wonders how much of it is Klopp and how much of it is the individual, and I guess that's why I listed Sancho as a maybe but not in the list. Sometimes certain coaches with their systems get a world class level out of certain players/positions if they just fit a few characteristics. TAA for example last year was at a level of talent higher than Robertson IMO, so I'm not sure if Robertson can ever be world class for me while TAA could... maybe I just haven't paid enough attention though and I'm being biased.

But like, Maguire as an example is someone who I think is an excellent defender, but can never be world class due to the statue-esque nature of his game. He lifts everyone around him and makes a huge difference for us, but I'm ok with having him on the tier below and capping out there. Carrick previously just wasn't world class, but he was a very good holding midfielder, had brilliant seasons, won it all for United... Can't have him world class. Same with Gary Neville.

I guess I can add to the definition that for me, a world class player is also pretty much never just a support piece, but a focal piece to the team. Robertson was key to Liverpool, but when I think world class full backs, I think Roberto Carlos, Dani Alves, Ashley Cole, Evra, Zanetti, etc. Jordi Alba has years of dominance at left back for club and country. Davies has been incredible for Bayern. Is Robertson in that class? Fair enough if he is, guess I just haven't seen him stand out as a world class player but more in the tier below.
where would you place Maguire compared to say Ledley King or Woodgate?
 

redrobed

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For us the only ones that are definitely world class are Bruno, Shaw, Maguire, Cavani and AWB. Rashford, Greenwood and - at a stretch - Lindelof are debatable.
 

iHicksy

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In this United team i'd say. Shaw, Bruno and Cavani, Maguire are the world class players. Pogba has the talent but not the application (at least for us).
 

Mark Pawelek

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Apr 9, 2014
Messages
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Location
Kent, near London
Strikers:
Lewa
Kane
Ronaldo

RW/Attack:
Messi
Salah
Sancho

LW/Attack:
Mbappe
Neymar
Mane

AM/10:
De Bruyne
Bruno
Muller

CM:
Kroos
Gundogan
Pogba

DM:
Kimmich
Kante
Casemiro

LB:
Davies
Shaw
Theo Hernandez

CB:
van Dijk
Dias
Marquinhos
Maguire
Laporte
Skriniar

RB:
Cancelo
Hakimi
Walker

Top 3 in each position in my opinion. You could probably include the players who could make a fair argument to be included:

Haaland
Grealish
Benzema
Verratti
Alex-Arnold
few others

Rice and Bissouma wouldn't even be up for discussion subjective or not.
Rice and Bissouma are possibly in the top 200 world players, not in the top 100. Def not in top 25 or 50.
Reckon that's a pretty good description. I'd go a bit further though and say Pogba IS world class.
Pogba gives world class performances, especially for his country, but only when the team is properly balanced.
 

duffer

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Scholes is another who hardly got picked by his national team.
Hardly got picked? He got 66 caps despite retiring when he was in his 20s.

He started every England game at France 98, every game at Euro 2000, every game at Korea/Japan 2002 and every game at Euro 2004. Then he retired because he was spending too much time away from his family.

Even after his retirement, England managers asked him to reconsider but he refused.

He was always picked, people tried to pick him even after he retired!
 

SeeMe

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Club and/or international stars and key players for top sides.

From Man United I think Maguire, Shaw(this season), Pogba, Bruno are world class. Rashford right in the mix, but been a bit too much up and down.
Bruno is going to, but need to show up against big team, others nope, not yet, although they are expensive.
 

SilentStrike

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Nov 8, 2014
Messages
617
Location
Netherlands
Supports
Feyenoord
Strikers:
Lewa
Kane
Ronaldo

RW/Attack:
Messi
Salah
Sancho

LW/Attack:
Mbappe
Neymar
Mane

AM/10:
De Bruyne
Bruno
Muller

CM:
Kroos
Gundogan
Pogba

DM:
Kimmich
Kante
Casemiro

LB:
Davies
Shaw
Theo Hernandez

CB:
van Dijk
Dias
Marquinhos
Maguire
Laporte
Skriniar

RB:
Cancelo
Hakimi
Walker

Top 3 in each position in my opinion. You could probably include the players who could make a fair argument to be included:

Haaland
Grealish
Benzema
Verratti
Alex-Arnold
few others

Rice and Bissouma wouldn't even be up for discussion subjective or not.
This is a good list
 

MUFC OK

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Oct 14, 2014
Messages
7,216
Can only think of Kante and Kane, outside the City and Liverpool sides, that can be described as world class in the league.
You don't consider Bruno to be world class? Pogba is world class too imo.
 

Bastian

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Mejbri
You don't consider Bruno to be world class? Pogba is world class too imo.
Yeah, I do actually. Pogba has world class potential, and talent. If he had the mentality to match, he'd be a ballon d'Or winner.
 

Dave Smith

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Right, here goes:

GK: Oblak, Neuer, Courtois

CB: VVD, Dias, Marquinos, Laporte

FB/WB: Hakimi, Dubois (Lyon), Alaba, Robinson

CM: Kante, KdB, Kimmich, Goeretzka

AM: Mbappe, Messi, CR7, Bruno, Mount

CF: Lewa, Kane, Håland
 

Chipper

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Wait, there are people saying Bruno isn't and Pogba is?

Not concerned whether Bruno is or isn't but that means they think Pogba is the better player and a class above of the two. Wow.
 

Dave Smith

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Wait, there are people saying Bruno isn't and Pogba is?

Not concerned whether Bruno is or isn't but that means they think Pogba is the better player and a class above of the two. Wow.
Yeah, I don't get that either. Pogba is way too inconsistent to be classed as WC and it is questionable if he would even be classed as WC if he consistently played at his best.
 

Tallis

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For me, WC tag should be reserved for very exclusive group of players. Probably no more 9-10 players over a 3-5 year period. Some criteria:

- Consistently wins and dominates games

- Wouldn’t generally include players who’s role is to stop other teams or make others play better (Fabinho / Fernandinho / Ndidi). Would make en exception in select cases whether other criteria are met.

- There should be a significant gap over the next best players in terms of quality

- I don’t think just good numbers by themselves qualify someone to be WC. For instance, a forward at City May have better numbers than another one at Tottenham just because he gets more scoring opportunities

- Sustained high level of performance for 3 to 5 years.

- Tactically flexible - can play in different leagues / dominate. This is a little tricky because some people play the same system for extended periods.

I don’t see Lukaku as WC because there are 3 strikers I can’t think of who are clearly better than him and handful more who are in the same ball park.

Some slottings (not exhaustive)

Generational - Ronaldo, Messi

World Class: Hazard (pre injury), De Bruyne, Kane, Salah, Lewandowski, Modric (peak), Mbappe, Neymar.

Approaching WC: Ramos (peak), Benzema

Must be others that I missed out.