The top 10 players with the most non-penalty goals and assists per 90 have been revealed | OneFootball

In recent years, penalties have been used to discredit a player's greatness. The number of penalties a football may score is used against them and is almost a knock on their abilities in the eyes of some. There have been players accused of being nothing without a spot kick to fall back on, which is pretty wild.

In the spirit of that then, which players have put up the best statistics when penalties are taken out of the equation? Well, FBref have given us the answers. Going back to 1999, they've revealed the best non-penalty goals and assists per 90-minute numbers for some of the best players in the world.

There are actually some pretty surprising results, but the list, for the most part, is made up of some absolute superstars, and we're here to tell you who the top 10 are. So, without further ado, let's get started on this list.

10 Karim Benzema - 0.86

Despite having a couple of quieter seasons throughout his career, Karim Benzema still manages to crack the top 10 of this list with an average of 0.86 non-penalty goals and assists per 90 minutes. That's pretty impressive from the Ballon d'Or winner who was a serious threat for Real Madrid for over a decade.

Now in the Saudi Pro League, we might even see the Frenchman's average rise in the future. With that being said, at 35 years old, and with five goal contributions in seven games so far this year, it's not likely.

9 Zlatan Ibrahimovic - 0.86

Tied with Benzema at 0.86 is Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Swede was one of the best strikers in Europe throughout the majority of his career and his longevity is something to be marvelled. He only retired this year, at 42 years old, and his average may have actually been a little higher if he hadn't played for so long.

The self-proclaimed GOAT of football, there is truly no one else quite like Zlatan and his impact in the game will not be forgotten anytime soon we can assure you. Whether it was for AC Milan, Manchester United or Paris Saint-Germain, he was a menace in front of goal and this proves it.

8 Ronaldo - 0.87

Oh, Ronaldo. What could have been if it wasn't for the injuries? Few strikers have ever been as explosive as the Brazilian was and he found the net at a tremendous rate when he broke through at Cruzeiro. Incredible spells at PSV, Barcelona, Inter Milan and Real Madrid all followed, but several serious injuries stopped him from becoming one of the best players ever.

An average of 0.87 is still mightily impressive, though, don't get us wrong. It's just a shame to think how much better he could have gone on to be if he'd just remained healthy.

7 Thierry Henry - 0.92

Probably the greatest player in Premier League history, Thierry Henry was an absolute goal-scoring machine for a while but was also prone to creating plenty of chances for his teammates too. That's why, it's no surprise to see him with an average of 0.92 non-penalty goals and assists per 90 minutes from 1999 onwards.

He was just a wizard and no one has come to England and had the impact that the Frenchman did for Arsenal in the top flight. Just a truly incredible player who would undoubtedly have broken Alan Shearer's record if he'd have remained with the Gunners for the rest of his career.

6 Cristiano Ronaldo - 0.94

The biggest surprise on this list, we're shocked to see Cristiano Ronaldo can't even break into the top five here. The former Real Madrid star is one of the greatest goal-scorers we've ever seen throughout his career and hasn't slowed down at all in Saudi Arabia. So, to see his average without penalties is less than one goal contribution per 90 minutes is quite staggering.

Still, there's no denying he's one of the greatest players ever and with the rate he's currently scoring at for Al-Nassr, don't be surprised if he manages to climb up this list even at 38 years old. He's just that good.

5 Neymar - 0.94

Tied with Ronaldo is Neymar whose career has taken him to some pretty wild places. Once considered Lionel Messi's successor at Barcelona, the Brazilian decided to forge his own path at PSG, but was then joined at the club by the Argentine and Kylian Mbappe and was almost forced to take a back seat.

He never quite reached the numbers that many expected from him, but still scored and assisted at an insane rate. His departure from France to Saudi Arabia this summer has given him the opportunity to finally be the star and considering he's already got three goal contributions for his new side, he could quickly rise up these ranks in the future.

4 Robert Lewandowski - 0.95

It will be one of football's biggest crimes when Robert Lewandowski retires without winning the Ballon d'Or at least once. He's been a monster in front of goal throughout his career and the numbers he put up at Bayern Munich were simply staggering. He's already averaging a goal contribution every single game this season too, so he's not even close to slowing down.

Very rarely has there ever been a forward with an eye for goal quite on his level, but not even he has an average of at least one non-penalty goal contribution per 90 minutes in his career. He's killing it at Barcelona right now, though, so don't count him out just yet.

3 Luis Suarez - 0.99

From one current great Barcelona striker to a past one, Luis Suarez may be one of the most controversial footballers of all time, but he's also one of the very best. Through his time at Liverpool and the La Liga side, the Uruguayan was just breathtaking to watch and whether it was setting up his teammates or finding the back of the net himself, he was always producing magic.

As his career nears its end, it's hard to imagine he'll get over the line and average one non-penalty goal contribution per 90 minutes, but at 0.99, he's as close as you can get.

2 Kylian Mbappe - 1.15

Things might not be going swimmingly at PSG right now, but make no mistake about it, Kylian Mbappe is still one of the very best players on the planet, if not the best. With Ronaldo and Messi approaching the end, he's got next and his insane average throughout his career is a testament to that.

For both club and country, he's been exceptional for years now and has an average of 1.15. That's more than one non-penalty goal contribution a game. There's almost no one on earth who can boast better numbers than that. Almost no one, anyway.

1 Lionel Messi - 1.25

Ask yourself, are you even surprised to see this man standing atop of this list? Of course not. We don't think anyone will be. Lionel Messi has dominated football unlike anyone ever has throughout his career and continues to find new ways to solidify his greatness. An average of 1.25 non-penalty goal contributions per 90 minutes is just absolutely absurd and a true testament to how incredible he's been.

It's hard to imagine anyone will ever reach a number like this again, and it's important we actually acknowledge just how big an achievement it is. Whether it's winning the World Cup with Argentina, or chasing that record-breaking Ballon d'Or win this month, the 36-year-old is still creating magical moments even as he enters his twilight years.

There seems to be no slowing Messi down and once he's hung his boots up for good, football will be a significantly worse place for it. Until then, though, let's appreciate how insane his numbers are.

Check out the table below to see the full top 10 and their average.

All statistics courtesy of FBref.