Spain leads the way in the Castrol Rankings

Gerard Pique heads the list of the top-ranked Spanish players that also includes regular internationals Fernando Torres, Carles Puyol and David Villa as well as Roberto Soldado who has been outstanding for Getafe in La Liga.

Pique sits fourth in the overall Castrol Rankings which is headed by French international Thierry Henry. Pique has achieved this by consistently impressing at the heart of the Barcelona defence. The centre-back helped the Catalans restrict their opponents to only 32 goals in 38 matches in La Liga this season while they were even more miserly in the Champions League, conceding just twice in the latter stages (quarter-finals onwards) of the 2008/09 Champions League.

Equally important to Barca’s run of success that brought the La Liga title, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League last season has been the form of Puyol – ranked ninth overall - playing alongside Pique in the club’s back-four.

One place below Pique in the overall Castrol Rankings is Fernando Torres, the Liverpool striker and the only one of the five Spaniards playing outside La Liga, while David Villa, Torres’ international strike partner, comes in at 13th after scoring 28 goals in 34 La Liga appearances for Valencia over the last year.

Meanwhile Soldado, who is placed 20th, scored the first hat-trick in La Liga in 2009/10, against Racing Santander in August. He has also netted 16 goals over the last 12 months for the Madrid club.

With the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ fast approaching, Brazilian fans will hope their bigger name players can make a greater impression on the Castrol Rankings. In particular, they will hope that Kaka’s move to Real Madrid can help the play-maker rediscover his best form in front of goal.

At first glance, Kaka’s total of 16 goals from 33 Serie A games for AC Milan looks extremely impressive, but seven of those goals were penalties and the player will be aiming to improve his strike-rate from open play following his switch to the Bernabeu Stadium. With penalties, there is a 80% chance to score while that chance is lower in open play. This is why spot kicks are less rewarded than other types of goals, which explains Kaka’s ranking.

There is also room for improvement in the form of Robinho (87th) who scored just three league goals for Manchester City from January until the end of September while Maicon (141st), the attacking full-back who is at the heart of so many Brazil forward moves yet has assisted just two Internazionale goals from February to the end of September.