Right now HLTV is doing its annual list of the best players of the past year in CS:GO. The website has done this since 2013, and here we bring you the list of all the players, who have been ranked among the top 20.
We start with 2022, where HLTV has currently reached the top 8 of the year. The number in () marks the number of appearances. At the bottom of the article, you can see which countries have the most players on the lists.
Top 20 – 2022
1. 
Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev (7)
2. 
Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut (4)
3. 
Dmitry “sh1ro” Sokolov (2)
4. Sergey “Ax1Le” Rykhtorov (2)
5. 
Nikola “NiKo” Kovač (7)
6. 
Helvijs “broky” Saukants (2)
7. Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov
8. 
Robin “ropz” Kool (5)
9. 
Kaike “KSCERATO” Cerato (3)
10. 
Martin “stavn” Lund (3)
11. 
Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken (4)
12. Benjamin “blameF” Bremer (3)
13. 
Håvard “rain” Nygaard (3)
14. Nemanja “huNter-” Kovač (3)
15. Mareks “YEKINDAR” Gaļinskis (2)
16. Valerii “b1t” Vakhovskyi (2)
17. 
David “frozen” Čerňanský
18. 
Lotan “Spinx” Giladi
19. Yuri “yuurih” Santos (2)
20. Dzhami “Jame” Ali (2)
Top 20 – 2021:
1. Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev (6)
2. Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut (3)
3. Nikola “NiKo” Kovač (6)
4. Dmitriy “sh1ro” Sokolov
5. Sergey “Ax1Le” Rykhtorov
6. 
Abai “HObbit” Hasenov (2)
7. Denis “electroNic” Sharipov (4)
8. Mareks “YEKINDAR” Gaļinskis
9. Valerii “b1t” Vakhovskyi
10. Dzhami “Jame” Ali
11. Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz (8)
12. Nemanja “huNter-” Kovač (2)
13. Benjamin “blameF” Bremer (2)
14. 
Keith “NAF” Markovic (3)
15. Kaike “KSCERATO” Cerato (2)
16. Martin “stavn” Lund (2)
17. Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken (3)
18. Robin “ropz” Kool (4)
19. Jonathan “EliGE” Jablonowski (5)
20. Helvijs “broky” Saukants
ZywOo did not have to climb the list. He went straight in as number 1 two years in a row after his debut in Tier-1.
Top 20 – 2020:
1. Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut (2)
2. Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev (5)
3. Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz (7)
4. Nikola “NiKo” Kovač (5)
5. Denis “electronic” Sharipov (3)
6. Benjamin “blameF” Bremer
7. Robin “ropz” Kool (3)
8. Jonathan “EliGE” Jablonowski (4)
9. Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen (7)
10. 
Florian “syrsoN” Rische
11. Emil “Magisk” Reif (4)
12. Martin “stavn” Lund
13. Nemanja “huNter-” Kovač
14. Yuri “yuurih” Santos
15. 
Ludvig “Brollan” Brolin (2)
16. Henrique “HEN1” Teles
17. Freddy “KRIMZ” Johansson (5)
18. Kaike “KSCERATO” Cerato
19. 
Justin “jks” Savage (2)
20. Vincent “Brehze” Cayonte (2)
Top 20 – 2019:
1. Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut
2. Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev (4)
3. Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz (6)
4. Jonathan “EliGE” Jablonowski (3)
5. Emil “Magisk” Reif (3)
6. Denis “electronic” Sharipov (2)
7. Keith “NAF” Markovic (2)
8. Vincent “Brehze” Cayonte
9. Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken (2)
10. Robin “ropz” Kool (2)
11. Nikola “NiKo” Kovač (4)
12. 
Özgür “woxic” Eker
13. 
Jere “sergej” Salo
14. Andreas “Xyp9x” Højsleth (4)
15. Justin “jks” Savage
16. Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen (6)
17. Freddy “KRIMZ” Johansson (4)
18. 
Tsvetelin “CeRq” Dimitrov
19. Ludvig “Brollan” Brolin
20. Ethan “Ethan” Arnold
s1mple was named the best in the world for the first time in 2018. Can he do it again in 2022?
Top 20 – 2018:
1. Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev (3)
2. Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz (5)
3. Nikola “NiKo” Kovač (3)
4. Denis “electronic” Sharipov
5. Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen (5)
6. Keith “NAF” Markovic
7. Emil “Magisk” Reif (2)
8. Lukas “gla1ve” Rossander
9. Freddy “KRIMZ” Johansson (3)
10. Marcelo “coldzera” David (3)
11. Ladislav “GuardiaN” Kovács (6)
12. Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken
13. Andreas “Xyp9x” Højsleth (3)
14. 
Tomáš “oskar” Šťastný (2)
15. Jonathan “EliGE” Jablonowski (2)
16. Miikka “suNny” Kemppi
17. Timothy “autimatic” Ta
18. Håvard “rain” Nygaard (2)
19. Robin “ropz” Kool
20. Valdemar “valde” Bjørn Vangså
coldzera spearheaded the Brazilian revolution in CS:GO by winning two Majors back to back.
