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We're now stepping into the second half of the 2022-23 season. The 2022 FIFA World Cup was nothing short of a spectacle but it's now well and truly behind us. Fixtures are coming thick and fast in domestic football and these are testing times for players.
Teams will now look to their best players to stand up and deliver as almost every fixture from now on can be counted as a crunch encounter. When it comes to teams that are in the title race or have already made it deep into cup competitions, this is all the more true.
Some players have had some trouble settling back in after the World Cup break while others have been absolutely flying. Without further ado, let's take a look at five of the most in-form players in the world right now.
#5 Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
After having a relatively quiet start to life in the 2022-23 season by his own lofty standards, Karim Benzema seems to have sprung into life in recent weeks. Benzema won the Ballon d'Or in 2022 and was inarguably the best player of the 2021-22 season.
The Frenchman was unfortunate to miss out on the World Cup due to injury but he has returned to action with a vengeance. Benzema has made four appearances since club football resumed following the World Cup break. He has scored five goals in the last four games.
Benzema hasn't failed to score in a single game since the World Cup ended and is going about proving to the world that there is still plenty of fuel left in his tank.
#4 Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain)
Lionel Messi won the Golden Ball at the 2022 FIFA World Cup after firing Argentina to glory on football's biggest stage. Messi scored seven goals and provided three assists in seven games in the tournament. He has simply been on a level of his own this season.
Since returning to Paris, Messi has only been involved in two matches so far. He scored a goal in his first game back and continues to show no signs of slowing down despite being 35. Once the fatigue from the World Cup and the subsequent festivities wears off, Messi will be even more dangerous.
#3 Paulo Dybala (AS Roma)
Paulo Dybala's involvement at the 2022 FIFA World Cup was limited to just two appearances off the bench. That came in the final against France but it is not a fair reflection of Dybala's abilities.
Unfortunately, he shares a very similar profile to Messi and we all know just how good the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner was at the World Cup. Following the World Cup break, Dybala has returned to action for AS Roma. He has been in pretty good form of late for the Giallorossi.
Dybala has scored three goals in his last two appearances. He scored both of Roma's goals in their 2-0 win over Fiorentina in their latest outing and produced an absolute masterclass of a performance in that game. On current form, Dybala is undoubtedly one of the best players in the world.
#2 Martin Odegaard (Arsenal)
We're halfway through the Premier League season and Arsenal are at the top of the table with an eight-point lead over second-placed Manchester City. Several of their players are in top form and the Gunners look like an indomitable unit right now.
Chief among their in-form players is captain Martin Odegaard, who many are starting to view as the second coming of Mesut Ozil. The Norwegian midfielder has been in tremendous form of late and has been the main difference-maker for Mikel Arteta's men since the World Cup break.
In four Premier League appearances since the World Cup ended, Odegaard has scored two goals and provided three assists. This included two man-of-the-match performances against West Ham United and Brighton & Hove Albion and a brilliant display in a 2-0 win over arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
#1 Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
Marcus Rashford is simply in the form of his life right now. There seems to be no stopping the Manchester United forward. The Englishman has struggled for form and fitness in recent seasons and has felt the effects of pushing himself to play through pain in recent campaigns.
But current Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag seems to be extracting the best out of the Englishman. There is confidence in his stride and belief in his finishing and Rashford has risen to the occasion in awe-inspiring fashion in recent weeks.
He has now scored in nine successive home games for Manchester United. The 25-year-old has also scored in seven consecutive games since the World Cup and has eight goals to his name in his last seven appearances in all competitions.
