The best of the best in world football.
50. Barcelona & Spain left-back Jordi Alba
Originally a product of Barcelona’s famed La Masia youth system, Jordi Alba made his return to the Nou Camp in the summer of 2012 for around £12million, and has proved an excellent addition to this already vastly talented squad.
The 24-year-old had spent most of his career with Valencia, becoming a regular in 2009 after a successful loan stint at Gimnastic. He quickly established himself as a top performer in La Liga and earned his first call-up to the senior Spanish national team in 2011. He was often used as a winger at his old club, inter-changing with Jeremy Mathieu down the left-hand side, though his manager at the time, Unai Emery felt his potential was best used as a left-back.
It was at Euro 2012 that he truly announced himself on the big stage, starring as Spain won a third major tournament in a row, and even getting forward from left-back to score an excellent second goal in his country’s 4-0 thrashing of Italy in the final. His long off-the-ball run from one end of the pitch to another to race on to Xavi’s through-ball epitomised what his game is all about, and he finished off this fine move with all the composure of a top striker, slotting coolly past Gianluigi Buffon in Italy’s goal.
Alba’s excellent pace, technique and willingness to get forward make him the ideal Barcelona full-back, finally giving them attacking options from both flanks after years of relying mostly on Dani Alves on the other side to provide their width, as former left-back Eric Abidal was a more defensive-minded option in that position.
It was no surprise to see Alba find success at Barcelona, with an impressive four goals and five assists helping them to win back the title off fierce rivals Real Madrid, and he will surely only continue to get better as he matures and settles into Tito Vilanova’s side. He would also benefit greatly from some improvements in the defence overall, as Barca struggled in that department particularly against the bigger sides this season.
There are few better attacking full-backs in the game at the moment, and though defenders don’t always get the credit they deserve, Alba’s all-round abilities make him an important member of both of these current superb Barcelona and Spain teams, and he deserves his place among the best footballers in the world.
49. Galatasaray and Netherlands midfielder Wesley Sneijder
There are signs that Wesley Sneijder is getting back to his best, and on his day there are few better midfielders in the world than the Dutchman with his wonderful passing and vision and excellent long-range shooting technique.
He started his career as one of the brightest prospects coming out of the Ajax youth team, and became a regular in the team when he was just 18 years old. His creative ability from a variety of attacking midfield positions made him a highly influential player almost straight away, and with a highly impressive haul of 22 goals and 12 assists in his final season with the club in 2006/07, he was snapped up by Spanish giants Real Madrid for £23million.
Despite a decent first season at the Bernabeu with 9 goals and 9 assists, Sneijder was not a regular in the side in the following season, as he for no apparent reason fell out of favour at the club. It was their loss though, as Serie A giants Inter Milan obviously saw his great potential, signing him for just £12million.
The 29-year-old was undoubtedly at the top of his game during the 2009/10 season with Inter Milan, when his game really developed under then-manager Jose Mourinho. Sneijder was the heart of that team, scoring 8 goals and providing 16 assists as the Italians won the treble for the first time in their history. He was also in fine form for the Netherlands at the World Cup that summer, guiding them to the final of the competition in South Africa, where they were beaten 1-0 in a close contest with Spain, though there was no doubt he was one of the players of the tournament that year.
Sadly for him, Mourinho then left Inter to take the Real Madrid job, and there was speculation that the Portuguese coach would bring his star player with him and give him another chance to shine for Los Blancos. It wasn’t to be, and Sneijder’s form dipped along with the whole Inter side under new manager Rafael Benitez.
As Inter went downhill, Sneijder was strongly linked with a move to Manchester United, though it never materialised, which many neutrals will see as a great shame, as there’s no doubt the midfield maestro would have made an excellent replacement for Paul Scholes when at his peak.
Unhappy and somewhat forced out of the picture at the San Siro, Sneijder finally got a move away from the club this January, joining big-spending Turkish giants Galatasaray for just over £6million. There have been glimpses of his best performances since moving to Turkey, and this has seen him linked again with his old boss Mourinho, who is now at Chelsea.
It would certainly be great to see Sneijder playing in a top team again, and there’s no doubt he would add great quality to English football, even if he is not quite the player he was three years ago. His raw ability and achievements in the game still mean he is worthy of a place among the best footballers in the world at the moment.
48. Chelsea and England midfielder Frank Lampard
Despite his Chelsea career looking finished for the first half of this season, the veteran midfielder put in some fantastic performances to make himself first choice again and earn himself a new one-year contract, completing another excellent season for the club.
The England international first joined the club in 2001, and has confirmed his status as a Chelsea legend with a landmark 203 goals for the club. His late brace to turn around a 1-0 deficit to Aston Villa secured the record, and showed us that even at 34 years of age, he is still one of the best goal-scoring midfielders in the world.
Lampard finished the 2012/13 campaign with 17 goals in all competitions, making it ten seasons in a row in which he has reached double figures from midfield. He also weighed in with five assists, helping the Blues to a third-place finish in the Premier League and a win in the Europa League.
This Premier League great started his career as a youngster at West Ham, making his first appearance for the club way back in 1995 and was tipped by then-manager Harry Redknapp to make it to the top. He joined Chelsea for £11million six years later, but it was arguably not until the arrival of Jose Mourinho that he really reached his best form, becoming widely regarded as the best midfielder in the world in the 2004/05 season, when his 19 goals helped the Blues to their first league title in 50 years.
From then on, he never looked back, and continued to shine under continuing managerial changes at Stamford Bridge, equalising against Manchester United in the 2008 Champions League final, scoring a memorable winner against Everton in the FA Cup final the following year, and achieving his best individual season for goals in 2009/10, when he scored 27 times to help Carlo Ancelotti’s side to the double.
As Lampard found himself out of the team for much of this season, and seemed to be waiting in vain for a new contract from Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, speculation mounted that he could be set for a move to Monaco or LA Galaxy, but he has spoken of his delight at earning a new deal and working under Mourinho again as the Portuguese coach confirmed his return to the club this summer.
There’s no doubt he will continue to be a key player for Chelsea next season, and could certainly keep going for a few years more as Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes have managed to do at Manchester United. Regardless, Lampard is already one of the best players to ever play in this country and still deservedly among the best in the world today.
47. Bayern Munich and Netherlands winger Arjen Robben
There’s no doubt this lively winger can delight as well as frustrate in equal measure, but in terms of pure talent, Arjen Robben has been up there with the world’s best for many years now since making his breakthrough as a youngster at PSV Eindhoven.
His talent was obvious even as a teenager, as he earned a big move to PSV in 2002 when he was still only 18. His skill, pace and eye for goal quickly got him on the radar of several of Europe’s top clubs, with Manchester United particularly keen to sign him, though their small bid of just £6million was instantly rejected by the Eredivisie club. Chelsea came back with an offer of £12million, which was accepted, and this exciting young talent became the latest addition to the Roman Abramovich revolution at Stamford Bridge.
Robben proved an instant hit in the Premier League, scoring 9 goals and terrorising defences up and down the country as he helped the Blues win the Premier League title, their first in 50 years. He continued his fine form next season but soon fell out of favour due to growing inconsistency and injury problems, though this did not put off Real Madrid signing him for £24million.
The Dutchman never truly settled in Spain either, lasting just two seasons at the Bernabeu, before making a move to another European giant in Bayern Munich for £21million. It was in Germany that he has arguably found the best form of his career, and though he has had frustrating times in notable cup finals, missing chances both for Bayern in the Champions League finals against Inter Milan and Chelsea, and for the Netherlands in the World Cup final defeat to Spain, he redeemed himself this year with an excellent display to score the winner in Bayern’s win over Borussia Dortmund. He also set up the first goal for Mario Mandzukic and celebrated the best season of his career as Juup Heynckes’ side won the treble.
Robben’s pace and trickery make him unpredictable to play against – as well as to play with – and he is certainly a joy to watch when at his best. His 13 goals and seven assists for Bayern this season played a big part in their amazing success, and his overall collection of medals do not lie – Robben has won league titles in four different countries, as well as numerous cups, and now the Champions League.
Many argue that he is over-rated, but perhaps so much so that he has actually become rather under-rated, and all evidence suggests he is, and has for a long time been, one of the world’s best players.
46. Real Madrid and Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas
Real Madrid and Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas has achieved basically everything there is to achieve in football, breaking numerous records and winning all of the biggest trophies in his glittering 14-year career.
One of the most promising youngster coming through Real Madrid’s academy, Casillas established himself as first choice for La Liga’s biggest club in 1999 at the age of just 18. At the end of that season he became the youngest goalkeeper to play in a Champions League final, keeping a clean sheet as an added bonus as Real beat Valencia 3-0 to win the trophy.
It was a fine start to his career, and his rise continued, as he helped Real to victory in the Champions League final once again just two years later, putting in a man-of-the-match performance in a 2-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen. By then he was also first choice for the Spanish national team, and represented them at the 2002 World Cup.
After more trophies with Real Madrid, Casillas was made captain of the national side in 2008 after his team-mate Raul was left out of the squad. He then led his country to glory in that tournament as they beat Germany 1-0 in the final. He has been captain ever since and added further silverware with the World Cup in 2010 and the European Championships again in 2012, keeping clean sheets in all three finals.
He was also made Real Madrid captain in 2010 after Raul left the club, and now holds the club record for appearances for a goalkeeper. He added a further La Liga title to his collection in 2012 and is being talked about as one of the best goalkeepers of all time. He is the most capped player for the Spanish national team and has won numerous individual accolades, such as the IFFHS Best Goalkeeper Award, which he has won a record five times in a row.
There’s little more that can be said about Casillas, but he will certainly be remembered as a great of the game, and deservedly so. His form dipped slightly this season and he was harshly dropped to the bench by Jose Mourinho, but he undoubtedly remains one of the world’s best players.
45. Juventus and Chile midfielder Arturo Vidal
Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal is finally starting to gain some much-deserved recognition after a slow but steady rise to the top over the last few years.
The 26-year-old started his career in his native Chile with Colo-Colo, and made the move to Europe at the age of just 20 when he joined Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen in 2007. He was slow to settle in Germany, but after a fantastic fourth season with the club, his 13 goals from midfield attracted attention from big names such as Bayern Munich.
In the end though, he joined Italian giants Juventus for £9million, which looks like a bargain now that he is being linked with moves to the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester United and Manchester City for closer to £25million. This superb all-round midfield player seems to have it all, starting his career as more of a defensive player, and now playing a more attacking role for the Italian champions, scoring 15 goals and providing 10 assists for the club this year as he played a crucial part in their second Serie A title win in a row.
Vidal is a tough-tackling player, but also very gifted technically, and is known for his range of passing and accuracy in finding his team-mates. United see him as a good candidate for a long-term replacement for Paul Scholes, though he has said he is happy to stay at Juventus for now. That shouldn’t stop the big offers coming in for him though.
He has nearly 50 caps for Chile and is his country’s most expensive player of all time, and at 26 there is still plenty more to come from him, as he continues to grow into one of the best midfielders in the world. He is still somewhat under-rated, but continued success with Juventus, particularly if they can put in a better challenge for the Champions League, should elevate his status, as perhaps would a move to one of the aforementioned clubs.
In fairness, playing alongside the likes of Andrea Pirlo and Claudio Marchisio means you might not get noticed as much, but make no mistake – Vidal has been as essential to Juve’s recent success as they have.
