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‘The 100 Best Players in the World’

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British football magazine FourFourTwo, just published (in the November issue) the list of the “100 Best Players in the World.” The choices are based on the input of the magazine’s journalists. Of course it will lead to all kinds of debate as “lists” are always subjective and don’t mean anything beyond getting fans talking. Generally I agree with the list. If you haven’t seen the list, here’s the top ten (I’ve listed them by country, since that’s an affiliation that does not change):


(1) Lionel Messi (Argentina)

(2) Ronaldo (Portugal)

(3) Xavi and Iniesta (Spain)

(5) David Villa (Spain)

(6) Fernando Torres (Spain)

(7) Steven Gerrard (England)

(8) Kaka (Brazil)

(9) Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)

(10) Wayne Rooney (England)

Since I am an Afrophile when it comes to football, I was a bit surprised by only Eto’o’s inclusion in the top ten. So who were the other Africans who made into the top 100? Not much. Didier Drogba of Cote d’Ivoire came in at number 14, Michael Essien (Ghana, 18), Yaya Toure (of Barcelona and Cote d’Ivoire, 39), Freddie Kanoute (Mali, 43) and Maroume Chamakh (Morocco) at 81.

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69 replies on “‘The 100 Best Players in the World’”

It’s a sad indictment of South African football that they don’t have any players in the list. For one of the richest leagues in Africa, they are not producing world class stars. Benni McCarthy is still on the bench at Blackburn, yet he’s still heralded as a messiah for Bafana Bafana and Aaron Mokoena is prone to bouts of calamity. I can’t see Kagisho Dikgacoi setting the Premiership alight. Steven Pienaar is the silver lining in SA and maybe he should have crept into the top 100.

Steven Gerrard at number 7? Really? That’s a bit anglo-centric…

Agreed on the Anglo-centric nature of the list; it seems to be standard practice of these kinds of lists.

And I agree on the paltry state of SA football. The team will be lucky if they don’t get embarrassed in their group games.

For these reasons I am anti-lists! And I am especially anti-World Player awards. These things are popularity contests and more often than not reflect people’s valuations of imaginary images of players. Messi’s topping of the list is a good example. He is brilliant in flashes these days, tearing apart (often bottom-side) defenses one moment, and disappearing in big games the next (in my opinion, he was a mere spectator in many Barcelona games in the CL last year, despite scoring in the final). Kaká is another example: he has been dismal for Madrid so far and had a very poor season last year at Milan. Gerrard and Rooney, well, Anglo-centrism is far-reaching! Brilliant at times, incomprehensible at others. If you ask me, the player of the year in 2008 should have been Xavi Hernández, but a guy like him is quiet, a true team player who doesn’t concern himself with image-building. He just does his job, brilliantly, day in and day out.

Essien is another guy like that. In his case, he is also burdened by a latent brand of racism that pigeonholes Africans, very often, into “hard-workier/tireless” stereotypes. Much like Makelele before him–in my opinion, such a class, magnificent, and intelligent footballer–the world football talking heads will first point to the “creators”–of goals and plays (aka Messi, Kaká, etc) and not those who make everything possible for their team on the field.

There must be something wrong here. How come the following 11 players are not considered THE best in the world?
Julio Cesar; Maicon, Lucio, Juan, André, Gilberto Silva, Hernanes, Elano ,Kaká, Nilmar, Luis Fabiano

The 6th World Championship is approaching.

Michael Essien is the best player in the world, and he’s also the most versatile. Unreal, really.

Dani Alves might be Brazil’s second best fullback, but there are moments when he’s the best player in the world.

Shay Given is one of the best goalkeepers in the world. Casillas isn’t shabby either, nor is Edwin van der Sar. But you won’t see any of them on the list.

At the top of his game, Patrice Evra, all four foot nine inches of him, might well be the best player in the world…etc

But, as you can see, these lists are only interested in strikers and attacking midfielders and, as such, are worthless unless accompanied by that disclaimer. It’s like announcing a list of the most beautiful women in the world and restricting it only to redheads.

If you asked the top coaches of this world they will tell you that the most valuable players are those that are most useful off the ball…those who close down space, break attacks, and other ‘blue collor assignments’. Planting the ball into the net coz of pace and strategic location (Torres), outsprinting others to score (Ronaldo), or driving hard shots into the net (Gerard) are not the only yardsticks…it is in this myopia that good players off the ball like Mascherano, Darren Fletcher, and so on are ignored.

wayen rooney is fantastic fantastic player , i think he is best player in the world at moment, hes form this season n has been special .

Hi Sen,
am glad that we have one objective fan out there, I also do not fancy MUFC too much, but I have beenn watching Fletcher for a while and am convinced he is one of those players that work like the spokes in the wheel, you don’t see them too much, yet because of them star players of the rival team have no space to play their game.

wayne rooney should be second or third are you crazy hes a legend to become he is way more hardworking and better than ronaldo just under messi.

