According to a FIFA statistic on player speed, Antonio Valencia of Manchester United is ranked as the fastest footballer in the world, with an average speed of 35.1 km/h. The Ecuadorian international tops the Top 10 established by FIFA, leading ahead of Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale, while Cristiano Ronaldo, Valencia’s teammate at Manchester United, secures the fourth position.
Interestingly, no African player appears in this ranking, and the list includes Lionel Messi in 6th place and Franck Ribery in 8th position. It’s worth noting that Dortmund’s Gabonese striker, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who once claimed to be as fast as Usain Bolt, is not featured in the top 10.
The complete ranking is as follows:
- Antonio Valencia: 35.1 km/h
- Gareth Bale: 34.7 km/h
- Aaron Lennon: 33.8 km/h
- Cristiano Ronaldo: 33.6 km/h
- Theo Walcott: 32.7 km/h
- Lionel Messi: 32.5 km/h
- Wayne Rooney: 31.2 km/h
- Franck Ribery: 30.7 km/h
- Arjen Robben: 30.4 km/h
- Alexis Sanchez: 30.1 km/h