44. Fiorentina and Montenegro forward Stevan Jovetic
It’s been another terrific season for young Fiorentina striker Stevan Jovetic, who has been the subject of much transfer speculation involving moves to Arsenal, Chelsea and Juventus this summer.
The 23-year-old has emerged as one of the best players in Serie A over the last couple of years, scoring 26 goals in the last two seasons in a creative forward role for La Viola. Known for his great technique and vision, he can also play in his team mates effectively, and this all-round ability appeals in particular to Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who has been chasing him for months.
The Montenegro international has been in Italy for five years since he joined for £8million as a promising teenager from Serbian outfit Partizan Belgrade, where he was later joined by his equally gifted team-mate Adem Ljajic, and could now be heading for the Premier League this summer as Fiorentina seem to be facing the fact that they won’t be able to keep him for much longer.
Arsenal were thought to be leading the chase for Jovetic with a deal worth around £15million, but interest from Juventus and Chelsea has seen his value rise to £25million. Jose Mourinho has identified him as a prime target upon returning to Stamford Bridge as manager, and that may now be his most likely destination as Fiorentina do not wish to sell their star player to an Italian rival.
There is no doubt that Jovetic would fit in well in the Premier League, whether it is at Arsenal or Chelsea, and his form in recent times suggest he has a great future in the game, and that he would be well worth his sizeable transfer fee.
Jovetic also has an impressive record of 10 goals in 26 appearances for Montenegro, and he could showcase his talents at next summer’s World Cup as his international team continue to progress well in their qualifying group.
43. Manchester City and Belgium centre-back Vincent Kompany
Manchester City’s Vincent Kompany has risen to be one of the best defenders in the world in the last few years, establishing himself as one of the few bargain buys of this new era of success at the Etihad Stadium.
The Belgian joined City from German side Hamburg in 2006 for just £6million, and is now a Premier League champion, club captain, and winner of the 2012 Premier League Player of the Season award, an accolade more often reserved for attacking players.
Kompany started his career at Anderlecht, making his breakthrough in the first-team in 2003/04 when he was just 17, and was regarded as one of the most exciting defensive prospects in Europe, being voted Belgian Young Player of the Year in 2004 and 2005. Injuries halted his career slightly, but his impressive displays in his second season at Hamburg in 2007/08 saw him back on the radar of several top clubs again, leading City to make a move with their new-found wealth. He initially was a little slow to adapt, partly due to being played in a variety of positions such as midfield and right-back, before finally establishing himself in his preferred position in central defence.
In the 2011/12 season Kompany was made club captain by manager Roberto Mancini, and he grew into the role quickly, leading the team to the Premier League title with his inspirational performances, even netting a crucial winning goal against rivals Manchester United along the way.
As well as his excellent on-pitch displays, Kompany is a popular figure in the game as a whole due to his professional and humble manner, always coming across well in interviews and showing a winning mentality that makes him an obvious choice for the captaincy of this star-studded team.
The 27-year-old is also the captain of the Belgian national side, and is one of many of this generation of talented Belgian players, many of whom are also playing in the Premier League. Although he is committed to Manchester City, his fine form has seen him linked strongly as a target for Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona, and there’s no doubt he would be an excellent addition to any team in the world with his defensive and leadership qualities.
Manchester City are lucky to have him, and in an era of questionable behaviour from over-paid celebrity-figure footballers, Kompany is a breath of fresh air, and worthy of his place among the best players in the world.
42. Bayern Munich and Spain midfielder Javi Martinez
At the age of just 24, midfielder Javi Martinez has already achieved a great deal in the game, continuing his impressive rise since signing for Athletic Bilbao when he was just 17 years old.
The Spain international made a name for himself at Bilbao as a defensive midfield playmaker, becoming one of many of this incredibly talented generation of midfielders coming through in Spanish football, showing the superb ability to control the flow and tempo of a game with his passing in the middle of the park.
Martinez was also used as a defender for Bilbao, but German giants Bayern Munich saw his potential as being best used in midfield when they signed him for £33million last summer – a record Bundesliga transfer fee. After achieving all he could realistically achieve with Bilabo, helping them to the Europa League final in 2012 where they were beaten by Atletico Madrid, he made the move to the Allianz Arena to become part of what would be the best team in the world in 2013.
Martinez played a crucial part in Bayern’s phenomenal treble success, formering an excellent midfield partnership with Bastian Schweinsteiger. The pair have become renowned not only for their passing and creativity, but also for their excellent work rate in pressing their opponents, which was highlighted particularly as they stifled Barcelona’s midfield of Xavi and Iniesta in the Champions League semi-finals, helping Juup Heynckes’ side to a thumping 7-0 aggregate victory over the Spanish champions.
His incredible achievements with Bayern should help him become more of an established member of the Spanish national team, for whom he has only made ten appearances due to an immense competition for places in this all-conquering national team. Still, his role as a squad player for Spain has also seen him taste success in the World Cup and European Championships to add to his trophy haul at club level.
Martinez’s skills should progress further with former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola taking over at Bayern next season, as he is perfectly suited to the style of play that his new manager adopted so successfully during his time at Barca. With his guidance and the new arrivals to come at Bayern, Martinez is sure to become one of the game’s greats and win plenty more silverware for both club and country.
He may still yet to be at the level of fame of Barcelona and Spain stalwarts Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets, but Martinez is certainly starting to catch the eye more and more, and deserves recognition as one of the best players in the world.
41. Arsenal and Spain midfielder Santi Cazorla
Arsenal completed one of the signings of the summer last year with the unexpected deal for Malaga star Santi Cazorla for a fee believed to be around £15million – an absolute steal for a player of his quality.
The Spaniard settled quickly in England, becoming one of the best players in the Premier League in his first season, with an impressive tally of 12 goals and 16 assists in all competitions.
Combining pace, skill and creativity, Cazorla seems to have a bit of everything, and has spent his career playing in a variety of attacking midfield roles for club and country. He first emerged as a top talent during his time at Villareal, earning a call-up to the senior Spanish squad in 2008. After 26 goals and 26 assists in four seasons with Villareal, he made a big-money move to Malaga, playing under his old boss Manuel Pellegrini. His reputation was enhanced further in his single season with the club, where he managed 9 goals and 5 assists to help the club to a Champions League place.
The surprising thing is that no other clubs came in for him when Arsenal made their offer last summer, as they signed this top talent relatively unchallenged. He has slotted in perfectly at the Emirates Stadium, looking ideal in their attacking and technical game, and scoring some memorable goals against West Ham and Tottenham, as well as the first hat-trick of his career in a 5-2 win at Reading.
If not for the amazing competition ahead of him in the Spanish national team, he would surely be a star on the international stage as well. Still, he has done well to reach 52 caps for Spain, scoring 8 goals, and could still force his way into Vicente Del Bosque’s plans with his performances for Arsenal, as he was statistically better than David Silva and Juan Mata in many areas this season. With his ability to influence a game with his passing, dribbling and shooting, there are few better at causing opposition defenders a variety of problems and creating chances for team-mates.
If Arsenal are to end their eight-year wait for silverware, one feels Cazorla is likely to be a key player in their quest, and it would be great for neutrals to see him play with even better players if the Gunners can sign them. At 28 years of age, it’s surprising that the Spaniard has never won anything at club level, and it would be a terrible shame if it continued that way for this top, top performer.
40. Tottenham and Belgium defender Jan Vertonghen
One of many of this talented generation of Belgian players is Jan Vertonghen. The 26-year-old was wanted by Arsenal last summer before he made a keenly-anticipated move to Tottenham from Ajax.
At Ajax, Vertonghen developed into one of the most highly-rated defenders in Europe, showing a typical Ajax quality in being comfortable in numerous areas all around the pitch, though he was mostly used in defence as a centre-back. His fine leadership qualities also made him the obvious choice for club captain.
Still, as well as his defensive and leadership qualities, he showed great ability as an attacking outlet for the team, scoring 18 goals in his last two seasons with the club, and he took this prolific form with him to White Hart Lane, scoring seven times form the back in his first season at the club, including memorable strikes in big games against Liverpool (twice) and Manchester United. His reputation has continued to rise as he was firmly one of the best performers in the Premier League in 2012/13.
Manchester City were close to signing him while he was at Ajax, and his form this season has attracted interest from Barcelona. Although he will be in no hurry to leave Spurs immediately, he will surely feel he is capable of playing at a higher level if Spurs continue to miss out on qualification for the Champions League. A talent like him should be playing on the biggest stage, and he will surely do so at some point.
Vertonghen’s all-round ability on the pitch has shown that ‘total football’ is alive and well in Holland, and he is a great example of a top class defender that has been somewhat lacking in recent years. Not since the likes of Paolo Maldini and Fabio Cannavaro have there been many great centre-backs worth raving about, but Vertonghen looks well on his way to becoming one of them.
Partnering another great defender Vincent Kompany for Belgium should also give their team a great chance at next summer’s World Cup, as there are few better pairings around at the moment – and that’s without even taking Thomas Vermaelen into account.
39. Roma and former Italy attacking midfielder Francesco Totti
Roma legend Francesco Totti has had a long and great career all for the same club. The Italian could no doubt have played for any team in the world at the height of his career (and arguably now) as he is widely regarded as one of the best players of his generation.
Now 36, he is still showing some top form, scoring 12 goals and providing 12 assists for Roma this season, putting him up there with the likes of Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi, Mesut Ozil and Juan Mata as one of Europe’s best creators. His performances have been an inspiration in an otherwise below-par Roma team that could only manage a 6th place finish in Serie A this year.
Making his debut way back in 1992, Totti became a regular in the team in the 1994/95 season, scoring seven goals. He became club captain at the age of just 21, highlighting his maturity and inspiration even in his earlier years.
Throughout his career he has chopped and changed between being used as an out-and-out striker, or as the team’s main playmaker in a deeper midfield role. His all-round talent for passing, shooting and dribbling has meant he has excelled wherever he’s played, and while he is probably best known as an attacking midfielder, he has managed to score 32 goals in a season when played upfront.
Although Totti has many more runners-up medals than he would like, he has also won some of the biggest trophies. He was a Serie A winner with Roma in 2000/01, proving an influential figure in their title win as he was voted Italian Player of the Year. He has also won the ultimate prize with the Italian national team, as he was part of their victorious squad in the 2006 World Cup in Germany, finishing the tournament with the highest number of assists. In total, he has 9 goals for Italy in 58 appearances, and retired from international football in 2006.
He is Roma’s all-time record appearance maker and goal-scorer, with 282 goals in 678 games for the club. He is also the second highest goal-scorer in the entire history of Serie A with 227 league goals.
Totti is certainly the best Roma player of all time, and one of the all-time great one-club men, a rarity in the modern game. It is perhaps sad that this legendary player could not win more silverware elsewhere, but that won’t stop him being remembered as a true great of the game, and there is still plenty more to come from him even in his advancing years. Even at 36, Totti is still a world class performer and up there with the best in the world.
38. Chelsea and Czech Republic goalkeeper Petr Cech
Petr Cech looked like a star in the making ever since first appearing as a youngster for Sparta Prague. At the age of just 19 he broke the record for longest time without conceding a goal in Czech league history, stretching his run to 855 minutes.
His fine form quickly attracted interest from the likes of Arsenal, though due to problems obtaining a work permit he instead joined French Ligue 1 side Rennes, and furthered his development there, though he only remained with them for two seasons before moving to Chelsea for £7million as one of the early major signings by Roman Abramovich.
