🏆 Ballon d'OneFootball: And in 17th place is ... | OneFootball

Welcome to the second annual edition of the Ballon d’OneFootball.

Over the coming weeks, we will be counting down the top 25 players in the world, as voted for by our editors.

And today we have …

Sadio Mané

(Last year: 7th)

What’s that old saying about form being temporary and class remaining permanent?

Sadio Mané isn’t having his most productive season and his struggles have mirrored Liverpool’s poor defence of the Premier League title but the Senegalese international is still one of the best forwards in world football.

Jürgen Klopp was still in the early days of building his side and the arrival of Mané in 2016 was the first piece of the jigsaw.

The forward brought electricity and dynamism to Anfield and he became lethal for the Reds.

His 22-goal season in 2018/19 earned him a share of the Golden Boot. By now, Mané has totalled 93 goals in his 207 appearances for the club.

When you remember he primarily starts as a left winger it makes that feat even more impressive.

A left winger on paper perhaps but Mané acts as a forward for the most part, and during his time under Klopp he has featured on the right wing as a byline winger while also playing as a No10 during the run to the Champions League final in 2017/18.

It’s testament to his ability that he has played in all these different roles without any detriment to his ability and that’s because there is an underrated aspect to Mané: his intelligence.

He has the pace to scare any defender, the strength that enables him to win any battle, the delicate touch that could trap a lump of concrete but his tactical brain has got him to where he is.

If you’re marking Mané, what are you meant to do?

He is just as capable and willing to go down the line and beat you on the outside on his weaker foot as he is when he floats inside on his right.

There’s also an arrogance about his textbook move – stopping the ball dead and standing a defender up because he knows nine times out of ten, he is going to beat his man.

A Premier League and Champions League winner. The joint-holder of a Golden Boot. African Footballer of the Year in 2020.

Mané may not be having his best season currently but he has more than left his mark.