A shocking statistics has shown why Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe is one of the best, if not the best team player in international football in the last five years.
The 25-year-old former PSG forward is known for his pace, insane dribbles, and prolific goal scoring skills. However, a latest statistics has unraveled a somewhat less-noticeable vignette in the footballer’s overall package.
According to Transfermarkt, Kylian Mbappe has the most number of goal contributions in international football in the last five years than every other footballer, including Cristiano and Lionel Messi.
From the stats, Mbappe has played 52 games within the said period for France senior national team and boasts 59 goals plus assists.
Kylian Mbappe overtakes Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo on goal contributions ladder
A notably, and perhaps the most outstanding, aspect of the stats is Mbappe’s decking of two icons of the game – Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to the top of the ladder.
Within the said period, Lionel Messi, who is second in the ladder, has played just one game less than Kylian Mbappe but is trailing the Real Madrid forward by a deficit of three points. The Inter Miami forward has recorded 56 goal contributions in the period.
Cristiano Ronaldo is fourth on the table. The Portuguese, who recently hit a career milestone, netting his 901st career goal against Scotland, has 51 goal contributions in the last five years – four less than Kylian Mbappe.
Notably, Cristiano Ronaldo has played more international games than Kylian Mbappe in the said period, having made 55 appearances for Portugal.
Harry Kane breaks into the top four in the list
Bayern Munich forward Harry Kane has more goal contributions than Cristiano Ronaldo on the chart. However, he is the player in the top four category who has played more international games than others.
The England captain, who is the Three Lions all-time top scorer with 66 goals in 99 appearances, has recorded 53 goal contributions in 59 games in the last five years for England.
Bruno Fernandes rocks bottom 10 despite high appearance tally
Bruno Fernandes is another renown playmaker but the Manchester United midfielder is nowhere near Kylian Mbappe on goal contributions.
Also, the Portuguese is one of the only two players (with Harry Kane) that has tallied up to 59 matches in the past five years. His goal contributions within the period is 42, 17 points away from Kylian Mbappe.
Other players on the top 10 lists
Former Chelsea forward Romelu Lukaku is another footballer with a brilliant international record in the past five years. Based on the stats, Lukaku has recorded 46 goal contributions in just 38 matches in the said period – the least number of games played by a player on the chart. This puts the player on a higher pedestal than Mbappe on average goal contributions per game.
Former Atletico Madrid forward Memphis Depay boasts 46 goal contributions in 49 games. He is sixth on the chart and is closely followed by Qatar winger Akram Hassan Akiff who has the same goal contributions but in 55 matches.
Inter Milan and Iranian forward Mehdi Taremi occupies the eight slot with 43 goal contributions in 43 matches. This means the Asian striker has scored or assisted in his last each of his 43 matches for Iran in past five years.
Barcelona forward Robert Lewandowski completes the bloc with his 42 goal contributions for Poland in the 47 matches.
It is pertinent to note that this list is dominated by football forwards. This means goals scored are likely to outnumber the number of assists per player. Hence, while it points to the crucial contributions of each footballer to their respective national teams, it is in no way indicative of great playmaking role which is at the core of players’ contribution to a game.
For instance, Bruno Fernandes, who is ranked 10th on the charts, is a great playmaker who can dictate the pace of the game with his versatility in both defensive and offensive play.
