🏆 Ballon d'OneFootball: All-action midfielder in 22nd... | OneFootball

Welcome to the fourth annual edition of the Ballon d’OneFootball as we begin our countdown of the top 25 players in the world right now. Here’s an explainer how we decided on a top 25.

Here’s the list so far.

And today we have …

22nd: Joshua Kimmich, Bayern Munich and Germany

(Last year: 18th)

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It may have been another disappointing 12 months with both club and country but Joshua Kimmich remains amongst the very best midfielders in the world.

For the national team, Kimmich had to stomach a second straight group stage exit from the World Cup, something that just is not meant to happen to Germany, and with Bayern Munich, an 11th consecutive Bundesliga title was only won following an almighty slip-up by Borussia Dortmund on the final day of the season.

As for the Champions League, it was the same old story for Bayern since their 2020 triumph, as they were vanquished with relative ease by Manchester City and former manager Pep Guardiola.

Throughout all of it, though, Kimmich maintained both quality and consistency. That has become the standard in recent years but that doesn’t mean it should be taken for granted.

Playing 47 games across all competitions for Bayern, missing just one Bundesliga and one Champions League match along the way, the 28-year-old notched seven goals and 11 assists in 2022/23. The goal tally may be a slight surprise but when it comes to providing, Kimmich has always excelled,  whether playing in the centre of the park or in his previous habitat as a right-back.

As his ball-playing ability has grown in recent years somewhat under the radar, the former Stuttgart man has remained an aggressive defender, happy to press and harass opponents but also wise enough to know when to drop off. He’s the definition of an all-action midfielder, but also one who plays the game with his brain.

In other words, the archetypical German footballer.

Managers know that too, with his former Bayern gaffer Hansi Flick making him the national team skipper in the absence of Manuel Neuer and Thomas Müller in recent friendlies, and new Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel doing similar during the run-in.

Of course, individual performances, accolades and honours have not been reflected at a team level, with Germany suffering several disappointing losses as they gear up for their role as Euro 2024 hosts.

No one would be foolish enough to pin any of those losses on Kimmich, and it is likely he will move towards a full-time position as captain of both Bayern and Germany next season as he continues to fulfil his long-held potential.

And an improvement in team success next year would surely see him once again rightfully shoot up the ranks in this and any list of best players in the world.

Click here for every player named so far and their profiles.