CBS Sports’ First Annual Golazo 100 The final round is approaching, but our minds are already wondering who will be among the centurions in the 2025 rankings. Here are 10 players who were left off this year’s list due to skill, fitness or other reasons, but could be in the top 100 in 12 months.
1. Gregor Kobel, Borussia Dortmund
Let’s start with Borussia Dortmund’s No. 1 Gregor Kobel, ranked 101st in the Golazo 100. Several players at the Westfalenstadion may have been pushed over their ceiling by our voting panel given their outstanding performances in the final weeks of the season, but interestingly the star whose team reached the Champions League final was not. It didn’t really capture the imagination of our voting panel. He is rated as the ninth best goalkeeper in the world, but over the past two seasons he has outpaced the likes of Thibaut Courtois, Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Emiliano Martinez in terms of goals prevented per 90 minutes of league play.
If goalkeeper metrics can be a bit tricky to understand, a quick look at his performance will clearly demonstrate his quality. Kobel has had some of his biggest performances for his club and not a week has gone by without him being linked with the likes of Paris Saint-Germain or Chelsea. Whether he moves there or not, there’s little to suggest he’s benefited from the hot hand over the past few years. We expect Kobel’s quality and reputation to grow even further in the future.
2. David Alaba, Real Madrid
Definitely put him in the category of players whose opportunities have been limited due to injuries. For the past four years, David Alaba has been one of the best centre-backs in the world. Before that, he was one of the best left-backs in the world. Had his career progressed along a different trajectory, he might have been similarly elite as a central midfielder. The technical qualities that made him so highly regarded at Bayern Munich and Real Madrid will not have disappeared after he recovered from the ruptured cruciate ligament he suffered in December. The question that cannot be answered at the moment is whether Alaba’s athleticism will remain. Players who return from long-term injuries at age 32 are often not the force they once were. But if Alaba is that kind of guy, there’s no doubt he’ll feature in the Golazo 100.
3. Warren Zaire-Emery (Paris Saint-Germain)
Another representative of what we call the Golazo 110, Zaire-Emery’s CV may have ultimately been too short to take him a little higher. Certainly, for me, the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder was one of the most painful late cuts. Because the player he would become was so attractive. In just a few weeks we may find it already too late to try to jump on board the hype train of Jair-Emery, France’s youngest international to be called up to Didier Deschamps’ Euro 2024 squad.
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It may seem too early for the French team to make room for the 18-year-old, but the same was said when Jair-Emery broke into the Paris Saint-Germain team. This has been a big problem position for the champion for a long time. Kylian Mbappe’s departure leaves a void in Paris’ affections. Zaire-Emery can claim this and therefore a top 100 finish.
4. Ben White, Arsenal
With six names in the Golazo 100, Arsenal fans could hardly be more in awe of the number of representations given to Mikel Arteta. Still, I have a feeling it might be difficult to come up with a few more names. If we had started this process a year ago, Gabriel Martinelli would definitely have ranked highly. If the season had lasted another month, Leandro Trossard would have slipped in. But the most surprising omission has to be Ben White.
In an age where the demands on full-backs are becoming more diverse, the 26-year-old is a true prototype. Few players in his position can fulfill all three key roles required in 2024, but White can be a third defender in possession, an overwrapper lining the touchline and a transition player into midfield. If it’s necessary, he can probably do each task in the same game. Considering Arsenal are poised to go further next year, there could be more than half a dozen names included in the 2025 Golazo 100. If that’s true, I expect White to be one of them.
5. Jonathan David (Lil)
Canadian international Jonathan David has been scoring goals since the day he arrived at Lille, scoring an impressive 43 goals in 71 Ligue 1 games over the past two years. Perhaps it was just the criteria of the opponents he faced that prevented David from making the list. That could change this summer with the 24-year-old entering the final 12 months of his contract. There are plenty of David seekers in Serie A, the Premier League and La Liga. If Erik Ten Hag remains at Manchester United, he will be a fan of the Canadian, according to a CBS Sports source.
Of course, David could spend his final season at Lille and would be a very interesting option on the free agent market thereafter, but it’s hard to shake the feeling that the young striker has proven all he can do in Ligue 1. Yes. With a move to one of Europe’s top four leagues, he can make an overwhelming case for a place in the next Golazo 100.
