How often does the Race update?

Once a day. We refresh player statistics from Sportmonks every morning, and the Race recomputes straight after. A player's rating only actually changes when he plays, which is about once a week.

Why isn't my club's star player in the table?

The most common reason is minutes: a player needs at least 450 league minutes in one of the eight ranked leagues. Injuries, rotation and January arrivals all delay qualification. Players outside those eight leagues are not ranked at all, however well they are playing.

Why do goalkeepers and defenders rank lower?

Match ratings reward attacking output, so the top of the overall board is almost always attackers. Use the position tabs to see the best defenders and goalkeepers ranked against their peers rather than against strikers.

Is the Race the same as your player valuations?

No, and deliberately so. Valuations estimate what a player is worth and account for age, league and club. The Race measures this season's performance only. A 35-year-old can lead the Race while sitting well outside the most valuable list.

Where do the ratings come from?

From Sportmonks, our data provider. We store their per-season average rating exactly as supplied and do not adjust it. The only calculation we apply is weighting a player's competitions by the minutes he played in each.

2026/27

The Race

Who is actually playing best this season

The Race ranks every player in Europe's eight strongest leagues by their average match rating this season.

8 leagues

1382 players qualified

450+ league minutes

Updated daily

Lamine Yamal

FC Barcelona

8.44

Rating

ATT · 15 Apps · 13/11

Raphinha

FC Barcelona

8.24

Rating

ATT · 13 Apps · 19/3

Michael Olise

FC Bayern München

8.21

Rating

ATT · 11 Apps · 8/5

#PlayerClubPosRatingAppsG/A

Average match rating across 8 leagues, weighted by minutes played. 1382 players qualify with at least 450 league minutes.

How the Race works

One number: the match rating

After every match each player receives a performance rating from our data provider, Sportmonks, on a scale that in practice runs from about 6.0 to 9.0. The Race shows each player's season average, weighted by the minutes he played in each competition, so a full 90 minutes counts for more than a late cameo.

Eight leagues, one table

We rank the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, Liga Portugal, the Eredivisie and the Jupiler Pro League. Restricting the field to these eight keeps the table meaningful: a high rating in a weaker division is not the same achievement, and mixing everything together pushed obscure names above elite ones.

Cups and Europe count too

A player qualifies through his league minutes, but once he qualifies his Champions League, Europa League, Conference League and domestic cup matches all count toward his rating. Excluding a European night from a player's season would misrepresent it.

Why a minutes threshold

A player needs at least 450 league minutes — roughly five full matches — before he appears. Without that floor, anyone with one outstanding substitute appearance would top the table on a sample far too small to mean anything.

Why positions have their own tables

Match ratings reward goals and assists more than defensive work, so the ceiling differs by position. Across these eight leagues the best attacker rates around 8.4 while the best defender reaches about 7.7 and the best goalkeeper about 7.6 — close in the middle of the table, far apart at the top. Rather than inflate defenders' numbers to compensate, we show the overall board honestly and give each position its own ranking.

This is not the valuation

Our player valuations weigh age, league strength, club and contract alongside performance, because they estimate a transfer price. The Race ignores all of it. That is the point: the two tables answer different questions, and comparing them shows who is performing far above or below what the market says they are worth.

Frequently asked questions

How often does the Race update?: Once a day. We refresh player statistics from Sportmonks every morning, and the Race recomputes straight after. A player's rating only actually changes when he plays, which is about once a week.
Why isn't my club's star player in the table?: The most common reason is minutes: a player needs at least 450 league minutes in one of the eight ranked leagues. Injuries, rotation and January arrivals all delay qualification. Players outside those eight leagues are not ranked at all, however well they are playing.
Why do goalkeepers and defenders rank lower?: Match ratings reward attacking output, so the top of the overall board is almost always attackers. Use the position tabs to see the best defenders and goalkeepers ranked against their peers rather than against strikers.
Is the Race the same as your player valuations?: No, and deliberately so. Valuations estimate what a player is worth and account for age, league and club. The Race measures this season's performance only. A 35-year-old can lead the Race while sitting well outside the most valuable list.
Where do the ratings come from?: From Sportmonks, our data provider. We store their per-season average rating exactly as supplied and do not adjust it. The only calculation we apply is weighting a player's competitions by the minutes he played in each.

This is not the valuation

Full table