Cech was the club’s most expensive goalkeeper of all time when he moved to Stamford Bridge, and was immediately made number one by manager Jose Mourinho, keeping out the more experienced and established Carlo Cudicini. His first season with the club was fantastic, as he formed part of a rock-solid Chelsea defence that only conceded 15 goals on the way to winning the Premier League title. During this run he also went a record 1025 minutes without conceding in the league, though this record has since been eclipsed by Manchester United’s Edwin van der Saar.
Cech was voted the world’s best goalkeeper in 2005, and maintained his excellent form as he won another league title with Chelsea. He has continued to be the club’s undisputed first choice for many years and is up there with Iker Casillas and Gianluigi Buffon as the best goalkeeper in the world.
His staying power is even more impressive considering the dangerous head injury he sustained in 2006 as a result of a horror challenge from Reading’s Stephen Hunt. Doctors said at the time that he was lucky to be alive and it looked like he might not play again, though he returned later that season and has worn a headguard in matches ever since.
The Czech Republic international is undoubtedly a Chelsea legend now, notching up 425 appearances for the club, keeping 142 clean sheets, and winning almost everything there is to win at club level. The 31-year-old is a three-time Premier League champion, and his heroics last season helped the team to an unlikely victory in the Champions League. He also has four FA Cups, two League Cups and the Europa League to his name, as well as 100 caps for the Czech Republic national team.
And there is still plenty more to come from Cech, as 31 is definitely young for a goalkeeper. He could still be around in ten years’ time, but even now he has already secured his place in the history books as one of the world’s best-ever goalkeepers.
37. Liverpool and England midfielder Steven Gerrard
Liverpool’s inspirational captain and midfielder Steven Gerrard is up there with the best midfielders the Premier League has ever seen, rightly earning his place alongside greats such as Patrick Vieira and Roy Keane for his sheer ability to take a game by the scruff of the neck and carry his team-mates to victory.
The 33-year-old is a one-club man, having spent his entire career at Anfield, and like Francesco Totti, one can only wonder what more he could have achieved if he’d taken the chance to move some point. He was made club captain at the age of just 23, becoming an instant key member of the team when he broke through as a youngster. At the height of his career, Gerrard was ranked as the best midfielder in the world and was wanted by the likes of Real Madrid, and in fact came very close to joining Chelsea.
Still, Gerrard has managed to win arguably the biggest trophy in football, after inspiring his team’s comeback from 3-0 down against AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League final. His goal made it 3-1 and got the Reds on their way to a memorable victory, forever ensuring his place in Liverpool folklore.
Throughout his career, Gerrard has been known for scoring both important and high-quality goals. The midfielder still has his trademark long-range strike in his locker, as he demonstrated this season with a goal-of-the-season contender away to Manchester City. He has scored 159 times for the club, finishing as their top scorer in 2005, 2006 and 2009, putting him up there with Frank Lampard as one of the best goal-scoring midfielders in the country.
Although it has been a difficult few years for Liverpool since they fell away from the top four, Gerrard would surely have been able to make more of a difference if not for some problems with injuries. After a better run of fitness in 2012/13, the Reds skipper found some of his best form again, showing himself to always be reliable even in this new-look Liverpool team. He finished the campaign with 9 goals and 10 assists in all competitions, demonstrating that he’s still got it even as he approaches the latter years of his career.
Gerrard also has over 100 caps for England, and has captained his country on many occasions, being made permanent skipper by Roy Hodgson last year. Although England have struggled for success in recent times, Gerrard has more than played his part in keeping the national team competitive, and will be hoping for one last shot at a major tournament with the World Cup next summer.
36. Everton and Belgium midfielder Marouane Fellaini
It’s been a fantastic season for Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini. The 25-year-old is one of many talented Belgians starring in the Premier League at the moment, and has relished his new attacking midfield role this year.
Previously used as a defensive midfielder, the former Standard Liege man was moved forward by manager David Moyes at the start of the season in what turned out to be a tactical masterstroke. Fellaini started the season with a superb individual match-winning display against Manchester United, scoring the winner with a header to beat the eventual champions 1-0. He terrorised their defence throughout, taking up positions that made him hard to mark, and simply out-muscling most of their players with his strength and height.
He carried on this way for much of the season, finishing with a personal best record of 12 goals and providing 5 assists for his team-mates as well, often using his height to good effect to win knock-downs against opposition centre-backs.
His fine form has seen him unsurprisingly linked with a move to a bigger club, with Moyes said to be keen on taking the Belgian with him to his new post at Manchester United. Arsenal and Chelsea are also showing a strong interest in him, and it seems increasingly likely that he will be playing for a bigger team before long. His minimum release fee clause, rumoured to be around £23million, looks a bargain for such an influential player.
Fellaini’s form at Everton has been excellent and he would surely only improve with better players around him. He is already up there with the best players in the world on current form and if he can get his big move he will cement his place among the world’s best.
35. Real Madrid and Germany attacking midfielder Mesut Ozil
The phenomenally gifted Mesut Ozil is a joy to watch, having established himself as one of the best attacking players in the world in recent years since his rise at Werder Bremen, the German national team and then his big move to Real Madrid.
Still only 24, he has 46 caps to his name since making his debut in 2009 at the age of 20, and it was at the 2010 World Cup that he really caught the eye of the world’s biggest clubs with some superb displays for Joachim Loew’s side as they reached the semi-finals of the tournament.
However, he had already made himself known to Bundesliga fans with his displays for Werder Bremen, as his introduction to the team helped them climb from mid-table to title challengers, finishing third in 2009/10 with Ozil contributing 9 goals and 17 assists for the team.
His form saw him linked with the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Barcelona, but in the end it was Real Madrid that captured him for what now looks a bargain at around £13million. Since wearing the famous white shirt at the Bernabeu, his reputation has only improved further, as he has shown himself worthy of playing alongside the best and biggest names in world football.
Ozil has become known for his excellent partnership with Real star Cristiano Ronaldo, being the main provider of the Portuguese star’s numerous goals, and he famously set up his team-mate with an excellent through-ball as Real won 2-1 against Barcelona at the Nou Camp last season to all but seal the La Liga title.
And although Real’s form has dropped this year, Ozil remains one of the best individual players in Spain, scoring 10 goals and providing 17 assists in all competitions, falling behind only to Barca’s Andres Iniesta in the league’s assist charts.
Ozil is perhaps not known for being a regular goal-scorer, but the goals he does score are usually of exceptional quality, particularly his memorable half-volley against Ghana in the 2010 World Cup, which was undoubtedly one of the goals of the tournament. In general, everything he does in his play is highly effective and influential on the rest of his team-mates, whether he’s playing centrally, wide left or wide right.
The Turkish-born German international is part of this exceptional generation of talented young players coming through in Germany, and the prospect of him linking up with the likes of Mario Goetze, Marco Reus, Andre Schurrle and others at next summer’s World Cup will make them one of the favourites for the tournament for sure. And despite the immense competition for an attacking midfield spot in Germany’s squad, Ozil’s place is surely guaranteed as he is regarded by many as being the best of the lot.
34. Bayern Munich and Germany full-back Philipp Lahm
Another fine player in this all-conquering Bayern Munich team is their long-serving right-back and captain Philipp Lahm. The 29-year-old has been one of the club’s key performers for many years now, since becoming a regular in 2005.
The German international is certainly one of, if not the best attacking full-back in the game, and has shown tremendous ability as either a right-back or left-back throughout his great career. Although obviously a very capable defender, he is best known for his skill and pace getting forward, and is very two-footed, scoring some cracking goals from a variety of angles for both Bayern and the national team.
This season he has flourished in Bayern’s treble-winning team, providing a remarkable 11 assists, the second highest in the Bundesliga, which is staggering from a defender in a league with so many talented attacking players. Although it is hard to point to individuals in such a well-oiled machine such as Bayern, Lahm’s forward runs have been a crucial part of their success, and he is an excellent captain for this breathtaking team.
Lahm will surely go down as an all-time great in the glorious history of the club, with five league titles, the Champions League trophy, and many more cups and numerous individual honours such as appearances in FIFA and UEFA teams of the season.
Although he has not yet won silverware for the German national team, he has excelled as one of their best players as well with his performances in the 2006 and 2010 World Cups, where Germany finished third both times, and as a runner-up in Euro 2008. He was also in the team of the tournament for the European Championships in 2008 and 2012. In all, he has 98 caps for the national side and five goals. He is also the captain of his country as well as his club.
Lahm is truly an enjoyable player to watch, and will go down as one of the finest full-backs of his generation. At the moment he is a vital part of a hugely successful team and that will surely only continue, confirming him as one of the best players in the world at the moment.
33. Lazio and Brazil midfielder Hernanes
Perhaps a slightly under-rated name in world football at the moment is Lazio and Brazil star Hernanes. The 28-year-old is starting to attract serious attention this summer after an impressive few years in Serie A.
The former Sao Paulo man is one of the best midfielders in Italy at the moment, showing himself to be a real all-rounder, playing box-to-box for the Rome club and becoming a crucial member of their team with his tackling, passing, and perhaps best of all – his shooting. He is known for his powerful long range shots with his right foot, and no player scored more goals from outside the box this season than Hernanes.
As well as 11 goals, he provided 7 assists for his team-mates, helping the club finish 7th. He is certainly the star player of this current Lazio side and would understandably be tempted to think he could be playing for someone better. His fine form has attracted strong interest from big-spending French duo PSG and Monaco, as well Manchester City this summer, where he could team up with fellow Brazilian Fernandinho in midfield. Chelsea and Manchester United have also been linked with him in the past, and he could be worth around £20million now, a good price for a player of such ability.
A move to a bigger team would surely get him the recognition he deserves as a world class midfielder, and help him add to his ten caps and one goal for the Brazilian national team. There’s no doubt he is performing at an excellent level at the moment and would only improve with better players around him.
Hernanes is perhaps something of a late bloomer, having only arrived in European football three years ago, but he has maintained his fine form from his time in Brazil, showing he can do it at the highest level. There is still more to come from him, but he is a top player and one of the best all-round midfield players in world football right now.
32. Barcelona and Spain striker David Villa
After a year out with injury, there are signs that David Villa is getting back to his best, and although he may not be highly valued by current club Barcelona, the attention he has attracted from top Premier League sides such as Arsenal and Tottenham shows he is still one of the world’s best finishers.
Villa first attracted attention from the world’s biggest clubs as a youngster with Real Zaragoza, where he scored 41 goals in his two seasons with the club. This saw him snapped up by Valencia in 2005, where he truly established himself as world class with an impressive tally of 128 goals in 217 appearances for the Mestalla side. It was around this time that he became a regular starter for the Spanish national team as well, and he has now established himself as one of the country’s best ever players, with a record-high 51 goals for the national team, helping them in their glorious era of two European Championships and one World Cup between 2008 and 2012. He is also Spain’s leading goal scorer of all time in World Cup competitions.
He has played a somewhat different role since joining Barcelona for £33million in 2011, often playing more wide to accommodate Barca’s star player Lionel Messi. Although he has had to adapt his game slightly, this hasn’t stopped him finding the back of the net, and he enjoyed a successful first season at the Nou Camp, notching up 23 goals and 9 assists, including a memorable curling finish in Barca’s Champions League final win over Manchester United.
Villa has dropped down the pecking order this season due to fitness problems, but has still managed an impressive tallyof 16 goals and 9 assists from the bench, showing he is still a top performer and worthy of a first-team place. He could still remain with the club after they rejected a bid from Arsenal for him in January, and there is certainly still time for him to get back to his best.
