The 9X100 Positional Ranking Lists

*Updating for 2024 Euro with overhaul improvement (Last Updated 8 September 2024)

Definition of Positional Category

Defender : Central Defender includes Sweeper, Center-back and stopper. Side-Back includes full-back, wing-back. Most full-backs in the pre-war era is considered as a semi-side center-back and are categorized in side-back list. The defenders who performed in similar level and time between CB and SB, is also considered as SB. However, it is depended on the role of the team tactic.

Defensive Midfielder : The list also included Box-to-Box Midfielder. The candidates need to have a defensive quality enough to play in deepest position in midfield area as a destroyer and ever achieved international-class at least one full domestic season. Also, their quality of offense must not be too far better than their defensive quality. 

Playmaker : The list includes the deep-lying playmakers or offensive midfielders who are compatible to play in front of a defensive midfielder in 4-4-2 formation or a deep-lying inside-forward in the 1^st half of 20^th century.

Winger : The list also includes a few of side midfielders. Most players in the list are outside-forward in the conventional tactic or a winger in 4-4-2 formation. For the system with 3 forwards, Winger must mostly spent time outside penalty area when they have a chance to control the ball.

Advanced Midfielder : Advanced Midfielder or in another word "Trequartista" who played in the top of midfield area, including all players who perform at best and most often appeared in tree quarter area of the field. Most inside-forwards and withdrawn center-forwards in the 1st half of 20th century and are also considered as Trequartista but also depend on their style of play. For the 2nd half of 20th century, most players are considered as Trequartista should be backed up by two central midfielders.  

Forward : The forwards were primarily positioned just behind target striker with some quality in creative and assisting skill and ability to conduct the ball or performed as a side-forward with a more role of scoring than crossing from the side area. The withdrawn center-forwards are also included.

Striker : The list include strikers who are mainly set in finisher role as a target man in penalty area as a target-man or fast striker who always take one-man-show to score the goal by themselves. They are basically a prolific scorer.

Categorization Procedures

For players who played more than one position based categorization as above, the categorization is based on the total score in each role. Position with the most score will be selected.  

For the case of players who is bordered between positions, categorizing criteria and formula will be used according to clause 1.13 "Positional Categorization of Footballers" in historical rating methodology, world football historic center . 
http://xtrahistory.blogspot.com/2013/01/Rating-Methodology.html

Methodological Procedures

This methodology is implemented started at the rank next to any 50th in the main seven positions of the main hall to the 100th. The implementation result of top 50 in seven position is available in scorecard of players evaluation result and its ranking is applied to this list directly. Note that this methodology is designed in softer complicated than that of the main seven category.  

Selection

Investigate the basic profile all potential candidates such as seasonal appearances stats, achievement and awards. 

Evaluation

1. Rating Evidence-Based Performance

1) Performance Identification : Convert the rating evidences such as average point by Magazine, ranking in annual player or team of the year, etc into the performance class.

2) Performance Class Point : World-Class 1.5 - 2.5 point, International Class 1 - 1.5 Point (Depend on Opportunity Factor Standard Value)

3) Competition Level Coefficient 

   3.1 Domestic season 1

  3.2 International Club : European Cup, UEFA Champion League and Pre-1990s Copa Libertadores Cup : 1.5 , Pre-1997 UEFA Cup : 1.2, Cup Winners Cup/Post 1997-UEFA Cup, Post-1990s Copa Libertadores Cup 1  

   3.3 International Country : World Cup 2, Euro 1.5, Pre- 1967 Copa America 1, Post-1967 Copa America 1.2, Qualification Round (0.5 - 1, depend on number of matches). Note that these points are divided by 2 for goalkeeper position as its competitiveness to be a starter in a big nation is very high. 

3. Round Coefficient : 0.2 for each round of single-elimination format.

2. Performance Approximation without rating

The approximation is based on awards, all stars selection, article, statistics of assist/scoring,, etc. For striker position, the implementation is mainly based on scoring statistical analysis (Goal Ratio and Goal influence) combined with skill against level of opponents if no performance rating evidence available. 

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Classification Table

  

Discussion

    The methodological implementation based on available evidence of rating helps to diminish the large scale of subjectivity in the ranking. The ranking structure is divided into two main parts. Ranking in the first part is referred to scorecard in the main hall of seven categories. The second part is implemented as procedures in the top area of the page which is less elaborated than that of the main hall, there is a designated opportune factor to standardize opportunity of participation international competition by era. Players who played more than one position will be categorized in a position which obtains highest peak combined with longevity such as Maldini, Thuram, Leonardo, Sammer, Thon, Samitier, Aage Praest, etc.

