Sometimes, a player's ability to run fast may determine whether he wins or loses a loose ball. Speed may also give an advantage to a forward in the quest for a goal. In the 2022–23 UEFA Champions League, only nine players have attained speeds of 36 km/h (10 m/s) or more. Who are these sprinting footballers?
The fastest of them all is Alphonso Davies. This Canadian defender made nine appearances for Bayern Munich in the current UCL. The left back attained a top speed of 37.1km/h. Despite being a natural fullback, this North American had two goal involvements before the Bavarians were knocked out of the competition. He is followed by the duo of Mykhaylo Mudryk and Ousmane Dembélé. These wingers achieved 36.6 km/h for Barcelona and Shakhtar Donetsk, respectively.
Rafael Leao of AC Milan is next on the list. This Portuguese left-winger has attained his highest velocity of 36.5 km/h in the competition so far. His efforts have enabled him to break into opposition defenses to create assists in the competition. This has earned the 23-year-old forward one goal and five assists in the tournament so far. This is the joint highest as of the end of the first leg of the semi-finals. Twenty-year-old Gabriel Veron is next with 36.4km/h. This Brazilian right-winger did it for Portuguese top-flight club FC Porto.
Federico Valverde of Real Madrid is the fastest midfielder among the lot. The Uruguayan central midfielder currently has a peak speed of 36.3 km/h in the competition. This has enabled the 24-year-old star to outrun defenders in a bid to create chances, which have earned him three assists and two goals so far. Next on the list is Nuno Tavares, an Arsenal player who is on a one-season loan at Olympique Marseille. This Portuguese left-back is credited with a top speed of 36.2 km/h.
Karim Adeyemi of Borussia Dortmund and Moussa Diaby of Bayer Leverkusen are the two players that complete the list. Interestingly, they are both West African-born wingers playing with European passports. They are credited with top speeds of 36.1 km/h in the tournament.
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