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Minors Rankings Over History - UPDATED
Time to update the Minors Top 10 now that season 26 is complete.
As a reminder, here is the original Top 10 list:
Minors Top 10s Over History
Top 10 In Roles - Season 26 UPDATE
Scorer Role
Season 26 gets its first entry into the Minors history books through Arsène N'Goussou, whose campaign for Rapid Magyar SC lands seventh in the Scorer rankings with a 96.40 score.
N'Goussou's 1.00 goal per 90 doesn't immediately look like the kind of number that should compete with Eric Belmont's ridiculous 1.77 or Charles-Andrew-Simon Utley-Abara-Lunga's 1.57, but this is another good example of why the Scorer ranking isn't simply a goals leaderboard.
The number that really stands out is 0.20 goals from outside the box per 90, the second-highest figure in the top ten behind only Red Panda. N'Goussou also massively outperformed their expected goals, finishing with an xG overperformance of 5.60. Only Belmont's 8.42 is higher among the players on this list.
Then you add 2.20 shots on target per 90 and 60% shot accuracy and there really isn't a major weakness in the profile.
The 0.63 xG per 90 is where N'Goussou gives up the most ground to the players at the very top. Since xG carries 20% of the score and goals another 30%, it's difficult to challenge players like Belmont when they're generating substantially more scoring opportunities.
Still, seventh-best Scorer season in Minors history is a pretty good way to introduce season 26 to these rankings. N'Goussou didn't get there by producing the most chances. They got there by making an awful lot out of the chances they had.
Playmaker Role
There were no new entries into the Playmaker Top 10.
Passer Role
There were no new entries into the Passer Top 10.
Defender Role
Jay Cue Jr.
Jay Cue Jr. didn't just make the Defender top ten in season 26. They nearly took the entire thing over.
Their campaign for CS Rova Mpanjaka enters at second overall with an 87.70 score, only 0.5 points behind Orlando Mastache Maldonado's s19 season.
The number that immediately explains the ranking is an 89.09% tackle rate. That's the best tackling efficiency anywhere in the updated top ten. Considering tackles won and tackle percentage combine for 45% of the Defender score, being that efficient gives Cue an enormous advantage.
But this isn't just an efficiency-driven season. Cue still won 3.27 tackles per 90 while producing 3.40 interceptions, 1.40 clearances, 1.00 blocks, and 3.07 successful presses. Add a 63.08% header rate and you're looking at a player who contributed something in every single category used by the formula.
There are players above and below Cue with more spectacular individual numbers. Alex Stain produced 4.50 tackles won per 90. Jan Van Doorne had 5.15 successful presses. Chris Warrick won an absurd 87.50% of their headers.
Cue's advantage is that there isn't really a bad number anywhere.
That's exactly the kind of performance this formula tends to reward. Instead of dominating one defensive action, Cue combined elite tackling efficiency with strong production everywhere else and came within half a point of producing the best Defender season Minors has ever seen.
STAR SCREAM
Jay Cue Jr. isn't the only season 26 player breaking into the Defender rankings. STAR SCREAM's campaign for Seoul MFC also makes the list, entering ninth with an 84.70 score.
Where Cue's season is built around elite tackling efficiency, STAR SCREAM takes a different route.
The standout number is 2.93 clearances per 90, the highest figure in the entire updated top ten. That's paired with 3.20 tackles won, an 81.36% tackle rate, 2.87 interceptions, 0.93 blocks, and 3.00 successful presses per 90.
None of those other numbers jump off the page individually, but they're all competitive.
That's important in a Defender formula spread across seven different statistics. Clearances only account for 10% of the score, so leading that category isn't enough by itself. STAR SCREAM needed to remain productive across tackling, interceptions, pressing, blocking, and aerial play as well.
The result isn't quite as spectacular as Cue's second-place finish, but it gives season 26 two of the ten best defensive campaigns in Minors history.
For a category designed to reward complete defensive players rather than specialists, that's a pretty impressive showing from the current class.
Presser Role
There were no new entries into the Presser Top 10.
Aerial Role
There were no new entries into the Aerial Top 10.
Wide Creator Role
Bob Berendsen was already all over these Minors rankings before season 26.
Apparently they weren't finished.
Berendsen's s26 campaign for AS Paris enters the Wide Creator rankings in ninth place with a 95.50 score, adding another historical season to a résumé that already includes elite Playmaker and Dribbler performances.
The foundation here is crossing volume. Berendsen produced 4.47 successful crosses per 90, which trails only Dwayne Pruney's 4.80 among the updated top ten. Since successful crosses account for 35% of the entire score, that's a very good place to start.
But Berendsen also backs that up with 1.60 chances created and an excellent 3.73 open-play key passes per 90. Only Zizou Lopta produces more open-play key passes among the top ten. Add 0.73 assists per 90 and the end product is there as well.
