The world's top 10 footballers: why are they so good?

THE GUARDIAN 

 

The world's most influential players must now bow to the one and only Lionel Messi of Barcelona as we conclude our series

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There was only one name and one position on which all 11 members of the panel were in unanimous agreement: the world No1, Lionel Messi. Photograph: David Ramos/Getty Images
 

10) Edinson Cavani (Napoli and Uruguay)

What on earth are Manchester City and Chelsea waiting for? With 94 goals in 192 matches since his arrival in Serie A five years ago, the Uruguayan international is in his prime as a world-class goalscorer. Cavani is also good news at the box office: first in Palermo and then in Naples the passionate fans responded to his feats, swooning at the sight of a player whose nickname in Italy, Il Matador, does justice to his swashbuckling style and lethal finishing. He was the star of the club's run in last season's Champions League, scoring three goals in two games against City in the group stage and once against Chelsea in the last 16. Richard Williams

9) Yaya Touré (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)

He is one of those players who has defined a position during his generation. "There isn't another Yaya," says the Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini. His physique and athleticism make him a heavyweight opponent. But for a big man to possess such refined technique, and the ability to use it at pace once he gathers speed on the run, makes him an absolute marvel. He was something of a slow burner, having flitted between clubs before arriving on the highest of stages at Barcelona. Since his switch to City, Touré has established himself as one of the most effective players in the Premier League and been voted African Player of the Year. Amy Lawrence

8) Andrea Pirlo (Juventus and Italy)

Somehow, the mature beard that he has recently been cultivating only adds to the air of wisdom and thoughtfulness that has always been at the heart of Pirlo's football. He plays with an alluring capacity to buy himself time, as if he enjoys a metaphorical moment to stroke his new facial adornment while he weighs up what clever touch he intends to execute. Italy's playmaking kingpin was majestic during the European Championship, as central to the team's heartbeat as he was when the Azzurri won the 2006 World Cup. The cool of his Panenka penalty, scooped over Joe Hart, was classic serenity under pressure. Amy Lawrence

7) Robin van Persie (Manchester United and Holland)

Even in 2004, when Robin van Persie had gone from being a tempestuous outcast at Feyenoord to an important Arsenal squad member, it was difficult to predict where his career would take him. Back then, he had a reputation for being a troublemaker, having fallen out with Bert van Marwijk, Pierre van Hooijdonk and Paul Bosvelt at Feyenoord, and collecting far too many cards for Arsène Wenger's liking.
Then, one day, he was at Arsenal's training ground and noticed Dennis Bergkamp, who was practising passing with an academy player. Van Persie watched Bergkamp for 45 minutes – and the Dutchman did not miss a single pass. Van Persie thought to himself: "I am not a bad passer. I am a good player. But I still have a long way to go before I get anywhere near that level of dedication and focus." That's when the Van Persie we see today started to emerge.
The 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons were interrupted by injuries but when he returned, and Thierry Henry had left, the Dutchman was the main striker at Arsenal. This summer Sir Alex Ferguson paid £24m for him and said: "He wanted the challenge of coming to the biggest club in the world. I think that is fantastic." Marcus Christenson

6) Radamel Falcao (Atlético Madrid and Colombia)

They call him the Tiger and he is an insatiable predator, a perfectly honed hunter, stalking the pitch looking for chances to pounce. When he does he is devastatingly effective: right foot, left foot, head, from inside the box and out, this is a guy that does not miss.
Arguably the world's best No9 at the moment – his goals-by-minute ratio currently surpasses that of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo – he has racked up over 50 goals in just a year and a half at Atlético Madrid, winning the Europa League and destroying Chelsea in the European Super Cup with a first-half hat-trick.
The Europa League triumph was his second in a row after success with Porto, and the second in a row in which he finished top scorer and with goals in the final.
Everybody is after him right now and just how good he is can be defined by the buy-out clause in his Atlético contract. It currently stands at €60m and here is the thing: it does not even seem that expensive. Sid Lowe

5) Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Paris St-Germain and Sweden)

A physically imposing maverick with a potent mixture of subtlety in his feet and audacity in his head, Zlatan – his first name suffices – has always been eye-catching. The Swede has enjoyed an eventful 2012, leaving Serie A for the second time, on this occasion for the nouveau riche of Paris St-Germain.
His record-breaking salary initially caused some consternation in France, but that became a side issue for one reason only: Zlatan has been at his brilliant best. His leadership, as well as his talent, has made critics eat their words. His run of titles (eight straight league wins with five different teams) may have ended but he looks determined to get that back on track.
He was also exceptional for Sweden in the Euros – a deserving pick for team of the tournament. The national icon won global recognition for his quartet of glorious goals against England. His power, wit and imagination make him a defender's nightmare. A genuine maestro. Amy Lawrence

4) Andrés Iniesta (Barcelona and Spain)

Sergio Ramos describes Andrés Iniesta as the "enlightened one", a man "touched with a magic wand". There is something different about him. The touch is so smooth, so soft, almost imperceptible at times, that he can do things that other players simply cannot, from incredible dribbles to jaw-dropping assists.
This summer, a photograph did the rounds: Iniesta surrounded by seven Italian defenders. He describes it as a coincidence but it was appropriate somehow: he's the man they fear the most and the man who draws the most pressure on himself. Why? Because he trusts his ability to overcome it.
Always in control, he is the creative fulcrum of the Spain team, and the man who scored the winning goal in the World Cup final. It was not just about the goal, either: his performance in extra time in South Africa is worth watching again and again. Sublime barely does it justice.
Injuries have been a constant problem in Iniesta's career but look back over the last three tournaments, all of them won by Spain, and his influence is startling. He won three man of the match awards at Euro 2012, more than anyone else. There were another three at the World Cup, including the final. And one at Euro 2008. In 18 games across three tournaments – more than any other player – he has been man of the match seven times. Over a third of his games.
In a game where control has become the obsession, defences have become more populous and space harder to find, Iniesta offers that most important of qualities: inspiration. "He imposes so much respect on the pitch," Ramos says. "As a football lover, I am proud to have played with him. He makes the difference and does things that no one else can do." Fernando Torres adds: "I've been playing with him since we were 15 and I have never, ever seen him play badly." Sid Lowe