Throughout his career he has been a lethal finisher, but also a scorer of some great individual goals, making him the perfect all-round striker. He has also always performed in the biggest games, providing some memorable moments for both club and country.
Barcelona would be unwise to let him leave, and Arsenal or Tottenham would be very lucky to have him. Still one of the best strikers in the world, it would be great to see this class act playing in England before he hangs up his boots.
31. Manchester City and Spain midfielder David Silva
Despite having something of an off-season due to sheer fatigue in 2012/13, Manchester City star David Silva could be well on his way to becoming one of the finest playmaking midfielders of his generation if he regains his best form.
The 27-year-old has enjoyed a glittering career for both club and country, playing a pivotal role in City’s Premier League title-winning season of 2011/12, scoring 8 goals and providing 21 assists, and bringing the Spanish ‘tiki-taka’ style football to England in the process with some wonderful passing and ability on the ball.
The league title was followed up by yet another trophy with Spain that summer, as he scored his side’s opener in what turned into a 4-0 thrashing of Italy in the Euro 2012 final. He also scored a fine goal against the Repubic of Ireland earlier in the tournament, making it a superb individual season for him. This was also his third major honour with Spain, adding to his World Cup medal from 2010 and another European Championship in 2008.
Despite fierce competition from the likes of Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas and Juan Mata in this vastly talented generation of Spanish attacking midfielders, Silva has managed to notch up 72 caps for the national side, scoring 18 goals.
Silva started his career in La Liga with Valencia, making quite an impression as a youngster though initially playing as a winger for the Spanish side. In truth, his all-round ability makes him a great option in any number of attacking midfield positions, and he still drifts wide to good effect for City.
His big-money signing from Valencia to City was one of the most important of the Sheikh Mansour era at the Etihad Stadium, helping Roberto Mancini turn the team into a genuine Premier League force. Though it was still imagined quite how good he could become, as he looked like one of the best players in the world at times in his second season with the club, and was voted as City’s player of the year by the club’s fans ahead of some steep competition from the likes of Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero.
Silva makes the game look easy and is a wonderfully gifted player. That combined with his impressive trophy haul so far in his career firmly puts him up there as one of the best footballers in the world.
30. Juventus and Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon
This legendary goalkeeper has been around for a long time now, but even into his 35th year he is still arguably the best goalkeeper in the world.
The Italian famously became the world’s most expensive goalkeeper of all time when he joined Juventus from Parma for £32million in 2001, and he has continued to live up to this incredible price tag and reputation.
Buffon has stuck with Juventus during tough times such as their relegation to Serie B for match-fixing, and is being rewarded with his patience now as the Old Lady have returned to the top of Italian football. He has added two more Serie A titles to his collection with the team’s success in 2012 and 2013 under Antonio Conte, and was one of the players of the tournament for Italy in Euro 2012, despite their defeat to Spain in the final of the competition.
He has been voted Serie A’s goalkeeper of the year an incredible nine times in his career – a record, and it is easy to see why with some of the fantastic reflex saves he is capable of producing. He is currently the captain of both Juventus and Italy and is quite simply a legend of the game, widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers of all time.
35 is still young for a goalkeeper, and Buffon looks like he will keep on going for a good few years more. He is still a key player for club and country and will surely help both to more success in the next few years.
Goalkeepers often don’t get the credit they deserve, but we are arguably spoilt at the moment by having such top class shot-stoppers in Buffon, Iker Casillas and Petr Cech all playing at their peak at the same time.
29. Bayern Munich and France winger Franck Ribery
Many football fans have argued down the years for Franck Ribery as either under-rated or over-rated, with no general consensus being met. However, the success he continues to enjoy in his excellent career surely speaks for itself, and he has just had the season of his life with treble-winning Bayern Munich.
Although often thought to go missing in the big games, Ribery has arguably been Bayern’s best player in their incredible season, scoring 11 goals and providing 22 assists in all competitions, and putting in an excellent display in both legs of Bayern’s 7-0 aggregate mauling of Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals. Statistically, he has been the best player in the Bundesliga this season, with the most assists and man of the match awards in the whole league, as well as completing the most dribbles and playing the most key passes. He can occasionally seem frustrating to watch, but he has been brilliantly effective this season and will surely have silenced many of his critics.
Ribery first made a name for himself at Marseille, attracting interest from the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United after an impressive season in 2005/06. He then starred for the French national team in that summer’s World Cup, helping the unfancied Les Bleus to the final of the competition. One year later, he became Bayern Munich’s then-record signing when he joined for £21million.
He has been part of one of Bayern’s most successful periods since joining, scoring 80 goals and providing 120 assists in his six seasons with the club, helping them to three league titles and three Champions League finals.
Along with Arjen Robben, he provides excellent natural wing play for Bayern, with his superb dribbling and crossing skills. Few teams in the world right now can enjoy the service of two better wide players. He also has 72 caps and 12 goals for the French national team, being a key player in the side since 2006.
It’s hard to understand why Ribery does not get more credit, but perhaps he is starting to find a bit more consistency now in this excellent Bayern team. Their success will surely only continue, and he will carry on playing a major part in it. Though even now, he is surely up there with the best players in the world.
28. Zenit St Petersburg and Brazil forward Hulk
A big name, and quite literally a very big player, Hulk will likely earn a keenly-anticipated move to a bigger club this summer as he looks to establish himself as the world class talent he is widely thought to be.
The 26-year-old has been something of a late bloomer in the game, only really coming to prominence in the 2010/11 season as he played a major part in Porto’s incredible treble winning season under Andre Villas-Boas. The Brazilian scored 36 goals and provided 21 assists that season playing mostly from the wing, and attracting big attention from all across Europe.
However, Porto’s enormous asking price put many suitors off, and he remained in Portugal until last season when he finally moved for big money to Russian side Zenit St Petersburg. This will have disappointed neutrals, as it was hoped Hulk would soon be showcasing his talents in a bigger league.
He hasn’t really managed to settle in Russia, and that big move could come soon as Chelsea are reportedly keen on signing him for as much as £50million, making him their joint-record signing. With his big, strong frame and exceptional technique, he looks like a perfect fit at Stamford Bridge, and possibly the best replacement for the legendary Didier Drogba.
Hulk is known for his skill on the ball and his thunderous shots with his left foot, scoring a number of impressive long range goals in his career so far. His playing style would suit him well in the Premier League, and he has all the makings to be a big success.
He will also be hoping to make an impact at next summer’s World Cup, as he will likely be a regular starter for host nation Brazil, for whom he already has 23 caps and 6 goals. A move to a bigger club as well as some match-winning displays at a major tournament would firmly cement his place among the world’s best players.
Still, for sheer talent alone, he is already there.
27. PSG and Brazil centre-back Thiago Silva
After a slow start to his career with some injury-hit spells with Porto and Dynamo Moscow, Thiago Silva has quickly become recognised as one of, if not the best defender in world football today.
The Brazilian got his big break when he moved from Fluminese to AC Milan in 2009 for £8.5million. This turned out to be a bargain for the Serie A giants, as Silva became a key player in the side, helping them to the Serie A title in his second season at the San Siro, after which he was made club captain.
Silva’s form for Milan saw him compared with one of the club’s all-time great defenders Franco Baresi, also considered by many to be among the greatest of all time. This is some compliment, but Silva certainly looks the part, and his displays quickly saw him linked with the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona.
In the end, it was big-spending PSG who signed the Brazil international for £35million, making him the second most expensive defender of all time. He arrived in Paris along with his Milan team-mate Zlatan Ibrahimovic, in an ambitious summer of spending for the club. Although he was happy at Milan, he decided to make the move to help ease their financial worries, and he has gone on to find further success in French football. Silva was also made captain of PSG, and has led them to the Ligue 1 title in his first season with the club, and also impressed as they reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Silva has 35 caps for Brazil and is also captain of the national team. His on-pitch leadership as well as tremendous defensive ability make him a true great of the modern game, and he would be a worthy winner of the World Cup if he can help Brazil to glory as they host the tournament next summer.
26. Chelsea and Belgium attacking midfielder Eden Hazard
Eden Hazard has been one of the world’s most talked about young players for some time, ever since making his first-team breakthrough with French side Lille in 2008, and his big move to Chelsea last summer has seen him firmly establish himself on the big stage.
Still only 22, Hazard has won the Ligue 1 title with Lille, and the Europa League with Chelsea in his first season at Stamford Bridge. He also has 35 caps for the Belgium national side, scoring five goals. From a young age he has been compared with the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, and has set himself the target of scoring 60 goals for Chelsea next season, replicating the incredible numbers of the Barcelona and Real Madrid stars.
Though even with a mere 13 goals and 14 assists for the Blues this year, he’s doing a pretty good job. Some had their doubts over whether Hazard would adapt to the physicality of English football, but he quickly proved those doubters wrong with a flying start to life in the Premier League. The £27million signing produced man-of-the-match displays with one goal and five assists in his first three games for the club.
Although occasionally inconsistent, this is forgiveable due to his relative inexperience, and he will certainly have gone down as a success in his first season with Chelsea, looking a class act in their attacking midfield three alongside the likes of Juan Mata and Oscar, and scoring a goal-of-the-season contender with a superb long-range left-footed strike away to Stoke City.
One low point came in Chelsea’s Capital One Cup semi-final second leg with Swansea, when Hazard was sent off for kicking a ball boy. His attitude problems have at times been a dampener on his fine talent, but he still has plenty of promise even if he is prone to occasional moments of madness, which has been true of many of the game’s greats.
Big-spending Monaco are said to be keen on luring Hazard back to France this summer, but despite the understandable demand for his signature, he should remain in the Premier League and continue along the path to stardom. Hazard is a player that is sure to achieve many more great things if he can find continuity and play alongside other world class talents in the best league in the world.
25. Borussia Dortmund and Germany forward Marco Reus
A rising star in world football at the moment is 24-year-old German international Marco Reus, who has just completed an excellent first season at Borussia Dortmund.
Reus arrived from Borussia Monchengladbach last summer for £14.5million, tasked with the unenviable challenge of replacing one of Dortmund’s key players Shinji Kagawa, who had left for Manchester United. One year on, however, and Reus looks arguably a far better player for Jurgen Klopp’s side than Kagawa was, while the Japanese international has not exactly hit the ground running at Old Trafford.
Reus has been in terrific form for Dortmund, playing in a variety of attacking midfield roles, either wide on the left, wide on the right or behind the main striker, scoring 18 goals and providing 11 assists in all competitions. Although Dortmund could not win a third consecutive Bundesliga title, Reus helped them with the incredible achievement of reaching the Champions League final, and played well in his side’s unlucky 2-1 defeat to Bayern Munich at Wembley, winning the penalty for their equalising goal.
Despite his relative youth, Reus has 15 caps and 7 goals for the senior German national team – some achievement as well when considering the vast competition ahead of him in this exceptionally talented generation of German players. Reus has shown he is up there with the likes of Mesut Ozil, Mario Goetze and Thomas Mueller on the international stage, as well as being a key player for his club.
Reus is fast becoming a world class performer, and will ease Dortmund’s loss of Goetze to rivals Bayern Munich this summer. That is, unless he himself is snapped up by a bigger club, with the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea said to be showing a strong interest in signing him for big money this summer.