The biggest thing preventing Berendsen from climbing higher is crossing efficiency. Their 32.84% success rate is the lowest figure on the list. Cross percentage carries another 25% of the score, meaning 60% of this entire category comes from those two crossing metrics.
Berendsen essentially overwhelms that weakness with volume and creativity.
And this isn't even their only appearance from season 26….
Dribbler Role
The same season that puts Bob Berendsen ninth in Wide Creator also lands eighth in the Dribbler rankings with a 97.20 score.
This time, though, the way they get there is almost completely different.
Berendsen's 3.13 dribbles per 90 is actually one of the lowest figures in the updated top ten. Considering dribbles account for 40% of the score, you would normally expect that to make a historical ranking extremely difficult.
Then you look at everything else.
Berendsen produced 6.27 key passes and 9.27 progressive passes per 90. Only Angry Lizard's s23 season has more progressive passes, while Berendsen's key-pass production is right alongside some of the very best seasons on the list. They also created 1.60 chances and produced 0.73 assists per 90.
So while the actual dribbling volume isn't historically dominant, what happens after Berendsen moves the ball forward absolutely is.
It also makes their double appearance particularly interesting. The same season produced enough crossing to become the ninth-best Wide Creator campaign in Minors history while also generating enough ball progression and creativity to rank eighth as a Dribbler.
That's exactly why looking at roles can be more interesting than looking at positions. Berendsen isn't just doing one job extremely well. The numbers suggest they were impacting attacks in several completely different ways.
Goalkeeper Role
Benecio Aguilera III
Season 26 makes a substantial impact on the Goalkeeper rankings, starting with Benecio Aguilera III's campaign for AS Paris entering fifth overall with an 86.90 score.
Aguilera's 87.30% save rate is immediately eye-catching. It's the second-highest figure in the updated top ten, trailing only Scott Sterling's 88.46%. That's especially valuable when Save Percentage accounts for 25% of the entire Goalkeeper score.
The rest of the profile is solid as well. Aguilera posted a 7.35 average rating, an 85.61% xSave rate, prevented 0.28 xG per 90, and recorded 0.47 clean sheets per 90.
There isn't one ridiculous outlier carrying the performance. Instead, Aguilera is competitive almost everywhere while being exceptional at actually keeping shots out of the goal.
Where the season loses ground against the very top is xG prevented. João Cancelo, James Asprey, Joseph Daniel Kakou, and several others prevented considerably more expected goals per 90. Aguilera also didn't record a penalty save, removing another opportunity to pick up points in the formula.
Still, fifth place historically is a huge result. And with AS Paris already owning the number one spot through João Cancelo's s25 campaign, Aguilera gives the club two of the five highest-rated goalkeeper seasons in Minors history.
Rean Schwarzer
Benecio Aguilera III isn't alone.
Rean Schwarzer's s26 season for CS Rova Mpanjaka also enters the Goalkeeper rankings, landing seventh with an 84.40 score.
Schwarzer takes a slightly different route to the list. Their 7.38 average rating is among the strongest in the group, while an 83.12% save rate and 0.38 xG prevented per 90 give them solid production in two of the formula's other heavily weighted categories.
The 0.38 xG prevented figure is particularly important. It trails the very best seasons on the list, but it's still better than Aguilera directly above them and gives Schwarzer a strong goal-prevention component beyond simply making saves.
Where Schwarzer gives up ground is xSave and clean sheets. An 83.58% xSave rate is toward the lower end of the historical top ten, while 0.33 clean sheets per 90 trails most of the players around them. Like Aguilera, there also isn't a penalty save available to provide that final little boost.
Even so, season 26 putting two different goalkeepers into the historical top seven is notable.
The Goalkeeper rankings were already heavily tilted toward recent seasons, and s26 only pushes that trend further. Five of the top seven performances now come from seasons 24 through 26.
Whatever is happening with modern Minors goalkeepers, they seem determined to take over this list.
Conclusion
Season 26 definitely left a mark in the Minors record book.
Seven new entries from six different players made their way into the historical top tens, with their scores spread across Scorer, Defender, Wide Creator, Dribbler, and Goalkeeper. More importantly, several didn't only just scrape into the bottom of the rankings.
Jay Cue Jr. came within 0.5 points of taking the number one Defender spot outright. Arsène N'Goussou produced the seventh-best Scorer season on record. Benecio Aguilera III jumped directly into the top five among goalkeepers. And Bob Berendsen managed to turn one season into two separate historical creative performances.
That last one may be my favorite part of the update (yes, I’m biased for my team).
These rankings were created because positions don't always tell us what a player actually did on the field. Berendsen's season is a perfect example. The same player can rank historically as both a Wide Creator and Dribbler because the underlying numbers show two different ways they were impacting attacks.
Then you have Jay Cue Jr. nearly reaching the top of an entirely different role through defensive efficiency, while two s26 goalkeepers continue what is becoming a pretty obvious trend of recent seasons dominating that category.