3) Xavi (Barcelona and Spain)

Xavi Hernández admits that a few years ago he felt like a player under threat of extinction. Everywhere, muscle mattered, height mattered. His game was different. Now, five years later, he is the model, the ideologue behind a different approach – a style that has led him to win everything for club and country.
Luis Aragonés decided to build the Spain side around Xavi, to adopt a game based on possession and control, and it has worked. At the same time, Pep Guardiola took over as coach at Barcelona and did much the same. Xavi was revitalised.
For each of the past five seasons, the world's most significant footballing trophy has been won by the team that had Xavi in the heart of its midfield: two European Championships, two European Cups and a World Cup.
Xavi describes his game as the constant search for spaces. "It's hard when you've got a bloke behind you who's six foot tall and powerful, and he's right on you," he says. "You have to think quickly, you have to look for spaces. That's what I do: look for spaces. All day, I'm looking. Here? No. There? No. Always looking for the space. Space, space. A man comes towards you, over there. Is there one here? Or there?"
Xavi invariably finds it. Over the past five years no player has completed so many passes: he has averaged – averaged! – more than 100 a game. And it is passes that lie at the heart of the success of Spain and Barcelona. This summer, he admitted that he had not enjoyed the Euros as much as previous tournaments. He played a little further forward, where play is more cramped.
But then came the final and Xavi was suddenly everywhere. That Spain produced their best performance was not entirely coincidental. Xavi may well go down as the best player in Spain's history, even if Dani Alves says he "plays in the future". Sid Lowe

2) Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid and Portugal)

One story springs to mind. It is March 2007 at Old Trafford and a Ronaldo-inspired Manchester United have just thrashed Bolton Wanderers 4-1. Henrik Pedersen, assigned the job of trying to stop him, is so befuddled he is substituted after 28 minutes.
Afterwards, a reporter from the Bolton Evening News asks the visiting manager, Sam Allardyce, whether Ronaldo's performance could leave his players with psychological scars. "Scars?" Allardyce replies. "We're going to need a fucking plastic surgeon after that."
Ronaldo can do that to the opposition. Nobody – maybe not even George Best – tormented players as he did for United and, if anything, he has just got better at Real Madrid. A blur of improvisational brilliance, running at the opposition, driving towards goal, his only thought being to score. Worried about nobody, absolutely nobody.
His ego is considerable and, deep down, it must gnaw away at him that Lionel Messi denies him the right to be known as the most extravagantly gifted footballer on the planet. Yet he has already done enough to establish himself as one of the genuine greats.
He scores at a prolific rate, from any distance and any angle. He conjures up shots that dip at the last moment, like someone firing a beach ball in the wind. He flicks the ball with the outside of his boot, while looking in the opposite direction. He goes three or four games without scoring and it is described as a "drought."
Gary Neville, his former Old Trafford colleague, described him recently as "an absolute bully" because of the ordeals to which he subjected opposition defenders. "He would prey on the weak." Better than Messi? Not quite – but what is also very clear is that Ronaldo, scoring at a rate of more than a goal per game, is determined to prolong the argument. Daniel Taylor

1) Lionel Messi (Barcelona and Argentina)

There was only one name and one position on which all 11 members of the panel were in unanimous agreement: the world No1, Lionel Messi. How could we not choose him?
The debate has moved to another plane: it is not so much a question of whether Messi is the best player in the world right now, as whether Messi might just be the best player there has ever been.
He has been making the extraordinary look ordinary for four years now, producing astonishingly brilliant performances with a regularity that has made them no longer astonish. That is just what he does: another great goal from Messi.
These days, if Messi scores a brilliant goal, no one talks about it for weeks, because usually within a few days he has probably gone and scored one that is just as good. Or two. Or more.
Last season he scored 50 league goals, making him the top scorer in La Liga history. He has been top scorer in the Champions League for four seasons in a row, twice scoring in the final. He has scored in the final of the Copa del Rey, the Club World Cup and the European and Spanish Super Cups.
It is not just about the goals either: in 2012, Messi scored 90 goals at a rate of a goal every 4.1 days, and also provided 29 assists. At the time of writing, he had one game left in the year to score more.
It is hard to find sufficient superlatives for him. He can do everything: control the game, slow it down, speed it up and, above all, win it. Pep Guardiola encouraged everyone not to try to describe him because it was an impossible task and instead just to enjoy him: "Don't write about him," the former Barcelona manager said. "Watch him."
Carlos Bilardo, who coached Diego Maradona in 1986, reckons Messi has an extra bone in his ankle: "The ball." It never seems to leave his foot.
"I don't think we'll ever see a player like him again," said the Barcelona manager, Tito Vilanova. Gerard Piqué insists that there is no point in counting him as human: he is, instead, an "extra-terrestrial".
"I don't want to even compare anyone else to him," Xavi Hernández once said. "Because it's not fair – on them." Sid Lowe
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