🏆 Ballon d'OneFootball: And in 23rd 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 …

23rd: Édouard Mendy, Chelsea and Senegal

(New entry)

Our second new entry for 2022 is Chelsea goalkeeper Édouard Mendy, whose career is an incredible story about reaching new footballing heights.

Since signing for the Blues in the fall of 2020, the 30-year-old has swept Kepa Arrizabalaga aside and carved himself a spot as Thomas Tuchel’s go-to man between the sticks.

Coming in and replacing the first-choice goalkeeper (who also happened to be the club’s record signing at the time) is a mighty task for anyone. Yet Mendy’s ability to do so following an up-and-down career shows a type of determination and perseverance that can’t be taught.

The Senegalese international went from being unemployed in 2014 to winning some of football’s biggest titles.

Now, in the space of nine months, he has won the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, and Club World Cup with Chelsea and anchored Senegal’s recent Africa Cup of Nations success.

To make things even better, he was named FIFA The Best Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year and also came in second for the Yashin Trophy behind Gianluigi Donnarumma honouring his individual form.

With Mendy in goal, Chelsea have conceded the joint fewest goals in the Premier League so far this season (18) with the Senegalese registering 16 clean sheets across 31 appearances in all competitions for the club this season.

Another trophy almost capped a sensational year between the sticks, with Mendy superb in recent EFL Cup final against Liverpool, only for the Blues to lose on penalties with Kepa subbed on for the shootout.

Let that take nothing away from a goalkeeper who has almost overnight established himself as one of the world’s best.

Impressive stuff for someone who hasn’t been at the top level for long.

Click right here to see the full list so far.