Top 10 Players in October and November 2024

The international break is about to start, which means the time has come to rank the ten best performers of the past weeks.

10. Victor Osimhen

Once the best striker in the world at Napoli, few fans thought he would turn away from Europe’s top five so early. Everything seemed to be going well for both parties until the club’s admin posted racist content about Osimhen himself. The striker wasn’t happy about it, and despite the content being taken down, the relationship between the club and Osimhen soured. 

The incident didn’t come at a good time for either party, as the club was looking to renew Osimhen’s contract. With club president De Laurentiis unwilling to give his best player to a rival, Osimhen was loaned to Galatasaray, who welcomed the striker with open arms. He scored a brace against Tottenham and Samsunspor. He also scored against one of Cimbom’s biggest rivals Besiktas (2-1). 

9. Mateo Retegui

Atalanta head coach Gian Piero Gasperini saw half of his plans for the season evaporate when his preferred striker, Gianluca Scamacca, got injured against Parma. Scamacca underwent surgery and is set to be absent until March 2025. 

Fortunately for Gasperini, Atalanta is full of young talents and Mateo Retegui stepped up to take Scamacca’s place. 

Retegui has been exemplary since, starting the month of October with a hat-trick and an assist. He was on the scoresheet against Venezia once more with a goal and an assist. Retegui then continued his impressive form by scoring against Verona and Serie A leaders Napoli. His efforts are one of the major reasons why Atalanta are currently second in the Italian Seria A. 

8. Serhou Guirassy

To Bundesliga enthusiasts, Guirassy’s inclusion on this list will come as no surprise. Guirassy teared up the Bundesliga with Stuttgart, and his move to Dortmund last summer promised a great future for both parties. 

Guirassy scored two of Dortmund’s seven goals against Celtic, and scored the winner against St.Pauli (2-1). He also registered assists against Real Madrid and Augsburg. 

His excellent for continued in November, scoring the winner against RB Leipzig (2-1). Guirassy also provided an assist against Sturm Graz, and scored BVB’s only goal against Mainz (3-1). He’s the Bundesliga’s third-best goalscorer, only surpassed by Harry Kane and Omar Marmoush.

7. Harry Kane

Since we’re already talking about the Bundesliga, we might as well mention Harry Kane. His move to Bayern had already been successful for both parties last season, as the Englishman scored more than forty goals last season. 

Kane hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down in the current campaign, having scored eleven games in ten games. 

The Englishman scored all three of Bayern’s goals in their 3-0 victory over Union Berlin and the team’s only goal against Barcelona (1-4). Kane also provided the assist to Musiala’s winner against Benfica in the Champions League. There’s no refutation that the 31-year-old is among the best strikers in the world.

6. Virgil van Dijk

Van Dijk’s one of the only defenders on the list but it is unlikely anyone would disagree with his inclusion. Liverpool seem to be the most likely team to end Manchester City’s Premier League dominance, and except for Salah – van Dijk is one of the reasons behind the success. 

Van Dijk has been the club’s best defender since his arrival, blocking the path of attackers until they make a mistake. Liverpool’s captain compensates well for Konaté’s movements, who plays higher up. 

Van Dijk is often the last line of defence for Liverpool – a responsibility he embraces. His performance is even more impressive considering Allison’s injury, which hasn’t seemed to affect van Dijk.

5. Joško Gvardiol

Unlike van Dijk – a defender in a flourishing team, Gvardolia has been defending for a team that’s going through its worst crisis in the last two years. Manchester City lost four games in a row, which is unheard of since the Guardiola’s arrival. 

Despite the team’s struggles, the Croatian defender remained rock-solid at the back and scored against Wolves (2-1), marking his third goal of the season. As others around him seem to falter, he continues to step up for his team proving himself to be a dependable pillar.

4. Cole Palmer

Cole Palmer demonstrated his quality last season, and he’s been just as important for Chelsea this season. The Englishman scored seven goals and provided five assists in eleven appearances. He scored the winner against Newcastle (2-1) and continues to torment opposing defenders. 

The only reason Palmer isn’t ranked higher is that he still struggles to score against top teams, with his performance against Arsenal being forgettable.

3. Chris Wood

Few expected Nottingham Forest to be among the Premier League’s top teams this season. One of the main reasons for this success has been Chris Wood’s efficiency in front of goal: eight goals in eleven games. Wood scored against Brighton, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Leicester and West Ham – impressive stats for a 32-year-old. 

Wood’s always been a reliable striker, but his current form is off the charts. The recent match against Newcastle has possibly been his only weak performance in the last two months. His hot streak has even carried over to international duty, with Wood also finding the net for New Zealand. Forest fans will be hoping he can continue his lethal form as the season progresses.

2. Bukayo Saka

The Arsenal superstar has been the icon of Arteta’s rebuild, so it’s no surprise he’s placed high on the list. Saka’s not the best scorer (three goals) but he’s got seven assists to his name. His dribbles confuse defenders, with teams often deciding to double-team on the forward. 

However, Saka has suffered from the absence of Martin Ødegaard, receiving fewer balls from the midfield. Nonetheless, he remains the team’s most consistent forward, and he’s one of the few who can have a good game without scoring.

1. Lamine Yamal

Lamine Yamal has broken record after record. He won the Kopa trophy, the award for the best-performing U-21 player worldwide, by a landslide. 

Despite his obvious talent, Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has worked with the 17-year-old to improve his gameplay out of possession. Yamal previously didn’t press as much, which allowed teams to counter-attack without difficulty after his dribbles. 

He has played in perfect harmony with Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski, even when teams started to double-mark the 17-year-old. 

With five goals and seven assists in eleven goals, we can argue Yamal is the best player in the world right now.