There were still some lists season 26 couldn't touch. Nobody broke into Playmaker, Passer, Presser, or Aerial (and realistically, I doubt anyone breaks into Aerial), and none of the existing number one performances were knocked off their spot.
But that's also what makes the new entries meaningful.
Every additional season makes these lists harder to crack. The historical pool gets larger, the established elite seasons remain, and a new player has to produce something exceptional enough to push somebody else out.
Season 26 managed to do that seven times.
Time to update the Minors Top 10 now that season 26 is complete.
As a reminder, here is the original Top 10 list:
Minors Top 10s Over History
Top 10 In Roles - Season 26 UPDATE
Scorer Role
| Rank | Name | Club | Season | Position | Score | Goals p90 | xG p90 | Shots on Target p90 | Shot Accuracy % | xG Overperformance | Goals Outside Box p90 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eric Belmont | AS Paris | 23 | M (LC), ST ( C ) | 97.70 | 1.77 | 1.39 | 3.05 | 59.82 | 8.42 | 0.14 |
| 2 | Alessandro Del Pirlo | North Shore United | 15 | DM, M/AM ( C ) | 97.10 | 1.07 | 0.78 | 2.50 | 60.34 | 4.02 | 0.14 |
| 3 | Charles-Andrew-Simon Utley-Abara-Lunga | North Shore United | 15 | AM (RC), ST ( C ) | 97.10 | 1.57 | 1.19 | 4.00 | 56.00 | 5.28 | 0.14 |
| 4 | Alessandro Del Pirlo | North Shore United | 24 | M/AM ( C ), ST ( C ) | 97.10 | 1.50 | 1.21 | 3.00 | 58.82 | 2.93 | 0.10 |
| 5 | Bayley de Allie | Seoul MFC | 13 | AM (RC), ST ( C ) | 96.80 | 1.29 | 0.96 | 2.07 | 64.44 | 4.52 | 0.07 |
| 6 | Pat Taytow | North Shore United | 14 | AM (RL), ST ( C ) | 96.50 | 0.93 | 0.69 | 2.50 | 61.40 | 3.36 | 0.14 |
| 7 | Arsène N'Goussou | Rapid Magyar SC | 26 | AM (RL), ST ( C ) | 96.40 | 1.00 | 0.63 | 2.20 | 60.00 | 5.60 | 0.20 |
| 8 | Predrag Dobrić | Montréal United | 21 | AM (LC), ST ( C ) | 96.30 | 0.94 | 0.88 | 2.35 | 68.97 | 1.02 | 0.12 |
| 9 | Red Panda | Seoul MFC | 23 | WB/M/AM (L) | 95.90 | 1.08 | 0.41 | 2.00 | 81.25 | 4.35 | 0.31 |
| 10 | Caleb Hayden | Cairo City | 15 | AM ( C ), ST ( C ) | 95.60 | 1.00 | 0.75 | 1.64 | 65.71 | 3.55 | 0.07 |
Season 26 gets its first entry into the Minors history books through Arsène N'Goussou, whose campaign for Rapid Magyar SC lands seventh in the Scorer rankings with a 96.40 score.
N'Goussou's 1.00 goal per 90 doesn't immediately look like the kind of number that should compete with Eric Belmont's ridiculous 1.77 or Charles-Andrew-Simon Utley-Abara-Lunga's 1.57, but this is another good example of why the Scorer ranking isn't simply a goals leaderboard.
The number that really stands out is 0.20 goals from outside the box per 90, the second-highest figure in the top ten behind only Red Panda. N'Goussou also massively outperformed their expected goals, finishing with an xG overperformance of 5.60. Only Belmont's 8.42 is higher among the players on this list.
Then you add 2.20 shots on target per 90 and 60% shot accuracy and there really isn't a major weakness in the profile.
The 0.63 xG per 90 is where N'Goussou gives up the most ground to the players at the very top. Since xG carries 20% of the score and goals another 30%, it's difficult to challenge players like Belmont when they're generating substantially more scoring opportunities.
Still, seventh-best Scorer season in Minors history is a pretty good way to introduce season 26 to these rankings. N'Goussou didn't get there by producing the most chances. They got there by making an awful lot out of the chances they had.
