🏆 Ballon d'OneFootball: And in 21st place is ... | OneFootball

Welcome to the third annual edition of the Ballon d’OneFootball as we continue our countdown of the top 25 players in the world.

Click right here to see the full list so far.

And today we have …

21st: Jorginho, Chelsea and Italy

(New entry)

Long regarded as one of the world’s most underrated players, it is safe to say that isn’t the case anymore for Chelsea and Italy’s metronomic midfield maestro.

In a phenomenal 2021, he won the Champions League and European Super Cup for his club, bookending a stunning summer in which he helped steer Italy to Euro 2020 glory.

That culminated in Jorginho finally being recognised for his qualities by scooping UEFA’s Men’s Player of the Year award for 2021 as he became just the 10th player ever to win Europe’s biggest trophies at domestic and international level in the same year.

Some eyebrows may have been raised but the 30-year-old believes he was more than a worthy winner.

“I think I deserved what I won and nobody can dispute that,” Jorginho insisted in an interview with FIFA.com. “I’m really happy with everything I’ve achieved but I didn’t achieve it alone and know a lot of people helped me.”

He did have help from team-mates in the blue jersey for club and country but not as much as he assisted those around him with his class and composure in the engine room.

There is no doubt that the former Napoli man is now truly one of the world’s elite central midfielders – not bad for someone who started out as a striker before being moved into a deeper role as a teenager.

Beyond his exquisite passing, his anticipation and positioning off the ball has also developed, so much so his 25 interceptions in the summer was the most one player has ever made at a Euros.

And although he takes an eye-catching penalty (his 2021 haul was also a Premier League calendar year record), that’s about as flashy as it gets with Jorginho, who is never going to grab too much attention with his actions.

According to Maurizio Sarri, who brought the best out of him at both Napoli and Chelsea and elevated his game to the next level, that is precisely what makes the Brazil-born star so good.

“He’s a refined player who probably isn’t understood by everyone, you really have to watch him in a game,” Sarri said of Jorginho’s talents.

“He is so good and intelligent that he makes everything seem easy. Rarely does anything spectacular stay in your eyes. That is greatness.”

Click right here to see the full list so far.