The talented forward would likely command around £32million after his fine season with Dortmund, over double what they paid for him just a year ago, and close to the same that Bayern paid them for Goetze. His rise in value represents his rise as a world class performer this season, and he certainly looks like becoming a big name for many years to come.
24. Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney
Although he has just had a disappointing season, the interest surrounding Wayne Rooney in this summer’s transfer market suggests he is still a world class talent, who is simply not being used to his best potential at Manchester United.
Rooney has been at the club since 2004, when he joined for £28million as an 18-year-old prodigy from Everton. At this time, Rooney seemed to have the world at his feet, having just starred for England at Euro 2004 and combining flair and power perfectly to make him look like one of the best talents ever produced in this country.
However, while Rooney’s move to United has seen him win almost everything there is to win in the game with five Premier League titles and the Champions League, he is arguably never quite looked like being the focal point of the team, and has earned more of a reputation of being a jack of all trades, filling in in various positions to accommodate the club’s other star players, such as Cristiano Ronaldo in the past, and Robin van Persie now.
The England international has still performed admirably, and is good enough to drop into midfield or drift wide, but his best seasons have come when he was the main striker, scoring 34 goals in both the 2009/10 and 2011/12 campaigns, though this did not coincide with title success for United.
The 27-year-old scored just 16 times this year, and seemed untrusted by Sir Alex Ferguson in the big games, which seems harsh given his record of scoring important goals at the right time, and of course his ability to pull a wonder-goal out of nowhere. This has led him to submitting a transfer request at Old Trafford, and perhaps this is the right move for him to get the recognition he deserves.
The likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, PSG, Manchester City and Chelsea are all keen on signing him for big money this summer, and it is likely that he would go on to show United what they have been missing, as he is certainly one of the world’s most dangerous strikers when given the chance to play there.
Rooney has 197 goals in 400 games for United, and should be considered a legendary player at the club. His amazing over-head kick against Manchester City was voted the best Premier League goal of all time, and he is certainly one of the best the Premier League has seen. There is still time for him to truly show his potential elsewhere; he’s certainly good enough to play abroad, as a rare example of an English player blessed with superb technique and intelligence on the pitch.
Although he has not shown it this season, hopefully soon enough we will be talking about Rooney in the same bracket as the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo again.
23. AC Milan and Italy forward Stephan El Shaarawy
One of the most exciting young players in world football at the moment is undoubtedly Stephan El Shaarawy. The 20-year-old Italian has made great progress with AC Milan this season and looks very much like the next Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo in waiting.
His fine form has already attracted strong interest from Manchester City, who are prepared to pay around £34million for this world class talent. There’s no doubt he would end up being worth it, as he looks like becoming a legendary attacking player for many years to come.
El Shaarawy made his debut in Serie A when he was just 16 years old, in his days at Genoa, and after impressing on loan for Serie B side Padova, he was snapped up by giants AC Milan. He featured regularly in 2011/12, scoring four goals, but it was not until this season that he truly started to stand out as one of the club’s best players.
With the sale of Zlatan Ibrahimovic to PSG, El Shaarawy was entrusted as being the club’s main attacking player, and has perfected his role as a wide forward this season, often cutting in from the left to score some memorable goals with his powerful right foot. He has also weighed in with six assists, showing his all-round capabilities upfront.
His talents have also attracted the attention of the Italian national team, and the youngster has already managed 8 caps for the senior side, and one goal. There will surely be many more to come from the player, who could also have represented Egypt on his father’s side.
He was voted Serie A’s Young Player of the Year this season, and if he stays with Milan he will likely collect many more of those awards, as well as senior ones in the future. Though he could also find even more success elsewhere, if he chooses to move somewhere like Manchester City, as Milan are currently struggling to deal with the dominance of Juventus in Italy.
Wherever he ends up, he is sure to be a star, and is already one of the best players in the world even at this young age.
22. Malaga and Spain attacking midfielder Isco
One player who looks destined for stardom after a rapid rise this season is Malaga’s Isco. The Spaniard is currently showcasing his tremendous ability for the Spain Under-21s at this summer’s European Championships, and may follow that up with a big-money move to Manchester City or Real Madrid.
This talented youngster, still only 21, scored 14 goals and provided 4 assists for Manuel Pellegrini’s side this season, helping ease the loss of key player Santi Cazorla to Arsenal. He is undoubtedly the jewel in their crown now, but seems likely to follow his departing manager to the Premier League, after the Chilean took over from Roberto Mancini at Manchester City.
Isco is said to be high on his list of potential transfer targets, and it’s easy to see why with some of the fine skills and goals pulled off by the Spaniard this season. Although he has only made one appearance so far for the senior national side, it is surely the first of many as he looks capable of challenging the likes of world class stars such as Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas, David Silva and Juan Mata – it’s a lot of competition, for sure, but Isco is the next big thing coming out of Spanish football in this superb generation of attacking players.
The Malaga starlet will feature for Spain tonight in the European Under-21 Championship final, and it would certainly be worth tuning in if you’ve not yet seen him play. He could have a starring role as this latest crop of Spanish talent starts on its way to world domination, following in the steps of the senior side.
Isco’s stock would certainly rise with a winner’s medal tonight, but he will be available for what looks like a bargain at around £28million due to a minimum release fee clause in his contract, which some stories suggest has already been met by both Real Madrid and Manchester City.
Chelsea and PSG have also shown an interest in Isco, but it seems likely that it will be between Real or City, depending on whether he chooses to stay in Spain or continue working with Pellegrini.
One thing’s for sure, the Premier League will be even more exciting next season if Isco is in it, as English football welcomes another world class star to these shores.
21. Juventus and Italy midfielder Andrea Pirlo
One of the finest midfield playmakers of his generation, Andrea Pirlo is still playing at a world class level even at the age of 34, winning two league titles in a row with Juventus and inspiring Italy to the Euro 2012 final last summer as one of the players of the tournament.
There aren’t many in the game who have such a sweet connection with the ball; the Italian has superb technique with his range of passing and shooting, scoring many memorable long range shots and free-kicks throughout his great career.
The midfield maestro started his career slowly, failing to make a big impression at Inter Milan after joining as a youngster from Brescia. Remarkably, Inter let him leave for arch-rivals AC Milan in 2001 and it was there that he started to establish himself as a highly influential player. He helped Milan win the Champions League in 2003, and then the Serie A title a year later, forming part of a side that would come to dominate European football for much of the early to mid-noughties.
It was only at the World Cup in 2006 that he first started to have a serious impact for the Italian national team, as he produced some great displays to help the Azzuri win the tournament, including being awarded man of the match in the final against France.
His form dipped in his last couple of seasons with Milan, and in the summer of 2011 they made the surprise decision to let this legendary player leave the San Siro on a free transfer.
Although his career perhaps looked finished with his form dropping and age catching up with him, he was snapped up by Milan’s rivals Juventus, who reignited the career of this great talent, and he has gone on to play a key role in Juve’s recent rise, with two Serie A titles in 2012 (unbeaten) and 2013.
Pirlo is still a regular for Italy, and marked his 100th cap for his country with a trademark free-kick against Mexico in the Confederations Cup on Sunday. The old master has still got it, and can still claim to be one of the best in the world even against the many midfield stars in this dominant Spanish national side.
20. Bayern Munich and Germany attacking midfielder Mario Goetze
Mario Goetze may only be 21 years old, but he will become Germany’s most expensive player of all time when he joins Bayern Munich from Borussia Dortmund this summer for £33million – a sign of how far he has come in such a short space of time.
The skillful playmaker has been a key player in Dortmund’s recent success, playing his part in their two title wins in 2011 and 2012, as well as in their run to the 2013 Champions League final, though he did not play against his future side Bayern Munich at Wembley due to injury. The youngster watched from the stands, cheering on Dortmund in what would have been his final game for the club before joining their rivals.
His absence in the final certainly hindered Dortmund as they were beaten 2-1 by Bayern, though the Bavarians have been in superb form this season as they managed to win the first treble in German history. The introduction of Pep Guardiola as manager and Goetze to their side will surely make them a force to be reckoned with for many years to come, and there’s no doubt Goetze deserves his place in this team of fantastic attacking players.
Goetze scored 16 goals and provided 14 assists for Dortmund this season, and can play in a variety of attacking midfield roles. He often drifts wide, but is probably best used centrally, and has been compared with Lionel Messi as he is slowly being nurtured into a ‘false 9’ role for the German national team. That is come compliment, but Goetze looks like a player worthy of that praise as he looks set to be one of the world’s best players for many years to come. And of course, it was Guardiola that truly got the best out of Messi in his days at Barcelona, so who knows what he could achieve with Goetze?
He already has 22 caps and 5 goals for the German national side, even when up against the likes of Mesut Ozil, Thomas Mueller, Marco Reus and many others in their superb attacking lineup.
Although there are many exciting young players coming through at the moment, and many experienced pros still playing at a superb level, Goetze is up there with the best of them and deserves his place among the best footballers in the world.
19. Manchester City and Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure
When Kolo Toure first broke onto the scene as a youngster at Arsenal, he spoke fondly of his younger brother Yaya, saying he was a far better player than him. No one had heard of the young Toure at the time, but ten years later it looks like Kolo was right.
The Manchester City star started his career in his native Ivory Coast with ASEC Mimosas, before joining Arsenal’s Belgian feeder club Beveren. It was during his time in Belgium that he had a failed trial with the Gunners, something Arsene Wenger would later live to regret.
Toure started to make a name for himself in Europe, firstly with Ukranian side Metalurh Donetsk, and then with one season each with Olympiacos and Monaco, before getting his first big move when he was signed by Spanish giants Barcelona in 2007.
It was at the Nou Camp that Toure really emerged as a world class player, though he was arguably not even used to the best of his ability, often played as the team’s most defensive-minded midfielder or even at centre-back, where he put in a good display to help the club beat Manchester United in the 2009 Champions League final.
Still, he was not a regular in his final season with the club in 2009/10, and was promptly snapped up by big-spending Manchester City, who finally brought the Ivorian to play alongside his brother in the Premier League for £24million in the summer of 2010.
At City, Toure has developed into a more attack-minded player, reaching double figures from midfield in his first season with the club, which included crucial winning goals in the team’s FA Cup semi-final against rivals Manchester United, and then in the final against Stoke City.
A year later, Toure was a Premier League champion with City, enjoying another excellent season as a highly influential player, using his excellent combination of natural strength and skill to drive forward. He scored two excellent goals late on in an away game against Newcastle that kept City as favourites for the title going into the final day of the season, showing his ability to perform on the big occasion.
The 30-year-old also has 78 caps and 16 goals for the Ivory Coast national team, and was voted African Player of the Year in 2011 and 2012. Alongside Didier Drogba, he is certainly one of the finest African players to ever play in the Premier League and one of the best players in the world at this moment in time.
18. Bayern Munich and Germany midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger
Bastian Schweinsteiger has been around for a long time now, and until this season he has perhaps been something of an under-rated player in world football. However, his excellent role in Bayern Munich’s amazing treble-winning season will hopefully now see him gain some much-deserved reocognition as one of the best midfielders in the world.
The German first burst onto the scene as a regular for Bayern in 2004, when he also earned his first caps for the senior national team. As a youngster, he made a name for himself as a versatile attacking midfielder with a powerful long range shot, taking particular advantage at the 2006 World cup, when he struck two beauties as Germany beat Portugal in the third-place playoff.