Playmaker Role
| Rank | Name | Club | Season | Position | Score | Assists p90 | xA p90 | Key Passes p90 | Chances Created p90 | Progressive Passes p90 | Pass % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Claudio Scarpetta | North Shore United | 15 | D (LC), DM | 93.50 | 0.57 | 0.43 | 4.43 | 0.93 | 5.86 | 93.53 |
| 2 | George Shaheen | North Shore United | 18 | M ( R ), AM (RL) | 93.10 | 0.64 | 0.74 | 4.50 | 2.36 | 5.64 | 86.13 |
| 3 | Angry Lizard | AS Paris | 23 | D (L), WB (RL) | 93.10 | 0.77 | 0.69 | 6.77 | 2.45 | 9.55 | 83.30 |
| 4 | Dina Skovgaard | Montréal United | 19 | D (RL), WB ( R ) | 92.90 | 0.50 | 0.75 | 6.29 | 2.00 | 7.14 | 85.39 |
| 5 | Bob Berendsen | AS Paris | 23 | WB ( R ), M/AM (L) | 92.80 | 0.45 | 0.73 | 4.36 | 2.14 | 8.86 | 86.12 |
| 6 | Tyson Núñez | Inter London | 13 | D (RC), WB ( R ) | 92.70 | 0.64 | 0.42 | 4.21 | 1.14 | 8.07 | 87.05 |
| 7 | Gastone Poggio | Seoul MFC | 13 | M (RLC) | 92.30 | 0.81 | 0.59 | 5.70 | 1.56 | 5.41 | 84.88 |
| 8 | Dina Skovgaard | Montréal United | 21 | D (RL), WB ( R ) | 92.30 | 0.72 | 0.84 | 5.89 | 2.11 | 7.83 | 82.62 |
| 9 | Gastone Poggio | Seoul MFC | 15 | M (RLC) | 92.00 | 0.40 | 0.49 | 4.20 | 1.80 | 7.00 | 87.54 |
| 10 | Tyson Núñez | Inter London | 17 | D (RC), WB ( R ) | 91.60 | 0.50 | 0.42 | 4.50 | 1.29 | 6.29 | 86.82 |
There were no new entries into the Playmaker Top 10.
Passer Role
| Rank | Name | Club | Season | Position | Score | Successful Passes p90 | Pass % | Progressive Passes p90 | Key Passes p90 | Attempted Passes p90 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anthony Simmons | Seoul MFC | 23 | DM, M/AM ( C ) | 89.90 | 67.16 | 90.24 | 7.05 | 2.63 | 74.42 |
| 2 | Claudio Scarpetta | North Shore United | 15 | D (LC), DM | 88.10 | 54.71 | 93.53 | 5.86 | 4.43 | 58.50 |
| 3 | David Doug II | Seoul MFC | 23 | DM, M/AM ( C ) | 85.50 | 58.40 | 89.35 | 6.32 | 3.04 | 65.36 |
| 4 | Riamel Kloulechad | Athênai F.C. | 17 | D (LC), WB (L) | 85.40 | 64.50 | 87.93 | 9.50 | 2.00 | 73.36 |
| 5 | Mark Spoon | Seoul MFC | 17 | DM, M (LC) | 84.70 | 64.43 | 92.80 | 5.93 | 0.43 | 69.43 |
| 6 | Harvey Danger | CS Rova Mpanjaka | 23 | D (RLC) | 84.70 | 55.14 | 92.90 | 4.54 | 2.97 | 59.35 |
| 7 | Pork Tenderloin | Seoul MFC | 19 | D (RLC) | 84.00 | 68.86 | 94.70 | 4.86 | 0.29 | 72.71 |
| 8 | Abdoulaye Camavinga | Athênai F.C. | 17 | D ( C ), DM | 83.90 | 53.64 | 90.37 | 7.93 | 1.71 | 59.36 |
| 9 | Hinata Hyuga | Athênai F.C. | 15 | DM, M ( C ) | 83.80 | 55.00 | 88.51 | 8.36 | 2.64 | 62.14 |
| 10 | Anthony Lee | Cairo City | 17 | D ( C ), DM, AM ( C ) | 83.80 | 56.29 | 91.73 | 6.00 | 1.29 | 61.36 |
There were no new entries into the Passer Top 10.
Defender Role
| Rank | Name | Club | Season | Position | Score | Tackles Won p90 | Tackle % | Interceptions p90 | Clearances p90 | Blocks p90 | Successful Presses p90 | Header % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orlando Mastache Maldonado | North Shore United | 19 | D (RL), WB ( R ) | 88.20 | 3.93 | 80.88 | 3.36 | 2.64 | 0.71 | 3.79 | 72.29 |
| 2 | Jay Cue Jr. | CS Rova Mpanjaka | 26 | D/WB/AM ( R ) | 87.70 | 3.27 | 89.09 | 3.40 | 1.40 | 1.00 | 3.07 | 63.08 |
| 3 | Chris Warrick | North Shore United | 20 | D (RC), WB ( R ) | 87.40 | 2.94 | 82.81 | 3.50 | 2.11 | 1.00 | 3.00 | 87.50 |
| 4 | Ask Jeeves | Athênai F.C. | 15 | D (L), WB (RL) | 86.60 | 3.64 | 83.61 | 3.50 | 1.64 | 1.07 | 3.43 | 35.23 |
| 5 | Alex Stain | Seoul MFC | 19 | D (LC), DM | 85.80 | 4.50 | 85.14 | 2.36 | 2.36 | 1.29 | 3.14 | 61.26 |
| 6 | Hun Possible | North Shore United | 15 | D/WB/M ( R ) | 85.50 | 3.00 | 84.00 | 3.79 | 1.21 | 0.71 | 3.50 | 79.71 |
| 7 | Jan Van Doorne | AS Paris | 16 | D/WB/M ( R ) | 85.30 | 3.77 | 80.33 | 3.23 | 1.77 | 1.23 | 5.15 | 16.95 |
| 8 | Ask Jeeves | Athênai F.C. | 14 | D (L), WB (RL) | 85.10 | 3.71 | 80.00 | 2.86 | 2.29 | 0.79 | 3.93 | 56.19 |
| 9 | STAR SCREAM | Seoul MFC | 26 | D (RLC) | 84.70 | 3.20 | 81.36 | 2.87 | 2.93 | 0.93 | 3.00 | 58.33 |
| 10 | Thomas Schwarte | CS Rova Mpanjaka | 25 | D (LC), WB (L) | 84.30 | 3.53 | 79.10 | 3.73 | 1.40 | 1.07 | 2.80 | 80.77 |
Jay Cue Jr.
