There are players who remain in the background and contribute significantly to their teams’ performances. Victory has been dependent on these players, who are the very indicators and indeed among those whose presence is felt during every game while still being unseen in highlight reels. The list includes names like Silva, Ederson, Calhanoglu, Griezmann, and Valverde.
5. Bernardo Silva
To be honest, the player Bernardo Silva is not the one you could agree unless you see his whole 90 minutes game. Despite not being the most brilliant season for Man City, the Portuguese star has proven his worth by all his touches, runs, and passes. He is the player who connects all the various parts of the puzzle in Guardiola’s setup, linking play, pressing hard, and controlling the tempo that gives City’s strength.
Silva may not be the one who scores thirty goals every season or does viral tricks but his IQ and game sense always ensure that Man City is on top while the others easily lose their grip.. No one knows this better than Pep Guardiola and that is why he is so keen to retain Silva despite the ongoing rumors of his transfer to Barca. If Silva leaves, City will feel it more than they expect, because you simply can’t buy a player who understands the game at that level.
4. Ederson
Atalanta’s Ederson has edged his way into the list of the top midfielders in Europe, and it was a journey of silence. The player is naturally gifted, powerful, and clever. He was key to the club’s success in the UEFA Europa League triumph in the past. He is not a star who gets much eyes.
But, he controls the pace of the game with ease. Still, the football fraternity regards him as a player who is underrated especially when Man Utd has even shown interest in him among other clubs. Atalanta fans will without a doubt tell how much he meant to that midfield when he finally leaves the club.
3. Hakan Calhanoglu
Then there’s Hakan Calhanoglu at Inter Milan is one of the players who will mainly be known for his dead balls, but he has actually evolved much more than that. He used to be an offensive midfielder, now he is Inter’s deep-lying playmaker, passing to the front and controlling the speed with a coolness that not many have.
This is a difficult change, but Calhanoglu has done it with ease. He is the one operating behind every Inter win, even if others are taking all the eyes.
2. Antoine Griezmann
Antoine Griezmann is always overshadowed at Atletico Madrid.. What distinguishes him from the rest is his low profile and his talent not only.
He runs back, defends, applies pressure, and still comes up with brilliant ideas in the forward zone. Thierry Henry once called him the most underappreciated player ever but still, it is hard to argument against that.
1. Federico Valverde
Federico Valverde talking about when he came to Madrid. pic.twitter.com/W7srVR0BAE
— Frank Khalid OBE (@FrankKhalidUK) October 5, 2025
The role of Valverde is something difficult to define. There is no place where he will not stand for Real Madrid, central midfield, right wing or, better still, left wing. He is always on one of the best players on the field.
His stamina, high output, and football technique combined make him the ultimate player of today’s football.
Author’s Opinion:
Football has been a game where not only the stars who shine through scoring. But, also the characters performing the dirty work are appreciated all the time. Bernardo, Ederson, Calhanoglu, Griezmann, and Valverde are the examples showing that magnificence does not necessarily require limelight. They are the unnoticed game-changers allowing the biggest clubs in Europe to survive week after week.