As time has gone on, Schweinsteiger has reverted to a deeper role for club and country, and his range of passing has made this an easy transition for him to make. He has particularly shone in this position alongside Javi Martinez for Bayern this season, keeping play ticking along and supplying his more attack-minded team-mates with ammunition.
The 28-year-old managed 9 goals and 7 assists for Bayern this season, and is one of many players whose reputation has been much enhanced by the immense recent success of Juup Heynckes’ side. His passing stats are excellent, with an 87.9% success rate, and an average of 9 accurate long balls per game. As he grows into this role he will no doubt be seen alongside the likes of Andrea Pirlo and Xavi as one of the game’s great deep-lying midfield playmakers.
In total, Schweinsteiger has made 437 appearances for Bayern Munich, scoring 55 goals for the club and winning an incredible six Bundesliga titles, as well as numerous cups and the Champions League title this year.
He has been unfortunate not to taste success with the German national team, who have impressed in the last few tournaments without quite making it all the way to victory, but it would be no surprise if he helped them to a World Cup win in Brazil next summer. So far, he has 98 caps for Germany, as well as 24 goals and 32 assists.
There is still time for Schweinsteiger to improve even further, and he is likely to keep bringing success to this incredible Bayern Munich team, who will be managed by Pep Guardiola next season in what promises to be an exciting year for German football.
17. Real Madrid and France striker Karim Benzema
One of the most lethal finishers in the game is French striker Karim Benzema, who has forged a great career for himself at both Lyon and Real Madrid, even with a slight dip in form this season.
The Frenchman started his career with Lyon, first becoming a regular in the side in around 2005 when he was just 17 years old. Just a couple of years later he was regarded as one of the best young talents in the world with some eye-catching displays, attracting strong interest from the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United.
He eventually made his big move to Real Madrid in 2009 for a fee of nearly £30million, becoming one of many big signings for the Spanish giants that summer. Although he took time to settle in Spain, Benzema now has a highly impressive record of 89 goals in 183 appearances for the club, as well as 50 assists in that time as he has developed his game as more of a wide-forward under the guidance of Jose Mourinho.
Although Cristiano Ronaldo is the undisputed star of this Real Madrid team, Benzema has scored some memorable goals for the club, particularly in their title-winning season of 2011/12, when he scored a superb first-time volley against Osasuna, possibly the best goal of his career and one of Real Madrid’s best that season.
He has not quite managed to replicate his club form for the French national team, scoring just 15 goals in 58 appearances. He is currently on something of a goal drought for his country and has been somewhat lacking in confidence after a difficult year all-round at Real Madrid, where there has been plenty of friction between players and the manager.
Still, the 25-year-old managed 21 goals and 18 assists, and could surely reach world class levels again when he is back to his best. Manchester United have renewed their interest in him this summer, showing that he is still rated highly in the game, and a move away from the Bernabeu could be just what he needs to reignite his career.
On his day, there are few better finishers in the game, and it would be great to see him playing at full confidence again for club and country. Still, his stats show that even when not on the top of his game, he is capable of making a great contribution to his team, and Real Madrid would be mad to sell him.
16. Barcelona and Spain attacking midfielder Cesc Fabregas
Cesc Fabregas had looked world class almost ever since he first pulled on an Arsenal shirt at the age of just 17. The midfielder stepped seamlessly into Arsenal’s title-winning ‘Invincibles’ side and quickly made himself a regular despite the vast competition from the likes of Patrick Vieira, Gilberto Silva and Edu.
It was obvious at that stage that Fabregas would become one of the world’s best players, and sure enough he has definitely proven that in recent times ever since prompting his former club Barcelona to pay £25million to bring him back to the Nou Camp in 2011.
Although he has not quite been at his influential best since re-joining his boyhood club, he is still a useful player for the club even when played in some slightly unfamiliar roles further forward. In fairness to Fabregas, he has adapted well for club and country, often playing upfront in a ‘false 9’ role, and doing well to add a more ruthless streak in front of goal to his game, having started his career as a deeper-lying playmaker.
Playing this role for Arsenal, Fabregas was arguably the best creative midfielder in the Premier League for many years, regularly reaching double figures in assists for the club, and creating more chances for his team-mates than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues between 2006 and 2011. He will likely inherit this position at Barcelona in the future when current midfield star Xavi retires or plays less regularly.
Fabregas won the first league title of his career just this season, scoring 14 goals and providing 12 assists for Barcelona as they were crowned champions in Spain. His years at Arsenal meant he has not had much luck with silverware at club level, but he has been part of Spain’s dominance on the international scene, playing his part in their incredible consecutive victories at two European Championships and the 2010 World Cup, where he set up Andres Iniesta’s winning goal in the final. In total, he has amassed 81 caps for Spain, and 13 goals – an impressive achievement considering the vast competition in this talented generation of Spanish midfielders.
His creativity and ability to score from midfield have seen him compared with legendary French attacker Michel Platini, and at the age of just 26, there is still time for Fabregas to further cement his place as a modern great. He could arguably be yet to reach his peak, and that is a frightening prospect considering all he has achieved in his career so far.
15. Bayern Munich and Germany attacking midfielder Thomas Muller
Even though he is still only 23, Thomas Mueller is already a vastly talented and experienced winner, having stepped up his game even further this season to win the treble as a key part of this fantastic Bayern Munich side.
The attacker first broke into the team at Bayern in the 2009/10 season, scoring 19 goals from midfield as he helped the Bavarians to the Bundesliga title and to the Champions League final. He then really announced himself on the world stage at that summer’s World Cup, finishing as the competition’s top scorer with some superb displays, including a brace in the 4-1 win over England, and another in a 4-0 thrashing of Argentina in the quarter-finals.
Mueller scored 19 goals again in 2010/11 for Bayern, continuing his fine progress as a key member of the team. He then only managed 11 the following year, though one of those came in the Champions League final against Chelsea, though once again he was a runner-up in the competition as his side were unlucky to be beaten on penalties having dominated much of the match in the Allianz Arena.
The German has just had his best season yet, scoring 23 goals and providing 13 assists in Bayern’s treble-winning season. Many of his team-mates have made it onto this list of top 50 footballers in the world, and he is arguably the most influential of the lot, showing the knack for scoring important goals at the right time, and putting in man-of-the-match displays on seven occasions this season. He was in superb form in the club’s humiliation of Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals, scoring three times in the two-legged tie which finished 7-0 on aggregate.
Mueller already has 41 caps and 13 goals for the German national team, and is surely a guaranteed starter even among this highly talented generation of German attacking players. Mueller would be one of the first names on the team sheet even alongside the likes of Mesut Ozil, Mario Goetze, Marco Reus and others.
If Bayern and Germany continue to do as well as they have, they have Mueller’s influence to thank for it, and he will surely only continue to improve as he is not yet even at his peak age. He certainly looks like a legend in the making and is currently one of the best players in the world.
14. Borussia Dortmund and Poland striker Robert Lewandowski
It’s been an incredible couple of seasons for Borussia Dortmund star Robert Lewandowski. The striker initially struggled to settle in the Bundesliga after joining from Lech Poznan in his native Poland, scoring just nine goals in his first season, but rose to prominence the following year as his 30 goals helped Jurgen Klopp’s side to the title.
This fine form in front of goal saw him attract strong interest from Manchester United, though they eventually opted to sign Robin van Persie. That summer, Lewandowski scored the opening goal of the tournament for Poland in Euro 2012, and looked the one player who could really make something happen for the host nation.
He has just enjoyed another successful season for Dortmund. The 24-year-old scored 36 goals this time, and although his side missed out on the Bundesliga title, they made it to the final of the Champions League in a thrilling run which included a 4-1 win over Real Madrid, with four quality strikes from Lewandowski himself in perhaps the game of his career. His side were then unfortunate to lose in the final of the competition to Bayern Munich, with the Pole having a stunning volleyed effort disallowed at Wembley due to a questionable foul in the build-up.
Lewandowski’s stock has continued to rise, and he has been linked strongly with moves away again this summer after deciding not to sign a new contract with Dortmund. It is thought that he wants to join the club’s rivals and Champions League final victors Bayern Munich, though his club have blocked a move as they do not want to sell another star player to a rival following the sale of Mario Goetze to the treble-winners.
Manchester United are expected to renew their interest, with Chelsea, Manchester City and Barcelona all keen on him as well, and even with a year left on his current contract he would likely command a fee of around £25million, as he has become one of the most sought-after players in Europe in this summer’s transfer window.
His finishing ability is exceptional, and he would certainly add something to any of these top teams chasing him. It will be interesting to see where he ends up, but he just looks like getting better and better and will surely continue to cement his place as one of the best players in the world.
13. Manchester City and Argentina striker Sergio Aguero
Still only 25 years old, Sergio Aguero has been one of the world’s best players for many years now, ever since his remarkable rise at Spanish side Atletico Madrid.
The Argentine joined the La Liga outfit in 2006 as one of the game’s most exciting prospects, and quickly lived up to this potential with 101 goals in his five seasons with the club, some very impressive statistics for a player who was still developing and not yet playing for a top side.
His fine form attracted a lot of interest from Atletico’s rivals Real Madrid, but in the end it was big-spending Manchester City he joined in a massive £38million move. He didn’t disappoint in the Premier League either, adjusting immediately with two goals and an assist in his debut for City as they thrashed Swansea 4-0. His second strike was a cracking long-range effort, showing his ability from outside the box as well as in it.
He continued to find the back of the net with ease, and drew comparisons from his manager Roberto Mancini with Brazilian striking legend Romario. His big-money signing looked like being just the ingredient City needed to make that step up from a top four side to genuine title challengers.
And so it proved, with Aguero netting the crucial title-winning goal for the club on the final day, in the final minute of the 2011/12 season, taking the ball past two players before firing home the winner against Queens Park Rangers to send the Etihad Stadium wild. It was his 30th goal of an outstanding debut season in English football, and he may never score a more important one for the rest of his career.
With legendary status already assured at City, Aguero can do little more to prove his world class credentials. Although he struggled with injuries in his second season, he showed glimpses of his best form with 17 goals, including winners against Manchester United at Old Trafford, and against Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final, beating Petr Cech with a quality looping header, showing again the ability to score a variety of goals.
Aguero has 45 caps and 18 goals for the Argentina national team, and has done well to keep himself playing regularly with some immense competition ahead of him in the form of Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez and Gonzalo Higuain. He is part of one of the best set of attacking players on the international scene and it would be fitting if he could also manage to achieve greatness at international level as well by helping his country to victory in the World Cup.
12. Barcelona and Brazil forward Neymar
One of the most exciting young talents in world football at the moment will finally begin his career in Europe next season with Barcelona, after being confirmed as joining the club from Brazilian side Santos for over £48million.
Neymar has already arguably proven himself as one of the best players in the world, and is up there with Lionel Messi for sheer natural ability, though he will truly claim status as one of the top five in the world if he can continue his fine form with Barcelona next season.
Still, the 21-year-old has achieved a great deal already at his young age, scoring 136 goals in 225 appearances for Santos, as well as 22 in 36 for the senior Brazilian national team, which he has been involved with since he was a teenager.
The exciting forward is currently impressing for Brazil in this summer’s Confederations Cup, and has scored two quality goals already with first-time volleys from outside the box. He also showed incredibly quick feet to set up his strike-partner Fred for his team’s second goal in a 2-0 win over Mexico, showing his uncanny ability to find space where others can’t, and do the impossible with his fine footwork.