Jay Cue Jr. didn't just make the Defender top ten in season 26. They nearly took the entire thing over.
Their campaign for CS Rova Mpanjaka enters at second overall with an 87.70 score, only 0.5 points behind Orlando Mastache Maldonado's s19 season.
The number that immediately explains the ranking is an 89.09% tackle rate. That's the best tackling efficiency anywhere in the updated top ten. Considering tackles won and tackle percentage combine for 45% of the Defender score, being that efficient gives Cue an enormous advantage.
But this isn't just an efficiency-driven season. Cue still won 3.27 tackles per 90 while producing 3.40 interceptions, 1.40 clearances, 1.00 blocks, and 3.07 successful presses. Add a 63.08% header rate and you're looking at a player who contributed something in every single category used by the formula.
There are players above and below Cue with more spectacular individual numbers. Alex Stain produced 4.50 tackles won per 90. Jan Van Doorne had 5.15 successful presses. Chris Warrick won an absurd 87.50% of their headers.
Cue's advantage is that there isn't really a bad number anywhere.
That's exactly the kind of performance this formula tends to reward. Instead of dominating one defensive action, Cue combined elite tackling efficiency with strong production everywhere else and came within half a point of producing the best Defender season Minors has ever seen.
STAR SCREAM
Jay Cue Jr. isn't the only season 26 player breaking into the Defender rankings. STAR SCREAM's campaign for Seoul MFC also makes the list, entering ninth with an 84.70 score.
Where Cue's season is built around elite tackling efficiency, STAR SCREAM takes a different route.
The standout number is 2.93 clearances per 90, the highest figure in the entire updated top ten. That's paired with 3.20 tackles won, an 81.36% tackle rate, 2.87 interceptions, 0.93 blocks, and 3.00 successful presses per 90.
None of those other numbers jump off the page individually, but they're all competitive.
That's important in a Defender formula spread across seven different statistics. Clearances only account for 10% of the score, so leading that category isn't enough by itself. STAR SCREAM needed to remain productive across tackling, interceptions, pressing, blocking, and aerial play as well.
The result isn't quite as spectacular as Cue's second-place finish, but it gives season 26 two of the ten best defensive campaigns in Minors history.
For a category designed to reward complete defensive players rather than specialists, that's a pretty impressive showing from the current class.
Presser Role
| Rank | Name | Club | Season | Position | Score | Successful Presses p90 | Press % | Distance Run p90 | Tackles Won p90 | Interceptions p90 | Fouls Against p90 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lucas James | AF Masques Sacrés | 23 | D ( R ), M (L), AM ( R ) | 91.40 | 4.80 | 34.78 | 14.32 | 3.20 | 3.00 | 2.20 |
| 2 | Lucas Peioxoto | F.C. Kaapstad | 23 | D/WB/AM (L) | 91.20 | 4.05 | 41.20 | 14.47 | 3.09 | 2.68 | 0.91 |
| 3 | Dina Skovgaard | Montréal United | 19 | D (RL), WB ( R ) | 90.40 | 3.71 | 36.36 | 14.69 | 3.43 | 3.07 | 1.07 |
| 4 | Orlando Mastache Maldonado | North Shore United | 19 | D (RL), WB ( R ) | 90.40 | 3.79 | 39.55 | 14.45 | 3.93 | 3.36 | 0.43 |
| 5 | Stig Stampe | Rapid Magyar SC | 23 | D/WB (L), AM ( R ) | 90.30 | 3.86 | 33.33 | 14.70 | 3.64 | 3.32 | 1.18 |
| 6 | Goku Atliketwopercent | F.C. Kaapstad | 19 | D (RL), WB ( R ) | 90.20 | 4.07 | 47.90 | 14.64 | 2.07 | 2.79 | 0.86 |
| 7 | Dina Skovgaard | Montréal United | 20 | D (RL), WB ( R ) | 90.20 | 3.47 | 41.55 | 14.78 | 3.00 | 3.76 | 0.59 |
| 8 | Marian Gorgoń | F.C. Kaapstad | 17 | D/WB/AM ( R ) | 90.10 | 5.04 | 31.48 | 14.77 | 2.89 | 3.04 | 1.70 |
| 9 | Henry Fantobens | F.C. Kaapstad | 25 | DM, AM (LC) | 89.90 | 3.60 | 40.91 | 14.89 | 2.80 | 2.60 | 0.87 |
| 10 | Ilya Prusikin | Seoul MFC | 16 | D/WB ( R ), DM | 89.80 | 5.00 | 38.84 | 14.28 | 2.75 | 2.75 | 0.75 |
There were no new entries into the Presser Top 10.
