According to EA Sports, the list is based on player performances over the last 12 months (both in club and cup competitions), as well in-game statistics.
The company currently works with the Premier League to produce the EA Sports Player Performance Index, which analyses player contributions based on five criteria. These comprise: winning performance, player’s performance per match, appearances, goals scored, and assists.
We have used that list to try and work out which players are not just the best in the world, but which, in this age of wage hyperinflation, also represent the best value for money.
To do this, we took the EA Sports Top 50 and attempted to calculate the salary for each player.
We compared the two lists and were able to find out which player represents the best value for money. For instance, Wayne Rooney is reported to be the second best paid player in the world, but ranks only 23 performance-wise, placing him relatively low on the Value for Money index.
In contrast, Barcelona’s Andres Iniesta, who was ranked 6th best player in the world in terms of performance, was only the 30th best paid player last season, representing much better value for money.
Given the near impossibility of finding out exactly how much each player earns, calculating the Value for Money of a player is inevitably something of an inexact science. But, overall, we think it gives a fair indication of those players who are performing to or beyond their potential, as well as those who are not justifying their lavish salaries.
If you scroll down, you will see all three lists.
The Top 50 players performance-wise:
1. Lionel Messi
2. Christiano Ronaldo
3. Arjen Robben
4. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
5. Manuel Neuer
6. Andres Iniesta
7. Luis Suarez
8. Bastian Schweinsteiger
9. Franck Ribery
10. Eden Hazard
11. Robin Van Persie
12. Radamel Falcao
13. Philipp Lahm
14. Gareth Bale
15. Sergio Ramos
16. Thiago Silva
17. David Silva
18. Luka Modric
19. Robert Lewandowski
20. Vincent Kompany
21. Xavi
22. Yaya Toure
23. Wayne Rooney
24. Sergio Aguero
25. Angel Di Maria
26. Marco Reus
27. Thomas Muller
28. Mesut Ozil
29. Mats Hummels
30. Neymar Jr.
31. Thibaut Courtois
32. James Rodriguez
33. Edison Cavani
34. Petr Cech
35. Arturo Vidal
36. Toni Kroos
37. Diego Costa
38. Mario Gotze
39. Carlos Tevez
40. Karim Benzema
41. Juan Mata
42. Jerome Boateng
43. Sergio Busquets
44. Javi Martinez
45. Hugo Lloris
46. Cesc Fabregas
47. Iker Casillas
48. Xabi Alonso
49. Andrea Pirlo
50. Giorgio Chiellini
The Top 50 earners:
1. Christiano Ronaldo – £16,750,000
2. Wayne Rooney – £15,500,000
3. Gareth Bale – £15,000,000
4. Radamel Falcao – £13,750,000
5. Robin Van Persie – £13,000,000
6. Lionel Messi – £12,750,000
7. Zlatan Ibrahimovic – £12,000,000
8. Yaya Toure – £12,000,000
9. Sergio Aguero – £10,500,000
10. Vincent Kompany – £10,500,000
11. David Silva – £10,500,000
12. Philipp Lahm – £10,250,000
13. Luis Suarez – £10,000,000
14. Thiago Silva – £10,000,000
15. Eden Hazard – £9,750,000
16. Arjen Robben – £8,500,000
17. Franck Ribery – £8,500,000
18. Iker Casillas – £8,500,000
19. Edison Cavani – £8,000,000
20. Toni Kroos – £7,750,000
21. Karim Benzema – £7,750,000
22. Angel Di Maria – £7,500,000
23. Neymar Jr. – £7,500,000
24. Sergio Ramos – £7,250,000
25. Mesut Ozil – £7,250,000
26. Bastian Schweinsteiger – £7,000,000
27. Andres Iniesta – £6,750,000
28. Xavi – £6,750,000
29. Juan Mata – £6,750,000
30. Luka Modric – £6,250,000
31. Petr Cech – £6,250,000
32. James Rodriguez – £6,250,000
33. Mario Gotze – £6,000,000
34. Manuel Neuer – £5,500,000
35. Cesc Fabregas – £5,200,000
36. Carlos Tevez – £4,750,000
37. Arturo Vidal – £4,500,000
38. Thomas Muller – £4,500,000
39. Robert Lewandowski – £4,300,000
40. Xabi Alonso – £4,000,000
41. Javi Martinez – £4,000,000
42. Jerome Boateng – £3,750,000
43. Hugo Lloris – £3,750,000
44. Marco Reus – £3,500,000
45. Sergio Busquets – £3,500,000
46. Mats Hummels – £3,250,000
47. Thibaut Courtois – £3,250,000
48. Andrea Pirlo – £3,000,000
49. Giorgio Chiellini – £2,750,000
50. Diego Costa – £1,750,000
Value for Money top 50 (difference + or – between salary and performance):
1. Manuel Neuer (+32)
2. Diego Costa (+28)
3. Andres Iniesta (+24)
4. Bastian Schweinsteiger (+21)
5. Robert Lewandowski (+20)
6. Marco Reus (+19)
7. Mats Hummels (+18)
8. Thibaut Courtois (+17)
9. Arjen Robben (+15)
10. Luka Modric (+15)
11. Thomas Muller (+13)
12. Sergio Ramos (+12)
13. Xavi (+10)
14. Franck Ribery (+10)
15. Luis Suarez (+8)
16. Eden Hazard(+7)
17. Lionel Messi (+5)
18. Arturo Vidal (+4)
19. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (+3)
20. James Rodriguez (+3)
21. Sergio Busquets (+3)
22. Philipp Lahm (+1)
23. Jerome Boateng (+1)
24. Thiago Silva (+0)
25. Mesut Ozil (+0)
26. Petr Cech (+0)
27. Andrea Pirlo (+0)
28. Giorgio Chiellini (+0)
29. Christiano Ronaldo (-1)
30. Angel Di Maria(-1)
31. Hugo Lloris (-1)
32. Carlos Tevez (-1)
33. Mario Gotze (-2)
34. Javi Martinez (-2)
35. David Silva (-5)
36. Neymar Jr. (-5)
37. Robin Van Persie (-6)
38. Xabi Alonso (-7)
39. Radamel Falcao (-8)
40. Juan Mata (-9)
41. Vincent Kompany (-9)
42. Gareth Bale (-11)
43. Cesc Fabregas (-11)
44. Yaya Toure (-14)
45. Sergio Aguero (-14)
46. Toni Kroos (-14)
47. Karim Benzema (-17)
48. Wayne Rooney (-21)
49. Edison Cavani (-22)
50. Iker Casillas (-27)
Statistics compiled by Joe Rennie