His dribbling ability and collection of fine individual goals are what have drawn most comparisons with Messi, and the prospect of the two playing in the same team next season will fill football fans everywhere with a great deal of excitement, as we see potentially one of the best partnerships of all time develop at the Nou Camp.
There’s no doubt Neymar still has something to prove at the top level in Europe, but if he continues to perform as he has done so far in his career, he truly looks like becoming one of the all-time greats, and he has certainly joined the right club for expressing himself on the football pitch, with Barcelona’s attacking style of play fitting in perfectly with his flair and ability.
Although he is still young, he deserves his place among the best footballers in the world already, and he will surely confirm that as time goes on.
11. Chelsea and Spain attacking midfielder Juan Mata
Juan Mata is fast becoming one of the best attacking midfielders in the game, as he racked up an impossible-looking 20 goals and 35 assists in all competitions for Chelsea in 2012/13.
His superb dribbling, passing and shooting make him the perfect all-round midfield playmaker, and he looks a bargain now after joining from Spanish side Valencia for £23.5million in 2011. Arsenal had been linked strongly with Mata at the time, but would not match Chelsea’s offer, something Arsene Wenger will no doubt be regretting now.
Mata settled quickly at Chelsea, scoring 12 goals and providing 23 assists in his first season, and helping the club to a surprise victory in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich, though he did have his shot saved by Manuel Neuer in the penalty shoot-out. Still, he added the European Cup to his already-vast collection of silverware, as he played a small part in Spain’s World Cup win in 2010, having already won the Copa Del Rey with Valencia and the FA Cup with Chelsea. He followed that up with the European Championship trophy as he scored Spain’s fourth in their 4-0 final win over Italy in Ukraine.
Mata has been somewhat limited to just 27 caps and 8 goals for the Spanish national side, but his ever-improving performances will surely see him over-take the likes of Cesc Fabregas and David Silva in the pecking order soon enough, despite plenty of other strong competition from the likes of Andres Iniesta, as well as rising starts such as Isco and Thiago Alcantara.
It is an amazing generation of Spanish footballers, particularly in that attacking midfield area, but Mata at times looks like the best of the lot, as his incredible numbers show quite how dangerous he is at all times in terms of creating chances for his team-mates and for himself.
As well as his superb range of passing, Mata has scored some great long-range goals, often from free-kicks, and the technique on his left foot means he is always a threat from almost any angle, as he showed with perhaps the goal of his career against Manchester United last season, latching onto the ball to hit a sweet first-time volley past David de Gea.
Surprisingly, Mata has been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge this summer as Jose Mourinho looks to re-shape the Chelsea squad. This has seen Barcelona show a strong interest, and it would certainly be something special to see the 25-year-old link up with the likes of Messi, Neymar and Iniesta at the Nou Camp, though the Blues would be mad to let him go.
10. Liverpool and Uruguay striker Luis Suarez
Although he is undoubtedly a controversial character, Luis Suarez’s form this season certainly ranks him as one of the most talented players in the world at the moment. His dazzling displays and 30 goals have almost single-handedly helped Liverpool to a finish of 7th place, and many of his goals have truly been things of beauty.
The Uruguayan first joined the Reds from Ajax for £22.8million in 2011, after developing into a highly-rated talent during his time in Holland. He had an excellent record of 111 goals in 159 appearances for the Amsterdam club, whom he also captained in his final two seasons there. He is up there with legendary players such as Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten and Dennis Bergkamp to reach 100 goals for the famous club.
He settled quickly at Liverpool, though some criticised his ability to finish off chances as he often made poor decisions and took too long on the ball, though there was no denying that his skill and flair made him a very exciting player to watch. After a full pre-season with the club, he looked improved in the 2011/12 season, scoring 17 goals and providing 10 assists. His finest hour came with a superb hat-trick against Norwich at Carrow Road, which he sealed with an incredible 50-yard lob over the goalkeeper, reminiscent of David Beckham’s famous half-way line strike for Manchester United against Wimbledon.
He truly reached his best in 2012/13, and he would have been a strong contender for PFA Player of the Year if not for his controversial bite incident on Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic. This latest disciplinary problem saw him pick up a ten-match ban, meaning he missed the end of the season. The player himself feels victimised in England and is keen to leave for a move abroad to escape the press.
Real Madrid are said to be willing to pay as much as £50million for him, and there’s no doubt he is a player who should be playing at the very top and winning things, which doesn’t really look like happening at the moment at Liverpool. He has spoken of his desire to play alongside Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo, and they would certainly form a mouth-watering partnership.
Juventus and Bayern Munich have also been linked with the talented 26-year-old, and it’s no surprise that Liverpool will struggle to fight off bids for their star player, who is definitely up there now with the best players in the world.
9. Manchester United and Holland striker Robin van Persie
After many years as a promising youngster whose career had been halted by injuries, Robin van Persie has finally had an injury-free run for the last two-and-a-half years to show that he is one of the best attacking players on the planet.
The Dutchman first made a name for himself in his native Holland with Feyenoord, though there were questions over his attitude at the club, and as a result he was sold to Arsenal for just £2.5million in 2004.
Van Persie showed plenty of promise at Arsenal, though he started mainly as a squad player behind the likes of Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp, and it wasn’t until 2007 when Bergkamp had retired and Henry had left the club that he truly became first choice for the Gunners.
He started the 2007/08 season in fine form, but missed most of the campaign through injury, making it a frustrating few years in the Premier League. He bounced back in 2008/09 with more appearances and more goals, but was again on the treatment table for much of 2009/10 and 2010/11.
It was only really last season that van Persie showed his best form, scoring 37 goals in all competitions for Arsenal, almost single-handedly guiding them to third in the Premier League, scoring some memorable goals of the highest quality along the way, with stunning winning strikes against Everton and Liverpool.
With Arsenal’s struggle to win silverware, van Persie was widely tipped to be leaving the club in the summer of 2012, with Manchester City looking his most likely destination as they prepared a big-money offer to Arsenal for another one of their players, having signed the likes of Emmanuel Adebayor and Samir Nasri from the Gunners in the recent past.
However, he made the surprising decision to join Arsenal’s rivals Manchester United, in a move that has soured his reputation with the Emirates Stadium faithful. However, it has only gone on to raise his reputation as a world class finisher.
The 30-year-old was an instant hit at Old Trafford, and with the rest of the team’s key players like Wayne Rooney and Nani looking a little below-par for much of the season, it was the Dutchman’s 30 goals that guided United to their 20th title, which was secured with his superb first-half hat-trick against Aston Villa at Old Trafford.
Despite his injury record and advancing years, van Persie has been a great signing at £24million and who knows what more he could have achieved if he’d had better luck with his fitness over the years, and had stronger team-mates around him at Arsenal.
8. PSG and Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a player who just seems to get better and better with age. The enigmatic Swedish forward has been around for a long time now, and has really shaken off his reputation for being something of an inconsistent talent and established himself as one of the most talented attackers on the planet.
Now 31, Ibrahimovic is playing at his seventh club, and has just won yet another league title in another country with PSG. He started his career in his native Sweden with Malmo, before being snapped up by Ajax. It was in Amsterdam that he started to make a name for himself, scoring one of the goals of his career against NAC Breda in 2004 after some breath-taking skill to beat a host of defenders.
However, his attitude problems continued to blight his career, and he was shipped out by the Dutch giants after a dispute with his team-mate Rafael van der Vaart. He made his way to Serie A with Juventus, but failed to reach top form with the club. He then moved to Inter Milan following Juve’s relegation for match-fixing, and it was there that his career really took off, particularly under the management of Jose Mourinho, who joined the club in 2008.
Ibrahimovic’s fine form attracted a big-money offer from Barcelona, and he became the club’s record signing when he moved to the Nou Camp in 2009. The Swede helped Barca to the La Liga title, but left after just one season due to having a poor relationship with manager Pep Guardiola.
He returned to Italy with AC Milan, and made it eight consecutive league title wins in a row for himself as he helped the Rossoneri become champions in 2010/11.
Ibrahimovic is currently the most expensive player of all time in terms of combined transfer fees, and the only player to have scored for six different clubs in the Champions League. Records aside, he is a joy to watch due to his great combination of physical strength as well as technique and flair. He is known not only for being a great goal-scorer, but for scoring great goals.
Perhaps the best of his impressive collection came last year on international duty for Sweden. Ibrahimovic was already on a hat-trick as his side led England 3-2, and added an amazing fourth towards the end of the game, as he beat goalkeeper Joe Hart with a long-distance over-head kick. This strike earned him numerous plaudits, and is a perfect example of the player’s tremendous confidence in his ability.
In total, he has 41 goals in 90 caps for Sweden, and 269 career goals at club level. Despite his impressive record with league titles, and a good goal-scoring record in Europe, he has never actually won the Champions League, and his talent certainly deserves the biggest prize of all.
Ibrahimovic could be on the move again this summer, with both Chelsea and Manchester City said to be interested in him, and it would be great to see how he could do in the Premier League.
7. Monaco and Colombia striker Radamel Falcao
Colombian striker Radamel Falcao has quickly become one of the world’s most deadly finishers in the last four years, and has just finished a summer of speculation by joining big-spending French side Monaco for £51million, despite strong interest from the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea.
The 27-year-old started his career in Argentina with River Plate, before joining Porto for what now looks a superb piece of business for just over £3million. The talented striker was an immediate hit in European football, scoring 34 goals in his first season with the club. The following year, he managed 38, and was in superb form to fire Andre Villas-Boas’ side to the treble, scoring the winning goal in the Europa League final against Braga, taking his total to 17 goals from 14 games in the tournament, breaking the previous record held by Jurgen Klinsmann.
His form attracted attention from a host of top clubs, but Atletico Madrid won the race for his signature as they signed him for £34million, finding themselves with money to spend following the lucrative sale of Sergio Aguero to Manchester City. Falcao has been phenomenal in his time in Spain, scoring 70 goals in 90 appearances for Atletico, once again winning the Europa League with a fine performance in the final, scoring two goals in a 3-0 win. In his second season with the club, Falcao scored an astonishing five goals against Deportivo, becoming the first player in La Liga in over a decade to net five goals in a game. He helped them become title challengers and also win the Copa Del Rey final, as he provided a quality assist in the final victory over rivals Real Madrid.
Falcao is certainly a player capable of starring in any team in the world, but made a somewhat surprise decision to join Monaco this summer, as the wealthy Ligue 1 side are determined to become a force in the European game with some big-name signings. Falcao will be joined by Joao Moutinho, James Rodriguez and possibly more star players, and it will be interesting to see whether Falcao can fire this new-look side to glory.
Many will be disappointed he hasn’t chosen to stay in the major leagues in Spain or England, but there’s no doubt Falcao has the ability to lift this growing club to glory, and he should maintain his status as one of the best players in he world.
6. Napoli and Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani
Napoli and Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani has been in sensational form for the last few years since joining Napoli. In just three seasons with the Italians, and 138 appearances, the 26-year-old has managed 104 goals for the club, a phenomenal record.
Cavani’s quality is obvious to all that watch him play, as he combines superb skill and strength, able to score a variety of goals from almost any position. He has almost single-handedly helped Napoli rise to one of the top four clubs in Serie A, and his 29 goals this season made him the top scorer in Serie A as his side finished second to champions Juventus.
His form will surely see him become one of the most expensive players of all time this summer, as a number of clubs seem ready to meet his large release clause fee of £54million. Manchester City, Chelsea and Real Madrid appear to be the main candidates to land the Uruguayan, and he will surely go down as one of the signings of the summer for whoever gets him, as his tremendous ability and goal-scoring record would certainly give his new team a big chance of winning the biggest trophies.