Aerial Role
| Rank | Name | Club | Season | Position | Score | Successful Headers p90 | Header % | Key Headers p90 | Clearances p90 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cole Mertz | Seoul MFC | 8 | D ( C ), DM, M (L) | 99.70 | 18.00 | 95.82 | 3.57 | 15.50 |
| 2 | Mike Rup | Cairo City | 11 | D (RLC) | 99.70 | 19.64 | 92.91 | 3.64 | 16.93 |
| 3 | Cole Mertz | Seoul MFC | 7 | D ( C ), DM, M (L) | 99.40 | 20.71 | 93.25 | 2.21 | 14.79 |
| 4 | Cole Mertz | Seoul MFC | 6 | D ( C ), DM, M (L) | 99.20 | 16.60 | 91.71 | 2.90 | 15.50 |
| 5 | Sator Freddy | Adowa Accra FC | 8 | D ( C ), DM | 99.20 | 15.87 | 92.97 | 2.40 | 16.13 |
| 6 | Siegward OfCatarina | CA Buenos Aires | 6 | D ( C ) | 99.10 | 17.40 | 90.63 | 3.00 | 15.30 |
| 7 | Spack Jarrow | Hollywood FC | 11 | D (RLC) | 99.00 | 18.50 | 92.50 | 2.07 | 13.50 |
| 8 | Dorian Lexington | Montréal United | 5 | D ( C ) | 98.90 | 14.00 | 93.96 | 2.80 | 11.00 |
| 9 | Eirlys Snooks | AS Paris | 10 | D (LC), WB (L) | 98.90 | 17.64 | 92.86 | 2.00 | 12.07 |
| 10 | Claudio Scarpetta | Red Star Laos | 11 | D (LC), DM | 98.90 | 19.29 | 90.60 | 2.29 | 15.43 |
There were no new entries into the Aerial Top 10.
Wide Creator Role
| Rank | Name | Club | Season | Position | Score | Successful Crosses p90 | Cross % | Chances Created p90 | Open Play Key Passes p90 | Assists p90 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Angry Lizard | AS Paris | 23 | D (L), WB (RL) | 96.50 | 3.68 | 36.82 | 2.45 | 3.64 | 0.77 |
| 2 | Silver Tarandus | AS Paris | 22 | M/AM (L), ST ( C ) | 96.30 | 3.68 | 35.53 | 2.14 | 3.50 | 0.86 |
| 3 | Dwayne Pruney | North Shore United | 24 | D (RL), WB (L) | 96.10 | 4.80 | 35.56 | 1.90 | 3.10 | 0.50 |
| 4 | Angry Lizard | AS Paris | 22 | D (L), WB (RL) | 96.00 | 4.05 | 33.97 | 1.73 | 3.05 | 0.77 |
| 5 | Dave Oliver | Krung Thep FC | 23 | WB/M/AM ( R ) | 95.80 | 4.32 | 39.09 | 1.77 | 3.23 | 0.36 |
| 6 | Eden Empire IV | AS Paris | 24 | M/AM (L), ST ( C ) | 95.80 | 4.40 | 40.37 | 1.20 | 2.20 | 0.60 |
| 7 | Zizou Lopta | North Shore United | 17 | M (RL), AM (L) | 95.60 | 3.86 | 33.75 | 3.14 | 4.36 | 0.50 |
| 8 | Silver Tarandus | AS Paris | 23 | AM (RC), ST ( C ) | 95.60 | 3.36 | 35.24 | 1.82 | 2.68 | 0.95 |
| 9 | Bob Berendsen | AS Paris | 26 | D (RL), WB/M ( R ), AM (RL) | 95.50 | 4.47 | 32.84 | 1.60 | 3.73 | 0.73 |
| 10 | Viktoria Snooks | North Shore United | 15 | D (RL), AM (L) | 95.30 | 3.29 | 35.38 | 1.79 | 2.71 | 0.57 |
Bob Berendsen was already all over these Minors rankings before season 26.
Apparently they weren't finished.
Berendsen's s26 campaign for AS Paris enters the Wide Creator rankings in ninth place with a 95.50 score, adding another historical season to a résumé that already includes elite Playmaker and Dribbler performances.
