Lionel Messi is among the top 3 best players in Europe despite low goals and assists

Lionel Messi did the unthinkable last season, leaving Barcelona to join PSG after his contract expired. By goals and assists alone, the seven-time Ballon d’Or award winner is having an underwhelming season. But, according to Whoscored, he is among the top three best players in the world. 

Whoscored uses stats such as clean sheets, pass percentage, man-of-the-match performances and more to determine the best players in the world. 

This season, the 34-year-old has scored nine goals and provided 13 assists across all competitions for PSG. His role in the team has become more of a provider than a finisher, with Kylian Mbappe and Neymar taking the goalscoring duties much more seriously. 

Lionel Messi among the top 3 players in the world right now 

Messi has been rated 7.71 out of ten by the website. Robert Lewandowski is at the top of the pile, with a rating of 7.93 while Messi’s teammate, Kylian Mbappe, is in second place with a 7.91 rating out of ten. 

Fan favourite Karim Benzema is in fourth place with a rating of 7.68, alongside Mohamed Salah. The Frenchman has been pitched for the Ballon d’Or award by fans, and is surprisingly not in the top three across Europe. 

A notable absentee from the list altogether is Cristiano Ronaldo, alongside Kevin De Bruyne, Sadio Mane and Ciro Immobile – all of whom have had impressive individual seasons with their clubs.