The Guardian's World's Top 100 Best Footballers

[bobby brows]

I've gotta say i've got big issues with this list. Joe Hart only 65. Tevez only 48. John Terry, Patrice Evra, Sami Nasri, David Luiz, Hatem Ben Arfa in the list at all.

David Silva is about 15 places too low too.

No Name Position Club Nationality Age at Dec 20 2012

1 Lionel Messi Forward Barcelona Argentina 25
2 Cristiano Ronaldo Forward Real Madrid Portugal 27
3 Xavi Midfielder Barcelona Spain 32
4 Andres Iniesta Midfielder Barcelona Spain 28
5 Zlatan Ibrahimovic Forward PSG Sweden 31
6 Radamel Falcao Forward Atletico Madrid Colombia 26
7 Robin van Persie Forward Man Utd Netherlands 29
8 Andrea Pirlo Midfielder Juventus Italy 33
9 Yaya Toure Midfielder Man City Ivory Coast 27
10 Edinson Cavani Forward Napoli Uruguay 25
11 Sergio Aguero Forward Man City Argentina 24
12 Iker Casillas Goalkeeper Real Madrid Spain 31
13 Neymar Forward Santos Brazil 20
14 Sergio Busquets Defender/midfielder Barcelona Spain 24
15 Xabi Alonso Midfielder Real Madrid Spain 31
16 Thiago Silva Defender PSG Brazil 28
17 Mesut Ozil Midfielder Real Madrid Germany 24
18 David Silva Midfielder/forward Man City Spain 26
19 Bastian Schweinsteiger Midfielder Bayern Munich Germany 28
20 Gianluigi Buffon Goalkeeper Juventus Italy 34
21 Luis Suarez Forward Liverpool Uruguay 25
22 Sergio Ramos Defender Real Madrid Spain 26
23 Vincent Kompany Defender Man City Belgium 26
24 Gerard Pique Defender Barcelona Spain 25
25 Philipp Lahm Defender Bayern Munich Germany 29
26 Willian Midfielder Shakhtar Donetsk Brazil 24
27 Marco Reus Forward Borussia Dortmund Germany 23
28 Franck Ribery Midfielder Bayern Munich France 29
29 Manuel Neuer Goalkeeper Bayern Munich Germany 26
30 Ashley Cole Defender Chelsea England 32
31 Wayne Rooney Forward Man Utd England 27
32 Juan Mata Midfielder Chelsea Spain 24
33 Thomas Muller Forward Bayern Munich Germany 23
34 Mario Götze Midfielder/forward Borussia Dortmund Germany 20
35 Karim Benzema Forward Real Madrid France 24
36 Cesc Fabregas Midfielder Barcelona Spain 25
37 Oscar Midfielder Chelsea Brazil 21
38 Fernandinho Midfielder Shakhtar Donetsk Brazil 27
39 Javier Mascherano Defender/midfielder Barcelona Argentina 28
40 Gareth Bale Defender Tottenham Wales 23
41 Javier Zanetti Defender/midfielder Internazionale Argentina 39
42 Daniele De Rossi Midfielder Roma Italy 29
43 Dani Alves Defender Barcelona Brazil 29
44 Petr Cech Goalkeeper Chelsea Czech Republic 30
45 Mats Hummels Defender Borussia Dortmund Germany 24
46 Carles Puyol Defender Barcelona Spain 34
47 Angel Di Maria Midfielder Real Madrid Argentina 24
48 Carlos Tevez Forward Man City Argentina 28
49 Didier Drogba Forward Shanghai Shenhua Ivory Coast 34
50 Giorgio Chiellini Defender Juventus Italy 28
51 Marcelo Defender Real Madrid Brazil 24
52 Stephan El Shaarawy Forward Milan Italy 20
53 Toni Kroos Midfielder Bayern Munich Germany 22
54 Samuel Eto’o Forward Anzhi Makhachkala Cameroon 31
55 Jordi Alba Defender/midfielder Barcelona Spain 23
56 Mario Gomez Forward Bayern Munich Germany 27
57 Arturo Vidal Midfielder Juventus Chile 25
58 Eden Hazard Midfielder Chelsea Belgium 21
59 James Rodriguez Midfielder Porto Colombia 21
60 Marouane Fellaini Midfielder Everton Belgium 25
61 Ramires Midfielder Chelsea Brazil 25
62 David Villa Forward Barcelona Spain 31
63 Klaas Jan Huntelaar Forward Schalke Netherlands 29
64 Nemanja Vidic Defender Man Utd Serbia 31
65 Joe Hart Goalkeeper Man City England 25
66 Arjen Robben Midfielder/forward Bayern Munich Netherlands 28
67 Mario Balotelli Forward Man City Italy 22
68 Mathieu Valbuena Midfielder Marseille France 28
69 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Forward St Etienne Gabon 23
70 Robert Lewandowski Forward Borussia Dortmund Poland 24
71 Hernanes Midfielder Lazio Brazil 27
72 Pedro Forward Barcelona Spain 25
73 Santi Cazorla Midfielder Arsenal Spain 28
74 Christian Eriksen Midfielder Ajax Denmark 20
75 Ezequiel Lavezzi Forward PSG Argentina 27
76 Joao Moutinho Midfielder Porto Portugal 26
77 Mario Mandžukić Forward Bayern Munich Croatian 26
78 Patrice Evra Defender Man Utd France 31
79 David Luiz Defender Chelsea Brazil 25
80 Luka Modric Midfielder Real Madrid Croatia 27
81 Victor Wanyama Defender/midfielder Celtic Kenya 21
82 Mapou Yanga-M'Biwa Defender Montpelier France 23
83 Hulk Forward Zenit St Petersburg Brazil 26
84 Darijo Srna Midfielder Shakhtar Donetsk Croatia 30
85 Emmanuel Mayuka Forward Southampton Zambia 22
86 John Terry Defender Chelsea England 32
87 Kwadwo Asamoah Midfielder Juventus Ghana 24
88 Leonardo Bonucci Defender Juventus Italy 25
89 Javier Pastore Midfielder PSG Argentina 23
90 Henrikh Mkhitaryan Midfielder/forward Shakhtar Donetsk Armenia 23
91 Moussa Dembele Midfielder Tottenham Belgium 25
92 Hatem Ben Arfa Midfielder/forward Newcastle France 25
93 Samir Nasri Midfielder Man City France 25
94 Shinji Kagawa Midfielder Man Utd Japan 23
95 Wesley Sneijder Midfielder Internazionale Netherlands 28
96 Pepe Defender Real Madrid Portugal 29
97 Marek Hamsik Midfielder Napoli Slovakia 25
98 Javi Martinez Defender/midfielder Bayern Munich Spain 24
99 Diego Forlan Forward Internacional Uruguay 33
100 Paulinho Midfielder Corinthians Brazil 24

