2025 has been a year of change and breakthroughs for Luis Díaz. His departure from Liverpool was driven by a desire for a salary increase that reflected his performances on the pitch. His first half-season with Bayern Munich has put him ahead of names like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in The Guardian’s year-end ranking.
Increasingly, even legends considered among the best players in history appear lower on these lists, showing that time affects all careers. Luis Díaz’s consistent performances have elevated him, according to one of the most prestigious soccer media outlets, which publishes an annual ranking of the 100 best players based on votes from journalists.
The Colombian is positioned at number 31, surpassing Messi at 34 and Cristiano Ronaldo at 51, reflecting the relative impact of their seasons. The analysis leaves little room for debate.
“What a year this has been for Díaz, with his highest finish yet a reflection of a year in which he won the Premier League with Liverpool and has already taken huge steps towards following up with a Bundesliga title at Bayern Munich. The Colombian was an underrated huge part of Arne Slot’s incredible debut campaign and perhaps has been underestimated generally; Liverpool didn’t want to pay a 28-year-old top-level wages to extend his contract and many in Germany doubted Bayern’s wisdom in pushing the boat out for a forward pushing 30,” said analyst Andy Brassell in The Guardian.
Luis Diaz of FC Bayern München reacts.
Luis Diaz’s impact at Bayern Munich
It has been a spectacular semester for Díaz since joining the Bundesliga giant. His 13 goals and 7 assists in 22 official matches across all competitions justify the accolades he has received.
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Díaz’s contributions place him ahead of players like Messi in the United States and Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia, who remain prominent but are not outperforming him in collective impact. He is the highest-ranked Colombian in this prestigious international ranking.
The current form of the German powerhouse is inseparable from Díaz’s impact. The team lost points in only three official matches this semester. In the Bundesliga, they collected 41 points out of 45 possible, the best start in the club’s history since the league adopted the 18-team, three-points-per-win format.
Only Arsenal in the Champions League has managed to take points from the in-form European team, which, with Díaz’s goals and assists to teammates like Harry Kane, has achieved the best start in the history of the five major European leagues since records began.
South Americans surpassing Díaz
In The Guardian ranking, Díaz is ahead of other notable South Americans, including Moisés Caicedo (32), Alexis Mac Allister (35), Federico Valverde (37), Jamal Musiala (43), and Kevin De Bruyne (73). Among South Americans, he ranks as the fifth most influential, behind only Raphinha, Lautaro Martínez, Vinicius Junior, and Julian Alvarez.
