Could Phil Foden become the best player in the world?

By Callum Castel-Nuovo

The multitalented 21-year-old showed further versatility this week against Andorra, probing Roy Keane to compare him to NFL star Tom Brady.

"I love my American Football and Foden has been like a top quarterback. He's been like Tom Brady. He's just picking people out. He's got runners and he's got wide-receivers. He's making it look so easy."

The deeper midfield role that Foden operated in came with a 95 percent pass completion rate during the 90 minutes. The Manchester City youngster controlled the style of play from midfield whilst spraying passes over Andorra’s low block from narrow angles and wide midfield positions.

This all-round midfield performance came just six days after Foden was named joint man of the match with Mo Salah in one of Europe’s biggest games of the year, Liverpool vs Manchester City.

Foden operated in his usual wider role and tormented James Milner down the left-hand side at Anfield. After creative play throughout the first half and manufacturing a big chance for Kevin De Bruyne, it was Foden who scored City’s first goal in the game with a low driven shot across Alisson.

After City went behind to Liverpool again, it was Foden that picked the ball up on the left and laid Kevin De Bruyne off on the edge of the box to score the equaliser.

A thrilling game that typically would have seen Mo Salah as man of the match with such an astonishing goal, but Phil Foden was just too good to be disregarded.

If Foden is too good to let Mo Salah run away with all the glory whilst he is still so young, is it too soon to say that he could become the best player in the world in the future?

Foden has shown just how versatile he can be and with comparisons to Paul Gascoine, Andres Iniesta and Zinedine Zidane - it’s impossible to ignore the talent that he is already displaying.

With players such as Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe emerging as players that are tipped to take over the throne of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as the best players in the world, Phil Foden is staking his claim to be a part of this conversation.

After Manchester City beat PSG in The Champions League semi-final last season, Rio Ferdinand claimed Phil Foden as ‘the best young player in the world.’ The former England international went on to say, “Haaland is yet to play at this level. In terms of this moment, Foden is the best on form.”

It is important to note that Haaland had scored 53 goals in 56 games for Borussia Dortmund at the point that Ferdinand made that statement, highlighting just how highly thought of Phil Foden is with the six time Premier League winner.

If multiple Premier League titles, domestic trophies, and a place in the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League Team of the Season doesn’t show just how promising Phil Foden is, a nomination for the 2021 Ballon d’Or should do it.

As well as the highly rated youngsters Haaland and Mbappe, Foden is rubbing shoulders with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Kevin De Bruyne, Robert Lewandowski, and Neymar after being nominated for the prestigious award.

From attacking the space as a wide forward for Manchester City with his dribbling, playmaking and off the ball movement to his creativity in central areas as a number eight for England - Foden's unique trait of being a key playmaker or the player who finishes an attack off is a particular skillset that can change the dynamic of games he participates in on any stage.

It is clear that Foden is already in discussion with the biggest names in football as it stands, but with such potential and continued versatility at such a young age it is not out of the question that Phil Foden could become the best football player in the world in years to come.