The foundation here is crossing volume. Berendsen produced 4.47 successful crosses per 90, which trails only Dwayne Pruney's 4.80 among the updated top ten. Since successful crosses account for 35% of the entire score, that's a very good place to start.
But Berendsen also backs that up with 1.60 chances created and an excellent 3.73 open-play key passes per 90. Only Zizou Lopta produces more open-play key passes among the top ten. Add 0.73 assists per 90 and the end product is there as well.
The biggest thing preventing Berendsen from climbing higher is crossing efficiency. Their 32.84% success rate is the lowest figure on the list. Cross percentage carries another 25% of the score, meaning 60% of this entire category comes from those two crossing metrics.
Berendsen essentially overwhelms that weakness with volume and creativity.
And this isn't even their only appearance from season 26….
Dribbler Role
| Rank | Name | Club | Season | Position | Score | Dribbles p90 | Chances Created p90 | Key Passes p90 | Progressive Passes p90 | Assists p90 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dina Skovgaard | Montréal United | 21 | D (RL), WB ( R ) | 99.20 | 4.17 | 2.11 | 5.89 | 7.83 | 0.72 |
| 2 | Angry Lizard | AS Paris | 22 | D (L), WB (RL) | 98.80 | 3.73 | 1.73 | 6.55 | 9.41 | 0.77 |
| 3 | Dina Skovgaard | Montréal United | 19 | D (RL), WB ( R ) | 98.50 | 4.21 | 2.00 | 6.29 | 7.14 | 0.50 |
| 4 | Angry Lizard | AS Paris | 23 | D (L), WB (RL) | 97.90 | 3.27 | 2.45 | 6.77 | 9.55 | 0.77 |
| 5 | Bob Berendsen | AS Paris | 25 | D/WB ( R ), AM (RL) | 97.90 | 3.60 | 1.80 | 4.60 | 7.47 | 0.67 |
| 6 | Zoey Jenkins | Seoul MFC | 22 | D/WB/M (L) | 97.70 | 3.76 | 1.65 | 4.00 | 7.06 | 0.82 |
| 7 | Ashito Aoi | AS Paris | 22 | D/WB ( R ), DM | 97.20 | 3.99 | 1.30 | 3.11 | 8.45 | 0.60 |
| 8 | Bob Berendsen | AS Paris | 26 | D (RL), WB/M ( R ), AM (RL) | 97.20 | 3.13 | 1.60 | 6.27 | 9.27 | 0.73 |
| 9 | George Shaheen | North Shore United | 18 | M ( R ), AM (RL) | 96.00 | 3.50 | 2.36 | 4.50 | 5.64 | 0.64 |
| 10 | Chris Warrick | AF Masques Sacrés | 23 | D (L), DM, ST ( C ) | 96.00 | 3.05 | 1.23 | 5.27 | 8.23 | 0.64 |
The same season that puts Bob Berendsen ninth in Wide Creator also lands eighth in the Dribbler rankings with a 97.20 score.
This time, though, the way they get there is almost completely different.
Berendsen's 3.13 dribbles per 90 is actually one of the lowest figures in the updated top ten. Considering dribbles account for 40% of the score, you would normally expect that to make a historical ranking extremely difficult.
Then you look at everything else.
Berendsen produced 6.27 key passes and 9.27 progressive passes per 90. Only Angry Lizard's s23 season has more progressive passes, while Berendsen's key-pass production is right alongside some of the very best seasons on the list. They also created 1.60 chances and produced 0.73 assists per 90.
So while the actual dribbling volume isn't historically dominant, what happens after Berendsen moves the ball forward absolutely is.
It also makes their double appearance particularly interesting. The same season produced enough crossing to become the ninth-best Wide Creator campaign in Minors history while also generating enough ball progression and creativity to rank eighth as a Dribbler.
That's exactly why looking at roles can be more interesting than looking at positions. Berendsen isn't just doing one job extremely well. The numbers suggest they were impacting attacks in several completely different ways.
