Man United star midfielder Cristiano Ronaldo (pictured in center) remains firmly on top of our FTBL rating of best world midfielders with an overall rating of 230.95 points. The Portugal international is unlikely to lose the leadership in the coming matches with United set to meet Middlesbrough, who are, to say the least, short of big names. Ronaldo stands to lose just 6.48 rating points in the game in case of an uninspiring performance. But the following two games could see his grip on the top spot loosen.

Man United travel to Emirates stadium on May 5 for the second leg of the Champions League semi-final, before the derby with Manchester City on May 10. The next two matches, against Wigan on May 13 and Arsenal, again, on May 16, will be hard to win on talent alone.

Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard (184.52 points), Ronaldo’s closest rival in the ratings, will find it rather hard to compete with the Portuguese given the amount of rating points he stands to lose when we multiply his rating earnings in the matches preceding his last five by a coefficient of 0.1 (-26.34/-21.22/-38.05).

Argentine genius Lionel Messi, who currently has 170.46 points, does not stand to lose much in the coming two matches in La Liga (-9.45/-6.48) and is the only player with a chance of threatening Ronaldo’s hegemony. Bu to do so, Messi, just like teammate Xavi (166.18 points), will have to produce good performances in succession against Real Madrid, Chelsea, and Villarreal.

Chelsea’s Frank Lampard will also have to show some bone as the discarded sixth game in our rating will cost him 23.64 rating points. Chelsea will then have to play Fulham, one of the most defense-oriented teams in the English Premier League, before the return leg of the Champions League semi-final against Barcelona, followed by the derby with Arsenal.