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Gone are the days when left-wingers were relentless cross-machines. Left-wingers of the modern era are a lot more versatile and capable of doing a lot more than whipping crosses into the box.
Most of the current top-drawers, left-wingers, pack an abundance of pace, are excellent with the ball at their feet, know how to beat defenders one-on-one, and are competent goalscorers. Today, we will take a look at five such creators and disruptors who entertained us beyond measure in 2022.
Below, we will rank the five best left-wingers of 2022:
#5 Rafael Leao (Portugal) — AC Milan
AC Milan’s Portuguese left winger was one of their standout performers in their victorious 2021-22 Serie A campaign. He scored 11 goals and provided 10 assists in 34 games. Seven goals and eight assists came in 19 games between January and May 2022. Leao also scored twice in four Italy Cup appearances and once in four Champions League outings.
The 2021-22 Serie A-winning left winger has been in admirable form in the 2022-23 season as well. In 20 appearances in all competitions, the 23-year-old has scored seven times and claimed nine assists.
Leao did not get to start any of the five games for Portugal before they were eliminated by Morocco in the quarter-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Despite playing only 83 minutes of football across five matches, he scored on two occasions.
#4 Cody Gakpo (Netherlands)— PSV Eindhoven
Newly-signed Liverpool left winger Cody Gakpo had a remarkable 2022. He first announced himself to the world with his performances for PSV Eindhoven. During the 2022 FIFA World Cup, he proved why people were right to hail him as one of the most exciting young players in Europe.
Gakpo, who can not only operate as a left winger but also down the middle, scored six times and provided two assists in 14 Eredivisie games in the second half of the 2021-22 season. He also scored twice in the Dutch Cup, including once in the 2-1 win over Ajax in the final. Prior to joining Liverpool, Gakpo scored 13 goals and claimed 17 assists in 24 games for PSV Eindhoven in the 2022-23 season, showcasing his ability to both score and create.
Coming to international football, he scored thrice in five matches for the Netherlands before Argentina knocked them out of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
#3 Neymar (Brazil) — Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Brazil superstar Neymar had a decent year in 2022. The left winger struggled to keep himself fit in the first half of the year but was quite effective whenever called upon. In 12 Ligue 1 matches in the second half of the 2021-22 Ligue 1 season, Neymar scored 10 goals and provided three assists. He appeared in the Champions League round-of-16 games against Real Madrid (3-2 aggregate defeat), setting up both of Mbappe’s goals over two legs.
This season, the 30-year-old left winger has fired on all cylinders in both Ligue 1 and the Champions League. He has scored 11 times and provided 10 assists in 15 league games. In Europe, he has bagged two goals and claimed three assists in five games.
Neymar could only play thrice for Brazil at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, missing two group-stage matches due to an ankle injury. He scored twice and provided an assist before Selecao were eliminated by Croatia in the quarter-finals.
#2 Sadio Mane (Senegal) — Liverpool/Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich left winger Sadio Mane tormented opponents with his pace and relentlessness in 2022. In the Champions League knockouts, then-Liverpool forward Mane scored thrice and provided an assist in seven games. The Merseysiders eventually lost the final 1-0 to Real Madrid.
In the 2021-22 Premier League season, he scored nine times and claimed two assists in 16 games in 2022. Here, too, the Reds came second, losing out to Manchester City. In the FA Cup semi-finals, Mane scored a brace to take his team to a 3-2 win over Manchester City. Liverpool beat Chelsea in the final on penalties. Mane also played in the EFL Cup final as Liverpool once again beat Chelsea in the shootout.
The 30-year-old left winger joined Bayern Munich in the summer of 2022, scored 11 goals, and provided four assists in 23 games in all competitions.
The Senegal international could not help his team in the 2022 FIFA World Cup but fired them to AFCON glory at the start of the year. He scored thrice and created two more goals in seven AFCON games. Senegal beat Egypt 4-2 on penalties in the final to be crowned the kings of Africa.
#1 Vinicius Junior (Brazil) — Real Madrid
Real Madrid left winger Vinicius Junior enjoyed a terrific year in 2022. The young Brazilian notably improved his end product under coach Carlo Ancelotti and played a crucial role as Los Blancos bagged the Champions League-La Liga-Spanish Supercup treble in the 2021-22 season.
In the second half of the 2021-22 season, Vinicius Junior netted twice and claimed three assists in seven Champions League knockout games. In La Liga, he scored seven times and provided eight assists in 16 matches. Vinicius Junior also scored once in two Spanish Supercup matches.
The pacy left winger has emerged as Los Blancos' top scorer in all competitions this season. In La Liga, he has recorded six goals and three assists in 15 games, while also netting four times and providing an assist in six Champions League matches.
The 22-year-old also showed sparks of brilliance at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, scoring once and claiming two assists before Brazil were knocked out in the quarter-finals.
