Football across the globe has seen some of the biggest stars dazzle on the pitch and achieve greatness individually and with their respective clubs. These players are understandably revered and held in high regard.
However, there are some players, who also receive massive appreciation but have arguably failed to justify it. These players either failed to live up to their transfer hype or fulfill the expectations of their clubs/fans. Some have also garnered huge transfer fees while others have played for some of the biggest clubs in the world.
Football is of course a sport of varied opinions and the player debates are endless. We have, however, made this list based on the mentioned players’ stats, performances, transfer fees, expectations from the club, early hype, success (mainly individual), and the way they are spoken about generally.
It’s important to note some of the players on this list are still young and can still fulfill their potential. So here’s a list of the top 10 most overrated football players:
10. Victor Osimhen
Many top clubs have been linked with a move for Victor Osimhen, including Chelsea, and Arsenal. The Nigerian striker turned heads with his performances for Napoli last season, where he scored 31 goals and provided five assists in 39 games across competitions, helping them win the Serie A.
However, he has had a massive dip since, recording just 15 goals and four assists in 28 games this season. The 2022-23 season was the only one where Osimhen breached the 20-goal mark in his last five seasons.
Now, there is no denying Osimhen’s abilities but the talk of his potential transfer fee is reportedly over €150 million. Napoli also rejected a €200 million bid from a Saudi Arabian side last summer.
Given his numbers in the last five seasons, except 2022-23, it’s hard to justify such a big fee.
9. Alvaro Morata
Alvaro Morata has played for some of the biggest clubs in the world, namely Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea and Juventus. He came through Real Madrid’s academy and his initial performances put him high on the list of players with great potential. He has, however, arguably, failed to take benefit of many huge opportunities.
Aged 31 now, Morata has never scored over 15 league goals in a single season for any club across his career so far. He is currently on 14 goals for Atletico Madrid and might breach that mark but it’s still underwhelming. He has never scored more than 20 goals across competitions in a season.
These are quite low numbers for the main centre-forward in such big clubs, who arguably have no issue of lack of service. While he still has a few years left in him, Morata has been quite underwhelming given the early promise.
8. Romelu Lukaku
Romelu Lukaku, in his day, could be one of the best strikers in the world. However, unfortunately, those days haven’t come at a consistent stretch in his recent career. He was brilliant for Everton in his early days, racking up 87 goals and 29 assists in 166 games for them.
However, his form and performances have dipped majorly since then. He had an underwhelming spell at Manchester United (42 goals and 12 assists in 96 games) before joining Inter Milan.
He regained his form under Antonio Conte, scoring 64 goals and contributing 17 assists in 95 games for Inter Milan. This saw Chelsea splash a whopping £97.5 million to sign him in 2021. However, it has been downhill since as he’s scored just 47 goals in three seasons since then for Chelsea, Inter, and now Roma.
Moreover, Lukaku has missed some glorious chances in recent times in crucial games for Inter Milan and Belgium.
7. Marcus Rashford
Many hail Marcus Rashford as one of the best English footballers in recent years but stats do very little to justify that praise. When the forward graduated from Manchester United’s academy, he was seen as a prolific goalscoring winger.
However, Rashford has gone past the 20-goal mark across all competitions just thrice in the last nine seasons (including the ongoing 2023-24). He hasn’t even crossed the 15-goal mark in the other six attempts.
The England international scored 30 goals in 56 games last season and it was expected that it would finally be his breakout season and propel him to greatness. However, he has scored just eight goals in 39 games this season, making you wonder if last season was just an anomaly.
6. Jordan Henderson
Now Jordan Henderson’s reputation has taken a hit in recent years but was it because of the unwarranted hype he got in the first place?
Henderson joined Liverpool from Sunderland in 2011 and went on to make 492 appearances for them. He has scored just 33 goals and provided 61 assists in that time. He also became the club captain following legendary Steven Gerrard’s departure and helped Liverpool win numerous trophies.
Him being part of the Premier League and Champions League-winning sides perhaps led to the immense praise and adulation he got as a player. However, the 2022-23 season was perhaps an example that Henderson would struggle if the other 10 members of the team aren’t at their best.
He currently plies his trade for Ajax and has provided just two assists in nine games.
5. Gianluigi Donnarumma
The Italian goalkeeper made his name at a young age as he made his AC Milan debut at just 16 years old. In the years that followed, many hailed him as the next in line of the legendary Gianluigi Buffon.
However, Gianluigi Donnarumma then moved to PSG in 2021, leading to major criticism from Milan fans. Once seen as a complete package in goalkeeper, he has struggled massively with passing ability and also at being authoritative in the box.
It was evident in PSG’s Champions League quarter-final win over Barcelona this season. While Barca’s mistakes allowed the French side to eventually progress, Donnarumma was heavily criticized for his poor performance across both legs.
4. Mykhaylo Mudryk
Arsenal and Chelsea were both heavily linked with Mykhaylo Mudryk in the winter transfer window in 2023. The latter ended up signing him from Shakhtar Donetsk for €100 million.
He had a decent debut, coming on as a substitute in a goalless draw against Liverpool. However, Mudryk has failed to provide the expected output, especially considering his price tag. He has scored just six goals and provided four assists in 52 games for Chelsea.
Mudryk is still just 23 and has loads of room for improvement. However, going by his career so far, he is definitely one of the most overrated football players.
3. Joao Felix
Joao Felix came into the limelight when Atletico Madrid spent an astonishing €127 million to sign him from Benfica in 2019. However, he hasn’t been able to justify that price tag in any form.
He has recorded just 34 goals and 18 assists in 131 games for Atletico so far – a poor output for a player regarded this highly. He joined Chelsea on a six-month loan last season but scored just four goals in 20 games. Currently on loan at Barcelona, he has contributed 10 goals and six assists in 38 games.
Felix also had a falling out with Atletico manager Diego Simeone and his future at Atletico appears to be over.
2. Antony
Much was expected when Manchester United spent €100 million to sign Antony, who had previously played under Erik ten Hag at Ajax, in 2022. However, he has failed to live up to the billing and how.
The Brazilian has scored a meagre 10 goals and registered five assists in 77 games for United. He has tried to bring in his flair and tricks on the pitch but even they have failed at times in the Premier League.
His performances combined with his off-the-field issues have fans and pundits wanting the club to sell him to get some money back. Antony has a dismal record of just two goals and two assists in 33 games across competitions this season.
1. Neymar
Now this might sound harsh but let’s look at the facts first. Neymar was hailed to be the next in line, along with Gareth Bale, to take over the mantle from Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Some even claimed he could equal Pele’s level at Brazil.
Neymar has broken the top scorer’s record with Brazil but just one trophy with them – the Confederations Cup. Often regarded as Le Selecao’s next big superstar, he has failed to lead his team to glory.
Neymar did have a brilliant spell at Barcelona with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, as he registered 105 goals and 76 assists in 186 games, winning multiple trophies. This saw PSG pay a world-record fee of €222 million in 2017.
However, he failed to help them win the Champions League, which was the main purpose of signing him in the first place. The Brazilian has won just one Champions League trophy in his career. While it is still a big achievement, it’s poor for someone who was rated to be on similar levels to Ronaldo and Messi.