The 536th CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post presents the players having scored or assisted the most goals in matches played over the last year in 67 leagues around the world. From a purely numerical perspective, without considering the level of the leagues where these contributions were made, Lionel Messi dominates the competition with 59 G+A (37 goals and 22 assists) : 17 more than any other player !

By weighting the G+A contributions according to the level of the matches in which they were made using this method, Lionel Messi remains in the lead with a score of 66.3*, slightly ahead of France’s Kylian Mbappé (41 contributions, including 37 goals, weighted score of 65.4) and two Bayern Munich players : England’s Harry Kane (42 ; 64.5) and another Frenchman, Michael Olise (37 contributions, including a record 22 assists ; 54.9).

With 18 goals and 11 assists in the Spanish Liga, Lamine Yamal (aged 18.6) is the youngest player in the top 100. Only one other footballer listed is under the age of 23 : Franculino Djú (21.7 years). At the other end of the scale are Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo (41.1 years and 31 contributions), Lionel Messi (38.7 years) and Fernando Zampedri (38.0 years). In total, no fewer than 45 leagues are represented in the list.

* The weighting was calculated by multiplying the contributions by the ratio between the average sporting coefficient of the matches in which players made their goals or assists, and the average measured for the top 100 footballers.

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The 535th CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post ranks teams from 56 leagues around the world according to the level of pressure exerted on opponents. This was calculated using the following Impect data: distance from own goal of presses applied, speed of interrupting opponent possessions, frequency of defensive actions with respect to passes conceded, and propensity to commit fouls in the final third when not in possession*.

Across Europe’s five major leagues, Italy’s Como 1907 tops the list, reflecting coach Cesc Fàbregas’s philosophy of constant pressure on opponents. Paris St-Germain (Luis Enrique) and Bayern Munich (Vincent Kompany) complete the podium of the big-5 league teams with the most proactive defensive styles. South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns head the rankings among non-European clubs.

The top pressure index among the 883 teams analysed was measured for Dutch side ADO Den Haag, current leaders of the Eerste Divisie, whose coach, German Robin Peter, also advocates an aggressive defensive style. At the opposite end of the spectrum, we find AC Milan at big-5 league level and Austria’s TSV Hartberg among all the teams studied (in both cases also with rather convincing results).

*The pressure index was calculated based on the standard deviation of these four indicators with respect to the club’s league average. The data for each indicator is also presented as a ratio with respect to league average.

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>>> Ball-friendiest teams analysis

The CIES Football Observatory is pleased to present the exclusive Gradient data on running speeds of players from teams still competing in the UEFA Champions League. The 534th Weekly Post displays the 20 fastest players (maximum speed in the competition) for five position categories, as well as the distribution of their distances per speed.

Uzbekistan’s Abdukodir Khusanov (Manchester City) is the centre back with the highest top speed (35.8 km/h), ahead of Tottenham’s Micky van de Ven. Among wide backs, PSG’s Achraf Hakimi (36.4 km/h) and Nuno Mendes top the list, as does Archie Gray (34.8 km/h) for central midfielders, Anthony Gordon (37.9 km/h) for side midfielders/wingers, and Kylian Mbappé for centre forwards (35.7 km/h).

In terms of the distribution per speed category, among the 100 players listed, three centre forwards covered the greatest proportion of distance at a speed of less than 7 km/h : Kylian Mbappé (43.5%), Victor Osimhen (41.9%), and Luis Suárez (40.1%). In contrast, the three players who covered the lowest percentage of distance walking are central midfielders : Häkon Evjen (23.0%), João Simões (24.1%) and Lucas Bergvall (25.2%).

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>>> New Prospect Sheet with Impect: Kerim Alajbegovic

The 533rd CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post ranks teams worldwide according to the financial results of the transfer operations completed over the current season (last two windows) and over the last five years respectively (last ten windows). Regarding the two transfer periods related to the 2025/2026 season, the most negative balance was recorded for current Premier League leaders Arsenal (-€362 million).

While the Gunners’ financial efforts have so far paid off, those of the second team with the most negative balance sheet, Liverpool (-€244 million), have been much less successful. The same observation, at least in terms of domestic league results, can be made for the two teams with the most negative net spending over the last ten transfer windows : Chelsea (-€883 m) and Manchester United (-€859 m).

At the other end of the scale, the teams with the most positive balances are Monaco for the current season (+€148 million) and Benfica for the last five years (+€346 m). Over this period, the Portuguese club is ahead of LOSC Lille (+€273 m), AFC Ajax (+€270 m) and RB Salzburg (+€242 m). All the figures presented in the study include add-ons irrespective of their actual payment, as well as sell-ons.

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Thanks to the data exclusively produced by our partner Impect, the 532nd CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post presents the ball-friendliest teams in the world. The ranking was established according to four indicators: the proximity of passes (the shorter, the better), the pace of passing during possession, the duration of possessions and the percentage of balls received in the opponent’s third below knee height (on the ground)*.

Of the 915 teams in the 58 leagues analysed, the highest score was recorded for Bayern Munich (Vincent Kompany). The Germans are ahead of Paris Saint-Germain (Luis Enrique), with FC Barcelona (Hansi Flick) in third place and Bayer Leverkusen in fourth (Kasper Hjulmand). Among teams outside Europe’s big-5, Columbus Crew (5th overall) are ahead of Denmark’s FC Nordsjælland (7th) and French second division’s AS Saint-Étienne (8th).

Manchester City (6th), Celtic FC (9th) and Olympique de Marseille (10th) round up the top 10. The top 20 also notably includes Norway’s Bodø/Glimt (Kjetil Knutsen) and Spain’s Elche CF (Eder Sarabia). At the opposite end, the least ball-friendly teams out of the sample analysed are Irish sides Galway United and Drogheda United, ahead of Belgium’s Patro Eisden, Portugal’s CD Feirense, Austria’s SKU Amstetten and Czech Republic’s FC Zlín.

*The data is presented as a ratio relative to the average recorded across the 915 teams analysed (current or last completed domestic league matches only).

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Issue number 531 of the CIES Football Observatory’s Weekly Post presents the 100 teams worldwide whose academy graduates still under contract (in the club or out on loan) total the highest aggregate transfer value. Thanks to players such as Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsí, Fermin López and Alejandro Balde, Spanish giants FC Barcelona top the ranking with a mobilisable asset of no less than €738 million.

Manchester City (€286 million) and Bayern Munich (€284 million) complete the top three. Six other teams have academy graduates under contract whose total transfer value exceeds €200 million : three from Spain (Real Madrid, Athletic Club and Real Sociedad), two from England (Chelsea and Arsenal), as well as Champions League title holders Paris St-Germain. A further Spanish side, Atlético Madrid, complete the top 10.

Two Portuguese clubs, Porto (Rodrigo Mora as main asset) and Sporting CP (Gonçalo Inácio), top the rankings among teams outside the big-5 (11th and 12th position overall). They are ahead of two Dutch clubs (AZ Alkmaar and Ajax), and a further Portuguese side : Benfica. The top three non-European teams are Corinthians (Breno Bidon as their main asset), Vasco da Gama (Rayan Vitor, just transferred to Bournemouth) and Boca Juniors (Di Lollo).

* For players who spent at least three seasons between the ages of 15 and 21 in two different clubs (e.g. Kenan Yildiz), only the first team was considered as the training academy.

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