October 4 – Paris Saint Germain’s Joao Neves has been identified as the top chance creator in world football in the latest CIES Football Observatory data report, ousting the iconic Lionel Messi from top spot.
The 20-year-old Portugal international (99 points) signed for current club PSG in the summer as part of a €55 million transfer from Benfica.
Whilst Neves tops the list, Chelsea attacker Cole Palmer (94 points) follows in second as a testament to his excellent all-round game since signing at Stamford Bridge, where he has contributed to 43 goals in 39 Premier League games from midfield.
Werder Bremen’s Romano Schmid completes the podium with a score of 90.
Barcelona starlet Lamine Yamal placed in fourth after a strong opening to the season which has seen his team reclaim their place at the top of the La Liga table, with Villarreal’s Alex Baena in fifth.
The data shows that young stars are continuing to shine in the creative areas of the game, with the average age of the top five totalling 21.2 years.
Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi unsurprisingly ranks top amongst the players from outside the Top 5 leagues. The 37-year-old continues to impress since his galvanising move to the USA, tallying 17 goals and 10 assists in 17 games for the Florida club in 2024.
CIES say that their chance creation index is calculated on a scale of 100 by adding the frequency of passes leading to a goal or a clear chance, passes made to the assistman (second assist), as well as passes breaking the opposition’s defensive line received by a teammate (with data generated by CIES partner Wyscout).
To see the full data, click here.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing at moc.l1732366091labto1732366091ofdlr1732366091owedi1732366091sni@g1732366091niwe.1732366091yrrah1732366091