[ant london]

No one has been reading the paper apart from good christian-hating muslims/jews/orthodox christians/hindhus/sikhs/buddhists/athiests/agnostics/nihilists like you and me today......


However, and keeping this as "forum permitted" as possible.....it was beatifully...nat beatifically (...google it)....aposite on this last day of Christmas that my true Guardian said to me.....100 of the world's best footballers. That the list just happened to contain much more of a smattering of our sky blue finest was, in reality, unsurprising....but yet as a City fan; quite amazing.

Even that awful shitbag Mario BalotellmymumIneedtobesold was in there....i love him still.

Listo Fantastico

Eees Normal

[Nigels Tackle]

is that ' arry's january transfer target list?

[Chinners]

Indeed Ant, when I had a look this morning it was too good to spoil by bolloxizing it. Pretty good selection give or take a couple of selections. To see any City player in a top 100 poll let alone several is something I'd never thought I'd witness ... great end to 2012


ha ha NT

[Swales4ever]

great post, Ant... comfortable sentiments indeed: Thanks Sheiky, forever!

on topic, several rating seems to be more about players' glamour rather than actual featured skill: Ozil above Magician Dave is just funny. Sergio Busquets above Alonso, well.... and what about the former great, now whole cracked Buffon within to 20?
Sergio pussy Ramos above Vinnie? nah!....

Anyway, what matters is the whole point made by Ant.

[DoomMerchant]

No one has been reading the paper apart from good christian-hating muslims/jews/orthodox christians/hindhus/sikhs/buddhists/athiests/agnostics/nihilists like you and me today......


However, and keeping this as "forum permitted" as possible.....it was beatifully...nat beatifically (...google it)....aposite on this last day of Christmas that my true Guardian said to me.....100 of the world's best footballers. That the list just happened to contain much more of a smattering of our sky blue finest was, in reality, unsurprising....but yet as a City fan; quite amazing.

Even that awful shitbag Mario BalotellmymumIneedtobesold was in there....i love him still.

Listo Fantastico

Eees Normal

copping a fucking Mancio posting style doesn't give you the right to jizz Kerouac all over the forum by default. Try fucking English next time, Mr Intelligentsia.

Related, City tied for most players in the Top 25 with Real Madrid, right? did i do the maths right? i can't bother to count twice.

cheers

[Blue_Manc]

Great to see my fellow Zambian Mayuka made the list. It's amazing how a player considered to be in the top 100 of the best players in the world isn't picked to start for Southampton

[Yffi_88]

No Robinho?