Great honour for HSV: two stars among the Bundesliga elite! | OneFootball

HSV’s successful Bundesliga comeback is also reflected in one of German football’s most prestigious individual rankings.

In the first published kicker rankings of summer 2026, several current or former HSV professionals received prominent placements. Particularly noteworthy is the classification of Daniel Heuer Fernandes. The HSV goalkeeper is ranked third among Bundesliga keepers by the specialist magazine and is therefore placed in the “International Class.” As recently as winter, the 33-year-old had only been ranked ninth, which put him in the National Class.

kicker justified the promotion with the goalkeeper’s consistently strong performances. Heuer Fernandes had already played a “very strong first half of the season” and even improved further in the second half. The magazine also pointed to the best average rating of all goalkeepers in the league (2.67). His reliability was also especially emphasized: according to the report, the HSV captain was “without any serious blunder” and was “an absolutely reliable presence and a major pillar on the road to survival” for the Rothosen.

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Two HSV defenders make the top ten

Luka Vuskovic is also part of the International Class. The Croat, who has since moved to Brighton & Hove Albion, improved by three places compared to winter, moving up from tenth to seventh among center-backs. For kicker, the 19-year-old was even one of the defining figures of HSV’s season. “If you want to personify HSV’s survival in the league, you quickly end up with Luka Vuskovic,” the editors concluded.

His tackling strength, composure on the ball, and goal threat were particularly highlighted. In fact, his goals against Bayern Munich, Wolfsburg, and Freiburg earned HSV a total of seven crucial points in the battle against relegation. Three more goals also made him the second-highest scorer among all Hanseatic players.

Nicolas Capaldo completes HSV’s strong showing. The Argentine made it into the “National Class” with a respectable tenth place in the center-back rankings. In doing so, kicker also recognized his successful debut season in the Bundesliga.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.