Lucas Ribeiro Costa has earned international recognition after being rated higher than both Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
According to statistics specialists WhoScored.com, the Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder recorded an impressive average match rating of 7.52, placing him 18th overall among all players to feature at the tournament.
That ranking puts him comfortably ahead of two of the sport's global icons. Harry Kane, who represented Bayern Munich, was ranked 47th with a rating of 7.25.
The England captain had a strong campaign, scoring twice in a 4-2 win over Flamengo and registering both a goal and an assist in a 2-1 victory over Boca Juniors. Kane even saw a goal disallowed in Bayern's quarter-final defeat by Paris Saint-Germain. However, somewhat surprisingly, he failed to find the net in his side's 10-0 thrashing of Auckland City — a game he started before being subbed off after 61 minutes.
Mbappe, meanwhile, endured a disappointing campaign for Real Madrid. Despite scoring a superb volley against Borussia Dortmund, he was largely anonymous in his other appearances and finished the tournament with a lowly average rating of 6.45, placing him 314th in WhoScored's player rankings. He featured in three matches before Madrid were comprehensively beaten 4-0 by PSG in the semi-finals.
Chelsea won the Club World Cup on Sunday night, beating PSG 3-0 in the final. After that game, Opta updated their unofficial Club World Rankings, in which Chelsea were sixth, while Sundowns were 145th.
Ribeiro Costa's breakout tournament
Although Mamelodi Sundowns were eliminated in the group stage, they competed admirably and came close to reaching the knockout rounds. Their campaign included a thrilling 4-3 defeat by Borussia Dortmund — one of the standout matches of the tournament — in which Lucas Ribeiro Costa scored a stunning solo goal.
Across Sundowns' three matches, Ribeiro Costa played 232 minutes, scored once, and provided one assist. He created six key passes, completed 103 passes overall (including 81 short passes and seven accurate long balls), and attempted 13 dribbles — nine of which were successful. He also contributed defensively, making five tackles.
Operating primarily on the right side of midfield, Ribeiro Costa combined attacking flair with tireless work ethic. His tournament average of 7.52 was the highest of any player from an African club.
Ribeiro's impressive performances have seen him linked with a possible transfer away from Sundowns, with teams in Asia, Europe and South America said to be keen on the 26-year-old.
Goal of the Tournament nominee
Adding to his achievements, Ribeiro Costa's goal against Borussia Dortmund has been shortlisted for the FIFA Club World Cup Goal of the Tournament.
The midfielder began the move inside his own half, surged past multiple Dortmund players on a solo run, and calmly finished to give Sundowns an early lead in what turned out to be a seven-goal thriller.
FIFA has included Ribeiro Costa's strike on a ten-goal shortlist. The winner will be announced later this week.
