Messi beats Ronaldo, Mbappe and others, reigns supreme as the world's most decisive player

Messi has been a shining light for Inter Miami since joining the club, leading them to the 2025 MLS Cup triumph.

The Argentine has also started the new season in good form, scoring two goals to secure a remarkable comeback in a 4-2 win over Orlando City in a thrilling Florida derby.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner's goal tally has been remarkable, putting him as the most decisive player in the world

The CIES weighting method provides a nuanced view of performance, multiplying each player's goal and assist tally by a coefficient derived from the average sporting level of the matches they played in, benchmarked against the average for all 100 players in the ranking.

The study, which analysed goal and assist contributions across 67 global leagues, found that Messi's raw numbers are in a league of their own.

The comprehensive list of 100 players, representing 45 different leagues, highlights a fascinating mix of youth and experience. 

In its 536th Weekly Post, CIES revealed that the Argentine superstar amassed an incredible 59 goal contributions (37 goals and 22 assists) in the last 365 days. 

This figure places him a staggering 17 contributions ahead of his nearest competitor in terms of sheer volume.

However, the study went a step further by applying a weighting system to account for the sporting level of the matches played. Even with this adjustment, Messi remained at the top with a weighted score of 66.3. 

He was closely followed by France's Kylian Mbappé, who registered a score of 65.4 from 41 contributions (37 goals). 

Bayern Munich duo Harry Kane (64.5 from 42 contributions) and Michael Olise (54.9 from 37 contributions, including a chart-topping 22 assists) also featured prominently in the top tier.

Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, at just 18.6 years old, is the youngest player to make the cut, thanks to his 18 goals and 11 assists in La Liga. 

At the other end of the spectrum, veteran legends continue to make their mark. Cristiano Ronaldo (41.1 years, 31 contributions)