Top 20 – 2017:
1. Marcelo “coldzera” David (2)
2. Nikola “NiKo” Kovač (2)
3. Fernando “fer” Alvarenga (2)
4. Håvard “rain” Nygaard
5. Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz (4)
6. Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo (2)
7. Kenny “kennyS” Schrub (5)
8. Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev (2)
9. Ladislav “GuardiaN” Kovács (5)
10. Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen (4)
11. Abai “HObbit” Hasenov
12. Jonathan “EliGE” Jablonowski
13. Andreas “Xyp9x” Højsleth (2)
14. Kristian “k0nfig” Wienecke
15. Markus “Kjaerbye” Kjærbye (2)
16. Tomáš “oskar” Šťastný
17. Däuren “AdreN” Qystaubaev
18. Ricardo “boltz” Prass
19. Olof “olofmeister” Kajbjer (4)
20. 
Janusz “Snax” Pogorzelski (4)
Top 20 – 2016:
1. Marcelo “coldzera” David
2. Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo
3. Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz (3)
4. Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev
5. Janusz “Snax” Pogorzelski (3)
6. Richard “shox” Papillon (4)
7. Patrik “f0rest” Lindberg (4)
8. Olof “olofmeister” Kajbjer (3)
9. 
Adil “ScreaM” Benrlitom
10. Robin “flusha” Rönnquist (4)
11. Nikola “NiKo” Kovač
12. Egor “flamie” Vasilyev (2)
13. Kenny “kennyS” Schrub (4)
14. Emil “Magisk” Reif
15. Fernando “fer” Alvarenga
16. Markus “Kjaerbye” Kjærbye
17. Ladislav “GuardiaN” Kovács (4)
18. Christopher “GeT_RiGhT” Alesund (4)
19. Lincoln “fnx” Lau
20. Dennis “dennis” Edman
Top 20 – 2015:
1. Olof “olofmeister” Kajbjer (2)
2. Ladislav “GuardiaN” Kovács (3)
3. Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz (2)
4. Janusz “Snax” Pogorzelski (2)
5. Robin “flusha” Rönnquist (3)
6. Kenny “kennyS” Schrub (3)
7. Freddy “KRIMZ” Johansson (2)
8. Vincent “Happy” Schopenhauer (2)
9. Nathan “NBK-” Schmitt (3)
10. Jesper “JW” Wecksell (3)
11. Christopher “GeT_RiGhT” Alesund (3)
12. Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen (3)
13. Richard “shox” Papillon (3)
14. Egor “flamie” Vasilyev
15. René “cajunb” Borg
16. Patrik “f0rest” Lindberg (3)
17. Filip “NEO” Kubski
18. Dan “apEX” Madesclaire (2)
19. Aleksi “allu” Jalli
20. Tyler “Skadoodle” Latham
GeT-RiGhT dominated the early days of CS:GO.
Top 20 – 2014:
1. Christopher “GeT_RiGhT” Alesund (2)
2. Robin “flusha” Rönnquist (2)
3. Jarosław “pashaBiceps” Jarząbkowski (2)
4. Janusz “Snax” Pogorzelski
5. Jesper “JW” Wecksell (2)
6. Kenny “kennyS” Schrub (2)
7. Patrik “f0rest” Lindberg (2)
8. Richard “shox” Papillon (2)
9. Freddy “KRIMZ” Johansson
10. Vincent “Happy” Cervoni
11. Ladislav “GuardiaN” Kovács (2)
12. Olof “olofmeister” Kajbjer
13. Paweł “byali” Bieliński
14. Adam “friberg” Friberg (2)
15. Dan “apEX” Madesclaire
16. Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen (2)
17. Nathan “NBK” Schmitt (2)
18. Braxton “swag” Pierce
19. Fabien “kioShiMa” Fiey
20. Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz
Top 20 – 2013:
1. Christopher “GeT_RiGhT” Alesund
2. Patrik “f0rest” Lindberg
3. Richard “shox” Papillon
4. Mikhail “Dosia” Stolyarov
5. Nathan “NBK” Schmitt
6. Richard “Xizt” Landström
7. Adil “ScreaM” Benrlitom
8. Jesper “JW” Wecksell
9. Spencer “Hiko” Martin
10. Ladislav “GuardiaN” Kovács
11. Adam “friberg” Friberg
12. Kenny “kennyS” Schrub
13. Robin “flusha” Rönnquist
14. Nicolaj “Nico” Jensen
15. Yehor “markeloff” Markelov
16. Ioann “Edward” Sukhariev
17. Edouard “SmithZz” Dubourdeaux
18. Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen
19. Jarosław “pashaBiceps” Jarząbkowski
20. Andreas “Xyp9x” Højsleth
Despite never reaching the top 1 on HLTV’s player of the year, Denmark and in particular device have set their mark on the world of CS:GO.
Countries with the most appearances:
1. Denmark – 36
2. Sweden – 30
3. France – 21
4. Brazil – 15
5. USA – 12
6. Russia – 11
7. Ukraine – 10
8. Bosnia and Herzegovina – 9
9. Poland – 8
10. Slovakia and Canada – 7
