Kim Min-jae, the first Asian defender to be nominated for the Ballon d’Or, is ranked 20th in the power rankings.
On March 8 (KST),안전놀이터 Goal.com released its Ballon d’Or 2023 Power Rankings. ‘Goal.com’ announced the list, saying, “The 2023 Ballon d’Or ceremony is approaching.
‘Goal.com’ ranked Kim Min-jae at No. 20. They said: “Kim was one of the best signings of the summer of 2022. Napoli had a painful wait to win the Serie A title. He helped them end that wait.
‘While most of Napoli’s attackers have been praised, Kim’s impact cannot be underestimated. The perfect modern defender, his combination of skill and physicality provided for Napoli’s title run.
As you can see, Kim’s performance last season was incredible. Kim Min-jae played for Napoli last season. His defensive prowess helped Napoli win their first Serie A title in 33 years. At the end of the season, he was named Serie A’s best defender. He was also named to the Serie A Team of the Year.
It was the best year of his career, and naturally, big clubs were after him. Bayern Munich was one of them. The Bavarians were in need of defensive reinforcements after Luca Hernandez left for Paris Saint-Germain.
They wanted a top-notch European defender, and their existing defenders, such as Benjamin Pavard and Dayot Upamecano, were looking a bit shaky. That’s where Kim came in. Since the beginning of the season, Kim has been playing in the starting lineup.
However, the media also talked about their disappointments. ‘Goal.com’ said, “If South Korea had made it past the round of 16 at the World Cup, Kim Min-jae could have been ranked higher.
No other defender was ranked higher than Kim, including Jubeng Dias, who was instrumental in Manchester City’s treble last season, and Josko Gvardiol, who led Croatia to a third-place finish at the last World Cup.
If Kim finishes 20th in the Ballon d’Or, as the media is predicting, he will be the second highest-ranked Korean leaguer of all time. South Korean players have been nominated for the Ballon d’Or before: Seol Ki-hyun in 2002, Park Ji-sung in 2005, and Son Heung-min in 2019 and 2020.
In 2020, Son was the 11th highest scorer in the English Premier League. His ranking is also the highest ever for an Asian player.
Meanwhile, Goal.com’s top pick was Lionel Messi. The publication highly valued Messi’s World Cup victory. Man City’s traveling star, Elling Holland, was predicted to be second. Holland’s one-goal performance in his final eight games before the end of the season was cited in favor of Messi.