6. Benjamin Cesko, RB Leipzig
Is Benjamin Cesko the next striker to conquer the Premier League after his move from Germany in a manner not too dissimilar to Erling Haaland, to whom he is often compared? It’s a little hard to be sure right now. The Slovenian international ended the 2023-24 season with the sort of scoring streak befitting a player long regarded as one of Europe’s best young strikers, but returning just 0.82 goals per 90 minutes in the Bundesliga leaves a fair amount of air behind him. There must have been. The further stipulation is 0.45 expected goals per 90 minutes. Likewise, those numbers aren’t shabby at all for a 21-year-old playing his first season in one of Europe’s top five leagues. The same goes for the 2.77 shots per game he averaged in an RB Leipzig team with plenty of options to finish the move.
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Whatever Sesko’s current abilities (and the ceiling of his potential), he’s almost certainly going to be a name you’ll be hearing a lot more about in the coming months. Arsenal are huge admirers of the young striker and are the main contenders for his signature, but Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain are also among those keeping a keen eye on his form for RB Leipzig this season. Just moving away from the Red Bull setup can help you move up the rankings even further. Or maybe you find yourself swallowed up by the depth chart of a bigger side.
7. Christopher Nkunku, Chelsea
What ultimately proved to be Chelsea’s relative improvement in 2023-24 was the midfielder many expected to be their most important attacker upon his arrival from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2023. In Germany, Christopher Nkunku has been an output machine, totaling 36 goals and 17 assists over the last two seasons of Bundesliga football. The France international was a machine creating opportunities for himself and others at the age of 26 before moving to London. He has plenty of time to regain the form and fitness of his prime.
8. Anthony Robinson, Fulham
Left-back is probably not a position brimming with elite talent right now. The only player who could be vaguely classified as in our top 50 was Alejandro Grimaldo. Robinson has a chance to prove it, especially in the Premier League. His value remains true even for clubs that do not compete at the top level. The United States international has long been regarded as a threat carrying the ball up the pitch, but the Fulham defender has made significant strides on the ball this season. One of his best performances came against Mohamed Salah. In fact, no player in Europe’s top five leagues has made more interceptions than Robinson.
It might not be giving away too much of a trade secret to say that many people in our voting pool are becoming more active. USMNT stellar progress than most; If Robinson continues on his current trajectory, it seems very plausible that we’ll find him near the bottom of the Golazo 100 in 2025.
9. Matthias Soule, Juventus
Considering the relatively limited standards of the team-mates who surrounded him on loan from Frosinone last season, Matthias Soule has made quite an impression in Serie A at just 20 years of age. Their 2.35 chances created per 90 minutes was the 8th highest return in the Italian top-flight and they also ranked in the top 40 for goal frequency. Not bad figures for a player who had only played a few games for parent club Juventus before this season. He could very well make the Golazo 100 next year and a lot will depend on whether he lands at Juventus or another team for 2024-25, giving him a bigger platform to showcase his very impressive talents.
10. Joao Felix, Atletico Madrid
How about we wrap this up with something that seems pretty far off our current trajectory? Joao Felix has had a very reasonable year on loan at Barcelona, ​​scoring 10 goals and providing six assists in all competitions, but it may not have been enough to get the Portugal international back on the right track after years of seemingly unfulfilled potential. . Atletico Madrid and Diego Simeone do not seem to be a good fit for Felix. Barcelona may not have the money to bring him back. Is there anyone else willing to take on the stable, long-term role where Felix needs to shine?
It’s not really a set of circumstances that screams a Golazo 100 spot is imminent, but it’s worth noting that Felix is ​​still only 24 years old and even after a season in which he put in so much effort at club level, he averaged just over three shots per 90 minutes. there is. 0.5 non-penalty xG is lacking in a secondary or even tertiary role for a dominant Barcelona team. A talented creator, a strong runner on the ball and blessed with an eye for the pass. If this $135 million guy can find the right spot, there’s something truly special that could be unlocked.
Golazo 100 Schedule
Tune in to the Golazo Network including Morning Footy to start your day with analysis of each batch of top players released each day. And, of course, check out our full analysis and breakdown of who ranked where and why they ranked.