Goalkeeper Role
| Rank | Name | Club | Season | Position | Score | Average Rating | Save % | xSave % | xG Prevented p90 | Clean Sheets p90 | Penalties Saved p90 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | João Cancelo | AS Paris | 25 | 94.90 | 7.37 | 84.51 | 87.39 | 0.54 | 0.47 | 0.13 | |
| 2 | Fiery Chicken | North Shore United | 24 | 89.90 | 7.41 | 80.00 | 86.24 | 0.35 | 0.50 | 0.10 | |
| 3 | James Asprey | Rapid Magyar SC | 24 | 89.70 | 7.52 | 81.16 | 84.45 | 0.52 | 0.45 | 0.09 | |
| 4 | Joseph Daniel Kakou | Inter London | 25 | 87.50 | 7.10 | 87.50 | 88.69 | 0.51 | 0.89 | 0.00 | |
| 5 | Benecio Aguilera III | AS Paris | 26 | 86.90 | 7.35 | 87.30 | 85.61 | 0.28 | 0.47 | 0.00 | |
| 6 | Calvin Ball | Rapid Magyar SC | 25 | 85.10 | 7.24 | 78.65 | 87.29 | 0.47 | 0.30 | 0.00 | |
| 7 | Rean Schwarzer | CS Rova Mpanjaka | 26 | 84.40 | 7.38 | 83.12 | 83.58 | 0.38 | 0.33 | 0.00 | |
| 8 | Scott Sterling | Reykjavik United | 9 | 84.00 | 7.29 | 88.46 | 87.73 | 0.00 | 0.64 | 0.00 | |
| 9 | Tony Yeboah | Inter London | 10 | 83.60 | 7.38 | 83.61 | 87.46 | 0.00 | 0.64 | 0.00 | |
| 10 | Otto von Bismarck | North Shore United | 16 | 82.80 | 7.49 | 77.92 | 82.42 | 0.26 | 0.50 | 0.07 |
Benecio Aguilera III
Season 26 makes a substantial impact on the Goalkeeper rankings, starting with Benecio Aguilera III's campaign for AS Paris entering fifth overall with an 86.90 score.
Aguilera's 87.30% save rate is immediately eye-catching. It's the second-highest figure in the updated top ten, trailing only Scott Sterling's 88.46%. That's especially valuable when Save Percentage accounts for 25% of the entire Goalkeeper score.
The rest of the profile is solid as well. Aguilera posted a 7.35 average rating, an 85.61% xSave rate, prevented 0.28 xG per 90, and recorded 0.47 clean sheets per 90.
There isn't one ridiculous outlier carrying the performance. Instead, Aguilera is competitive almost everywhere while being exceptional at actually keeping shots out of the goal.
Where the season loses ground against the very top is xG prevented. João Cancelo, James Asprey, Joseph Daniel Kakou, and several others prevented considerably more expected goals per 90. Aguilera also didn't record a penalty save, removing another opportunity to pick up points in the formula.
Still, fifth place historically is a huge result. And with AS Paris already owning the number one spot through João Cancelo's s25 campaign, Aguilera gives the club two of the five highest-rated goalkeeper seasons in Minors history.
Rean Schwarzer
Benecio Aguilera III isn't alone.
Rean Schwarzer's s26 season for CS Rova Mpanjaka also enters the Goalkeeper rankings, landing seventh with an 84.40 score.
Schwarzer takes a slightly different route to the list. Their 7.38 average rating is among the strongest in the group, while an 83.12% save rate and 0.38 xG prevented per 90 give them solid production in two of the formula's other heavily weighted categories.
The 0.38 xG prevented figure is particularly important. It trails the very best seasons on the list, but it's still better than Aguilera directly above them and gives Schwarzer a strong goal-prevention component beyond simply making saves.
Where Schwarzer gives up ground is xSave and clean sheets. An 83.58% xSave rate is toward the lower end of the historical top ten, while 0.33 clean sheets per 90 trails most of the players around them. Like Aguilera, there also isn't a penalty save available to provide that final little boost.
Even so, season 26 putting two different goalkeepers into the historical top seven is notable.
The Goalkeeper rankings were already heavily tilted toward recent seasons, and s26 only pushes that trend further. Five of the top seven performances now come from seasons 24 through 26.
Whatever is happening with modern Minors goalkeepers, they seem determined to take over this list.
Conclusion
Season 26 definitely left a mark in the Minors record book.
Seven new entries from six different players made their way into the historical top tens, with their scores spread across Scorer, Defender, Wide Creator, Dribbler, and Goalkeeper. More importantly, several didn't only just scrape into the bottom of the rankings.
Jay Cue Jr. came within 0.5 points of taking the number one Defender spot outright. Arsène N'Goussou produced the seventh-best Scorer season on record. Benecio Aguilera III jumped directly into the top five among goalkeepers. And Bob Berendsen managed to turn one season into two separate historical creative performances.
That last one may be my favorite part of the update (yes, I’m biased for my team).
These rankings were created because positions don't always tell us what a player actually did on the field. Berendsen's season is a perfect example. The same player can rank historically as both a Wide Creator and Dribbler because the underlying numbers show two different ways they were impacting attacks.
Then you have Jay Cue Jr. nearly reaching the top of an entirely different role through defensive efficiency, while two s26 goalkeepers continue what is becoming a pretty obvious trend of recent seasons dominating that category.
There were still some lists season 26 couldn't touch. Nobody broke into Playmaker, Passer, Presser, or Aerial (and realistically, I doubt anyone breaks into Aerial), and none of the existing number one performances were knocked off their spot.
But that's also what makes the new entries meaningful.
Every additional season makes these lists harder to crack. The historical pool gets larger, the established elite seasons remain, and a new player has to produce something exceptional enough to push somebody else out.
Season 26 managed to do that seven times.