He has previously welcomed the possibility of working with Jose Mourinho or Manuel Pellegrini, however, the latest reports suggest City have pulled out of a deal to sign him due to Napoli’s big asking price, leaving Real Madrid as the main favourites to sign him. With his current record of scoring in a side like Napoli, it would be a joy to watch him play alongside other greats at the game at the Bernabeu, feeding off service from the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Mesut Ozil.
Cavani looks like a player destined for greatness, and although he has so far only won the Coppa Italia and Copa America, he can make the step up with a bigger club and win league titles and the Champions League. He is certainly one of the best players in the world at the moment and deserves all the attention he is currently getting.
5. Tottenham and Wales winger Gareth Bale
It has been a simply sensational season for Tottenham winger Gareth Bale, who has hit the form of his career so far to truly establish himself as a world class talent after a tricky beginning to his career.
The 23-year-old started his career at Southampton as a left-back, and showed plenty of promise in the Championship with the Saints, attracting interest from the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United, though he eventually joined Tottenham for around £5million when he was just 17 years old.
He didn’t get off to the best of starts at White Hart Lane, looking somewhat out of depth in the Premier League and being exposed in a struggling Spurs side. He went on a remarkable run of 24 games without being on the winning side for the club and it is thought that they tried to offload him to Birmingham City, who wouldn’t pay Spurs’ asking price of £3million for him.
Things picked up towards the end of the 2009/10 season, as he was moved forward to midfield by manager Harry Redknapp. His development continued next season as he caught the attention of many of Europe’s biggest clubs with a hat-trick at the San Siro against Inter Milan in the Champions League. He looked increasingly dangerous in his new attacking role, with great pace, dribbling and shooting technique making him a constant threat, and he tore apart the world’s best right-back at the time, Maicon, in the return fixture with Inter at White Hart Lane as Spurs earned a shock 3-1 win over the reigning European champions.
Bale finished that season with 11 goals, and continued his rapid rise next season, scoring a number of terrific solo goals to earn praise from his manager as being in the same bracket as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Some thought this praise over-generous at the time, but after an even better season this year there is no question now that Bale is a world class performer ready to move on to one of the world’s biggest clubs. Real Madrid, Manchester United and PSG are all desperate to sign him and could offer as much as £85million for the Welshman, making him the most expensive player of all time. Given what he has achieved for Tottenham, dragging them almost single-handedly to a challenge for fourth place, he could replicate the success of the likes of Messi and Ronaldo with better players around him.
There are few other players in the world who can take on entire defences or score so many superb solo goals. Bale’s pace and technique make him a nightmare for defenders, and he could have a goal-of-the-season category all of his own this year, as he was rightly voted PFA and FWA Player of the Year.
Still only 23, Bale can go right to the top, and while it will be a blow for the Premier League to lose such a talent, it would also be amazing to see what he can do at a club like Real Madrid.
4. Barcelona and Spain midfielder Andres Iniesta
Andres Iniesta is well on his way to becoming one of the finest midfield players of all time, let alone in the world today. With his impressive trophy haul for club and country as well as sublime natural ability, there are few who have achieved more in the game, or who make football look so easy.
The Spaniard has been at Barcelona for his whole career, and it didn’t take long for him to look like a top young talent when he emerged from their youth team. He first appeared in the 2002/03 season, becoming a regular in 2004.
It was perhaps with the arrival of Pep Guardiola that we started to see the very best of Iniesta, as he became a key component of the fantastic ‘tiki-taka’ football deployed by the boss. Iniesta was at his very best as Barcelona won the treble in 2008/09, forming an exceptional, almost telepathic partnership with Xavi in midfield, though we had already seen glimpses of this combination as Iniesta was influential in Barcelona’s Champions League triumph in 2006 and Spain’s victory at Euro 2008.
Iniesta has never been a particularly prolific goal-scorer, but he found the back of the net at the best possible time for Spain, scoring the winner against Holland in the World Cup final in 2010. It was a deserved moment of individual glory for a player who so often makes his team-mates look so good, and he was voted man of the match in this famous triumph. He will go down in history now as perhaps Spain’s best-ever player, and has been so pivotal in turning them into a side known for being under-achievers into serial winners.
In his career to date, the 29-year-old has won six La Liga titles, three Champions League titles, one World Cup, two European Championships, and two Copa Del Reys, as well as numerous individual accolades, often being unfortunate in finishing behind his incredible Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi in the Ballon D’Or awards.
Many have argued that Iniesta is actually a more important player than Messi, with former Manchester United manager notably saying: “I’m not obsessed with Messi, Iniesta is the danger. He’s fantastic. He makes the team work. The way he finds passes, his movement and ability to create space is incredible.”
No one in Europe provided more assists than Iniesta this season, with 16 in the league, and he is showing no signs of slowing down. As well as being a quality player, he is a winner, and shrugged off suggestions that the Spanish national team would not find the motivation to win the Confederations Cup this summer after all their other recent success in more glamorous competitions.
3. Barcelona and Spain midfielder Xavi
It was a very close call between Xavi and Iniesta for third best player in the world, with Xavi edging it ever so slightly due to his longevity at the top level.
The Spaniard has won all there is to win in the game, starting with his first La Liga title way back in 1999. He has 123 caps for Spain and has won more trophies than any other Spanish player in history in his decorated career.
The 33-year-old plays a slightly deeper role than his midfield partner Iniesta, and is one of the best players of all time at dictating the tempo of a game. No other player has attempted more passes per game in Europe this season, nor has any other player completed as many successful passes. Whether it’s short or long, Xavi is an expert at finding his team-mates and creating chances, with his superb vision and technique making him the perfect playmaker.
Xavi is also a slightly better goal-scorer than Iniesta, reaching double figures in goals on a couple of occasions for Barcelona, due to his excellent ability from long range and free-kicks. He is without a doubt one of the best players to ever play for both Barcelona and Spain, and will be remembered as one of the best midfield playmakers to ever play the game.
Despite a slightly disappointing season this year for Barcelona, in which they were often second best to the big sides, particularly in the Champions League semi-final humiliation to Bayern Munich, Xavi has still added a seventh league title to his collection, and shows no signs of slowing down into his later years, with another influential performance for Spain as they retained the European Championship last summer, with two assists in the 4-0 final win over Italy.
Like Iniesta, Xavi has rather harshly finished behind Barca’s star player Lionel Messi for the FIFA World Player of the Year and Ballon D’Or awards on several occasions, and would surely have won many times if not for playing at the same time was perhaps the greatest player in the history of the game.
There are many exciting young players coming through at the moment, with Spain and Germany in particular providing many talented young midfielders in the Xavi mould, but they will do well to have half the career he has, and he is still arguably the best in the world in his position.
2. Real Madrid and Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo
If not for Lionel Messi, we would almost certainly be talking about Cristiano Ronaldo as the best player in the world, and one of the best forwards of all time.
The Portuguese super star started his career at Sporting Lisbon, and impressed Sir Alex Ferguson in a pre-season friendly against Manchester United, leading the club to sign him shortly afterwards for just over £12million. He initially failed to impress at Old Trafford, looking like little more than a tricky winger with some impressive skills but no end product. However, in his second and third seasons he became more consistent, and his influence grew as the United team around him improved, scoring 23 goals as the Red Devils won the title in 2006/07.
His best season in a United shirt was certainly 2007/08, when he played a slightly different role in the team, drifting in from the wing to play almost as the main striker, scoring an incredible 42 goals in all competitions, many being excellent long range shots from free-kicks. His fine form helped United retain their title and also win the Champions League, with Ronaldo scoring in the final against Chelsea.
Ronaldo’s form saw him linked with Real Madrid, but he remained at Old Trafford for one more year, scoring a further 26 goals as Ferguson’s team won a third title in a row, though they were beaten by Barcelona in the Champions League final in Rome.
It was that summer that Ronaldo became the most expensive player of all time, joining Real Madrid for an incredible £80million. He spoke at the time of his pride at being the most expensive player ever, and he has lived up to the expecation at the Bernabeu. Four years on, the 28-year-old has taken his game to a whole new level, and has 201 goals in 199 appearances for the club, a sensational record. His knack for being in the right place at the right time is uncanny, and when he can fire in his incredible long range shots, he’s almost impossible to defend against which ever part of the pitch he’s on.
Unfortunately, his incredible displays have not brought as much success as he’d have hoped, with only one La Liga title in his four seasons in Spain. He is now rumoured to be unhappy at the club and could become the most expensive player in the world once again with offers likely to come in from Manchester United, PSG and Monaco, possibly as high as £85million.
A return to the Premier League would be fantastic, but it remains to be seen if United can afford him now, with his world class status higher than ever. Still, he is sure to keep firing in the goals at this phenomenal rate and continue proving himself to be at least the second best player in the world.
1. Barcelona and Argentina forward Lionel Messi
By far the best player in the world, and quite possibly the best player of all time, the number one choice for this award was an easy decision, and it will come as no surprise that it goes to Lionel Messi.
The Argentine is quite simply on a different level to anyone else in world football right now, making the best defenders in the world look like amateurs, unable to stop him tearing them apart when he is in full flow.
Still only 25, Messi has so much more to go on and achieve, and a World Cup win with Argentina would surely sway the few doubters that remain that he is in fact a better player than the legendary Diego Maradonna, who led a weaker Argentina team to glory in the competition basically all by himself. Many argue that Messi benefits greatly from having some of the best midfield playmakers ever to play the game in Xavi and Iniesta supplying him with the assists at Barcelona, but it could also be possible that his superb ability and finishing brings their assist stats even higher, as he finishes chances that ordinary players couldn’t dream of.
Although he spearheads an incredibly talented and attack-minded Barcelona team, his absence through injury towards the end of this season showed how much they rely on his quality, and it’s not a rare sight to see him simply taking on entire defences by himself and scoring from all kinds of angles.
A product of the club’s youth academy, Messi broke into the Barca first-team when he was just 17 years old, and looked very much at home alongside star players like Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto’o in Frank Rikjaard’s Barcelona team. However, it was under Pep Guardiola’s guidance that he truly became world class, scoring 38 goals in 2008/09 to help Barcelona win the treble.
His goal stats just got better and better. He followed up that campaign with 47 goals in 2009/10, 53 in 2010/11, and a truly astonishing 73 goals in 2011/12 – numbers that are simply unimaginable in a game where a tally of 30 in a season earns you the status as one of the best in the world.
But as mentioned, it is not just the sheer quantity of goals (and assists, as he often drops deep to good effect to play in team-mates as well), but the quality as well, as he just seems unstoppable from any angle or distance. His match-winning performances have earned him everything there is to win at club level, with six La Liga titles, three Champions League trophies, three Copa Del Reys and a Gold medal with Argentina at the 2008 Olympics.
On an individual basis, he has won the Ballon D’Or four times – more than any other player, a Guiness World Record for 91 goals scored for club and country in a calendar year, most consecutive matches on the score sheet (19), and a joint-highest record of 5 goals in a single game in European football.
In La Liga, he is the scorer of the most hat-tricks in a single season with 8, and the most goals scored in the famous El Clasico derby with Real Madrid, with 18. He is already Barcelona’s leading scorer of all time with 313 goals for the club in 379 appearances. He is quite simply out of this world, and modern football fans are privileged to watch this footballing genius play.