Rank 05 · 2026 race
Lionel Messi
Club data outside current coverage · Argentina · Forward
Real-data provisional ranking
Every displayed component is computed from current API-Football fixture, event, player-stat, standings, and pre-match Elo evidence. The ranking remains provisional—not illustrative—until the locked 2024–2025 historical holdout gate is complete.
#5 in the index
No change since the previous snapshot
Explanation
Lionel Messi ranks #5 on 77.5. Match-swinging contribution is the strongest relative component; Team performance & achievements is the clearest constraint. This temporary deterministic explanation will be replaced by the build-time AI Gateway pass.
Why the rank moved
This is the first real-data snapshot, so no ranking movement is claimed.
Jury context
Football case vs. vote environment.
This research layer estimates visibility and recognition around the journalist ballot. It never changes the player’s 100-point football merit score.
Context
0.0 / 10
Vote forecast
Held
context incomplete
Club visibility
0.0 / 2Club visibility is unavailable and no vote forecast is published; NinetyIQ does not impute popularity.
League visibility
0.0 / 1.5League visibility is unavailable and no vote forecast is published; NinetyIQ does not impute popularity.
Recognition & aura
0.0 / 2.5Recognition & aura is unavailable and no vote forecast is published; NinetyIQ does not impute popularity.
Media momentum
0.0 / 4Media momentum is unavailable and no vote forecast is published; NinetyIQ does not impute popularity.
Preview formula: 92% merit score + 8% jury context. The 8% is a configurable research hypothesis and must survive the historical holdout before NinetyIQ treats this as a validated forecast.
Score waterfall
Base → nine components → 77.5
Each bar adds its published contribution. The final bar must equal the exact sum of the components or the build fails.
Full decomposition
Every point, in one sentence.
Role output
Role output is the 92th role-cohort percentile from 4 disclosed metric families (100% weight coverage).
How this was calculated
weighted mean of position-specific metric percentiles; ratios use empirical-Bayes shrinkage
Source: API-Football embedded player-fixture statistics
Evidence: 8 observations · 100% coverage
non-penalty goals per 90
0.973
non-penalty goals
8
assists per 90
0.486
assists
4
• API-Football opaque player ratings are excluded.
• Rates and totals are compared only within the same position.
15.9 / 18
Creation & progression
Creation & progression is the 98th role-cohort percentile from 4 disclosed metric families (100% weight coverage).
How this was calculated
weighted mean of position-specific metric percentiles; ratios use empirical-Bayes shrinkage
Source: API-Football embedded player-fixture statistics
Evidence: 8 observations · 100% coverage
key passes per 90
3.162
successful dribbles per 90
3.284
assists per 90
0.486
accurate passes per 90
16.595
• API-Football opaque player ratings are excluded.
• Rates and totals are compared only within the same position.
11.3 / 12
All-round role contribution
All-round role contribution is the 86th role-cohort percentile from 4 disclosed metric families (100% weight coverage).
How this was calculated
weighted mean of position-specific metric percentiles; ratios use empirical-Bayes shrinkage
Source: API-Football embedded player-fixture statistics
Evidence: 8 observations · 100% coverage
duels won per 90
7.297
duel success
0.551
successful dribbles per 90
3.284
fouls drawn per 90
2.432
• API-Football opaque player ratings are excluded.
• Rates and totals are compared only within the same position.
8.2 / 10
Efficiency & execution
Efficiency & execution is the 94th role-cohort percentile from 4 disclosed metric families (100% weight coverage).
How this was calculated
weighted mean of position-specific metric percentiles; ratios use empirical-Bayes shrinkage
Source: API-Football embedded player-fixture statistics
Evidence: 8 observations · 100% coverage
non-penalty conversion
0.236
shot accuracy
0.593
dribble success
0.632
pass completion
0.343
• API-Football opaque player ratings are excluded.
• Rates and totals are compared only within the same position.
7.2 / 8
Availability & consistency
Availability combines 740 minutes (91% of team opportunity), 8 appearances, and 100% above-median performances.
How this was calculated
60% minutes share + 15% appearance share + 10% start share + 15% share of 30+ minute matches at or above the role median
Source: API-Football fixture participation and team schedules
Evidence: 8 observations · 100% coverage
minutes
740 minutes
minutes share
0.914
appearance share
1
consistency share
1
• Opportunity is the full schedule of every team-competition represented.
6.5 / 7
Strong-opposition performance
Against opponents at or above the 60th pre-match Elo percentile: 5 appearances, 510 minutes, and 68th role-impact percentile.
How this was calculated
80% minutes-weighted role impact + 20% capped 900-minute volume
Source: API-Football player-fixture statistics plus NinetyIQ leak-free pre-match Elo
Evidence: 5 observations · 100% coverage
strong-opposition matches
5
minutes
510 minutes
mean role impact
0.68
• Opponent strength is frozen before kickoff.
• API-Football opaque player ratings are excluded.
5.6 / 8
Knockout & final impact
Knockout credit uses 5 appearances and 540 minutes, weighted from round of 32 through the final.
How this was calculated
75% stage-and-minutes-weighted role impact + 25% capped 540-minute volume
Source: API-Football player-fixture statistics plus NinetyIQ leak-free pre-match Elo
Evidence: 5 observations · 100% coverage
knockout matches
5
minutes
540 minutes
mean role impact
0.669
• Opponent strength is frozen before kickoff.
• API-Football opaque player ratings are excluded.
7.5 / 10
Match-swinging contribution
Match-state events produce 8.51 leverage units from 14 goals/assists/penalty events; role-specific close-match actions add a 98th-percentile signal.
How this was calculated
65% score-state goal/assist leverage (60% volume, 40% rate) + 35% position-specific close-match action rate
Source: API-Football event timelines and player-fixture statistics
Evidence: 14 observations · 100% coverage
event leverage
8.509
score-changing event actions
14
close-match action percentile
0.977
• Equalizers and go-ahead goals receive more credit than score extensions.
• API-Football lacks timestamped defensive actions; their close-match rate is a disclosed proxy.
6.6 / 7
Team performance & achievements
Team credit: FIFA World Cup runner up (0.87 credit). Diminishing-return evidence is 0.87 against the disclosed 2.00 ceiling.
How this was calculated
finish × prestige × route × participation × importance; credits then receive 1.0/0.6/0.3/0.1 diminishing weights
Source: API-Football standings, tournament results, player minutes, role impact, and pre-match Elo
Evidence: 1 observations · 100% coverage
FIFA World Cup
0.874
• Evidence is normalized to a 2.00 ceiling.
• Team success is not awarded equally to every squad member.
8.7 / 20