           Goalkeeper : The international country part is twice less weighted than other positions due to its lower value of opportunity factor. Accordingly, there are a number of keepers with a few caps qualified in the list. Most obvious cases are Germany and Italy whose keepers around 30 keepers qualified in the list such as Stefano Tacconi, Luciano Castellini, Uli Stein, Bert Trautmann, Fabio Cudicini and etc. Some famous keepers who obtained high profile in international football but heavily inconsistent or has a short career span in domestic career are disqualified in top 100 are Goycoechea, Tesoriere, E. Martinez, Oliveri, and Gregg. N’Kono is an only keeper outside Europe and South America, is named in top 100.  

         Defensive Lateral : This list mainly applied comparison technique not take a full implementation due to too low amount of evidence o f rating. Most full-backs and some of wing-half in the pre-war are included when their style of play are considered the best at wide-area. Accordingly, players in the list could be largely different in style from offensive wing-back to semi-side full-back. Virgilio Maroso, Mikhail Ogonkov and Josimar, one of the top-class side-back during their peak are not included due to their short career. Orvar Bergmark played non-competitive league in Sweden even in second division in some seasons. There is neither African nor Asian player qualified in defender position.    

         Central Defender : The central defenders in modern era is generally more advantageous as defensive skill was dramatically developed from 1960s. In the list, there are only 3 qualified central defenders from pre-war to war-time era are Jose Nasazzi, Domingos Da Guia and Severino Minelli. The most obvious missing name in top 100 are Germano and Bellini. Germano’s peak was considered as the best central defender in the world but he had only 2 great seasons and his career before joining Benfica saw playing in Portuguese second division in 2 seasons. Bellini was not rated high by media in Copa America.

         Defensive Midfielder : The box-to-box midfielders are included in the list if they could play as a destroyer and achieved at least international-class as a defensive midfielder in any domestic season or international tournament. Matthaeus and Gerrard are thus named in this list. Although Willy Van Hanegem performed as defensive midfielder for Netherlands, his playmaking skill is too far better than defensive and he is rated in playmaker list. The player with the style of pure destroyer will be disadvantageous as normal such as Gattuso and Dickinson who was rated outside top 100.

         Winger or Side Midfielder : There are a few of side midfielders in the list are David Beckham, Franco Causio, Mario Corso, David Silva, Michel Gonzalez, Ze Roberto and Leonardo. The entire set of the 4 best Soviet Union wingers aren’t make top 100. Mahrez is an only North African player that make the list. Also, the only 2 players from East Asia from all lists are appeared in top 100 winger are Son Heung-Min and Cha-Bum Kun.

         Playmaker : Some central midfielders are named in this list if their defensive ability is not qualified to make defensive midfielder list such as Lampard, Oblak. D. Pizarro, Kolotov There is neither African nor Asian player qualified in playmaker position.    

       Advanced Midfielder or Trequartista : South American nations get the highest proportion in this position compared to other lists according to its traditional number “10” for advanced playmaker. Players in the pre-war era in this list all are inside-forwards. Ihor Belanov, a Ballon'Dor winner is named below top 50. He wasn't even voted as the best USSR player at the year he won Ballon'Dor and his career was also inconsistent. Roger Milla. An absolute legend of Africa is not named even in substitution as his club career is below average.

        Forward :  Players who achieved high peak but had a short career likes Eduarad Streltsov, Milos Milutinovic, Antonin Angellilo, Milan Galic, Richard Hofmann are included in top 100. The three pre-war Argentine forwards like Cherro, Varallo and Tarasconi have very similar profile but none of them made the list. 

       Striker : Pre-war strikers's coring record are analyzed against standard of competition. Mcgrory is ranked higher in the list as he consistently made a phenomenal goals stats. As well as Imre Scholsser, Alfred Schaffer, Jozsef Takacs and Poul Tist Nielsen are highly rated for their prolific scoring in relatively high standard of competition and they're an outstanding players led their nations as one of the best football teams in the world. Paolo Rossi is one of the most controversial players. He was one of the best individual performers in a single world cup in 1982 and moreover is one of the best players in 1978 World Cup. On the other hand, his domestic career was ruined by Injury. He is named outside top 50. Michael Owen, a Ballon'Dor winner whose career dramatically declined too early, is also rated below top 50. There are many world-class strikers with short prime likes Oliver Bierhoff, Luca Toni, Fernando Torres, Adriano and Marcelo Salas. All of them are allowed to emerge in the list.