You must be joking about Fletcher . . . please, people. Let’s be real. Gerrard ahead of Rooney?! I do see the point made about strikers and fantasistas always overshadowing hard-working guys in these kinds of all-star rankings, but most of us do not fall in love with the game because of players like Fletcher! My only comments about the Top 10 is that there is too much Spain. Xavi yes, but Torres, Iniesta and Villa? Watch them flop in South Africa, just like the Confed Cup last year.

please, let’s be realistic here there would be no way Gerrard can be ahead of my W. Rooney when we talk about strikers. even F. Torres with Rooney’s current form.

SAMUEL KEWSI ODOOM FROM UNIVERSITY OF GHANA, ACCRA, GHANA.

c.ronaldo is best player in universe no body is of his compare. he alone is the king of soccer and lionell messi is a kid in front of him.rooney that old body is at ten what is this

c.ronaldo is best player in universe no body is of his compare. he alone is the king of soccer and lionell messi is a kid in front of him.rooney that old body is at ten what is this.where is drogba and fabrigas

Messi should be in front but W.Rooney should be in 2nd place boyz with his form nobody but Messi can compare.

attention every one in your capacity.the fact remains that , the portuguese foot ball magistian(Ronaldo)out competes the 20years in future magistian to be.without fear or favour irespect him because of his foot ball achievements compared to the foot ball kid messi.TUMUKUNDE MARTINE SINGLE, KYAMBOGO UNIVERSITY UGANDA

Ronaldo is adad to messi in foot ball inother words my comment is he should always be put first in every list and there follows the son messi TUMUKUNDE MARTINE<SINGLE KYAMBOGO UNIVERSITY UGANDA

messi rox
cristiano is Gay
my opinion is
1- messi
2-xavi and iniesta
3-arshavin
4-torres
5-ibrahimovic
6-Fabregas
7-ribery
8-gourcuff
9-ticinovic
10-giovanni dos santos
11- rooney
12-gerrard
13-lampard
14-essien
15-etoo

kaka is getting worse but just include him as 5th and ibrahimvoc as 14th etoo is replaced bu drogba and drogba is the last 16th 😀

i’ld agree with that except for the fact that i think that fábregas should be in the top ten considering that he started at a young age

i love ronaldo he should be number 1 and kaka shud be number 2 ronaldo is 1st in my love radar who is with me

not bad but gerrard and rooney should be no where near the top 10 probably just outside the top 100 because they constantly loose the ball they are very overrated joe cole is englands best player but i think you got the top 3 spot on

i ds agree with some of those comments….due to the fact someone said Edwin Van Der Sar well he shouldnt be on that list because for the main reason he is not getting any younger at all! But that is not just because i am an Arsenal fan! I think Cesc Fabregas should be there as well because yes he is moving to Barca therefore if Barca want him he is a big player so he should be on there to!!!

my top ten would be
1.messi
2.ronaldo
3.kaka
4.cassilas
5.rooney
6.villa
7.gerrard
8.drogba
9.iniesta
10.torres

Messi in my opinion is a bit too weak to be the best player in the world, Gerrard is outstanding and so is Torres! C. 1. Gerrard. 2.Torres. 3.Rooney. 4.David Villa. 5.Fabregas. 6. Snjeider. 7. Messi. 8. Ronaldo. 9. Drogba. 10. Essien

My opinon is

MESSI
RONALDO
XAVI
KAKA
INESTA
DAVID VILLA
ZLATAN IBRHIMOVIC
TORRES
GERRARD
CESC FRAGREGAS

my best ten players of all time are

1 jure travner
2 david weir
3 kyle hutton
4 flavio paixo
5 glen loovens
6 will haining
7 sasa papac
8 messi
9 kyle lafferty
10 gary kenneth

hoos kylebear number 1 s got 2 be james vaughaun from everton now what a meen ken

casillas

van der wiel pepe mcculoch papc

fleck davis edu hutton weis

lafferty

unbeateble squad obv

1 messi
2 ronaldo
3 kaka
4 ibranovic
5 xavi
6 iniesta
7 rooney
8 gerrard
9 torres
10 villa
11 drobga
12 tevezd

13 close
14 ozil
15 puyol
16 lampar

1-Messi 2-ronaldo 3-rooney 4-Villa
5-Ibrahimovic 6 Kaka 7-Tevez 8Torres 9-torres 10-Gerrard
11-Vanpersie 12-Arshavin 13-Iniesta 14-Xavi 15-Higuain
16-Bojan 17-Park Ji Sung 18-Evra 19-ronaldhno 20-Michael Owen

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