Top 50 players in the world

Mark

Gabrielle Marcotti (a man who knows his football) lists his in The Times:

Gabriele Marcotti
When my editor suggested putting together a list of the top 50 players, I greeted it with a healthy dose of apprehension. For journalists, such lists are often a lose-lose proposition, exposing you to ridicule and, occasionally, venom. Then again, they do generate debate and I like open-ended discussions as much as the next guy.


But before we get into it, here are the usual caveats. Making comparisons between different positions on the pitch is extremely difficult. Equally, while I do watch a lot of football (far more than is healthy), I haven’t watched most of these players week in, week out, for all ninety minutes. Then again, nobody has. So what you’re getting is a combination of personal assessment and, perhaps more importantly, the distilled views of people I talk to, from scouts to fellow journalists, from agents to managers, from club officials to, yes, ordinary fans.


I couldn’t even have begun to compile such a list without basic criteria. So here they are: imagine you are the manager of a totally new team. You have a certain budget to spend, but first you get one freebie, one guy to build your team around. You get him only for one season, the 2007-08 campaign, so you want to go for who can do the best job for you here and now, without worrying how good he can be down the line. Who would you choose? Who would your “ringer” be? Have a look at all at my selection and then post yours in the comment box below.


50. Gary Neville (Manchester United)
A right back is admittedly an unusual choice, but Neville brings a host of intangibles to the table, from leadership to experience to consistency.
49. Clarence Seedorf (Milan)
You don’t win four Champions League crowns with three different clubs by accident. Perhaps he doesn’t turn it on as often as he once did, but his collection of rabbit’s feet alone makes him a worthwhile punt.
48. Jefferson Farfan (PSV Eindhoven)
He gives you trickery, pace and width, plus a host of goals (42 in the Dutch league over the past two years, a remarkable total for a guy who is not a genuine centre forward).
47. Phillip Lahm (Bayern Munich)
Little Mr Consistency runs all day and is a reliable source of goal-saving tackles and pinpoint crosses. Arguably the best left back around.
46. Rodrigo Palacio (Boca Juniors)
Probably the most reliable striker outside Europe. Something of a late bloomer, at 25 he’s really hitting his stride.
45. Diego (Werder Bremen)
Stick him in the hole behind two strikers and watch him weave his magic. He’s Kaka-lite (or, given his corpulent build, Kaka-heavy).
44. Rino Gattuso (Milan)
Steven Gerrard’s ghostwriters may not rate him, but most of the rest of us do. He runs himself into the ground, lifts the crowd and never gives up.
43. Hernan Crespo (Inter)
139 goals in his past 209 league starts in Serie A and the Premiership tell only part of the story. His movement up front is also straight out of a footballing textbook.
42. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Ajax)
By all accounts, he had a poor season - “just” 21 league goals (down from 33 last year). That says it all. Comparisons to Marco van Basten may be wide of the mark, but he’ll get you goals.
41. Alessandro Nesta (Milan)
Now that he’s fit again, strikers beware: he’s unnaturally quick, strong in the tackle and about as athletic as anyone playing the game today.
40. Juninho Pernambucano (Lyons)
Elegant and creative, but also with an edge when necessary, he can light up any side. Plus, he’ll get his usual haul of set-piece goals.
39. “Lucho” Gonzalez (Porto)
A box-to-box dervish who gets his fair share of goals and is a natural leader to boot. If only he played in a higher profile league...
38. Paul Scholes (Manchester United)
He redefined the role of attacking midfield player in the Premiership. The one concern is how well he would do away from his mentor, Sir Alex Ferguson.
37. Daniele De Rossi (Roma)
The poor man’s Roy Keane. Runs the midfield with intensity and intelligence and, like Keane, occasionally falls prey to the red mist (just ask Brian McBride).
36. Dejan Stankovic (Inter)
His long-range goals make the highlight reels, but his real contribution is the way he can effortlessly slot into any midfield position.
35. Fernando Torres (Atletico Madrid)
It feels as if he’s been around forever, but he’s still just twenty-three. Tall, strong, bright, he can lead any line on his own.
34. David Beckham (Real Madrid/Los Angeles Galaxy)
Strip away the hype, and you have a respected leader who provides the most delicious service from wide positions. That alone is worth a few dozen goals a season.
33. Javier Zanetti (Inter)
Again, we’re dealing with intangibles here. The Inter skipper is a true leader, selfless and self-sacrificing, who can fill either full-back position or play in midfield. One of the most underrated players of the past decade.
32. Jamie Carragher (Liverpool)
Like a fine wine, he gets better with age. Reads the game exceptionally well and has developed a first-rate tactical awareness. Plus, he’d run through a brick wall for you.
31. Florent Malouda (Lyons)
Put him wide or put him in a diamond and the result is the same: a blend of quality and workrate that make him one of the most sought-after players on the market today.
30. John Terry (Chelsea)
He’s what God had in mind when he invented the British centre half. While Terry’s strength and courage win him plaudits, he is also an underrated distributor who reads the game very well.
29. Andrea Pirlo (Milan)
Possibly the best free-kick taker of the lot. He single-handedly brought back the role of the deep-lying playmaker. He’s the human metronome, the man who dictates his team’s rhythym and hardly ever gives the ball away.
28. Mahamadou Diarra (Real Madrid)
He’s a natural-made backbone to any side. Never stops running, wins every 50-50 and distributes the ball efficiently. A central defender’s best friend.
27. David Villa (Valencia)
Nobody in La Liga has scored more over the past two seasons. Quick, tricky and with an eye for goal, he will punish any opponent's error.
26. Michael Ballack (Chelsea)
OK, so he had a bad season. But he’s big, strong, outstanding in the air and can find the target from anywhere in the final third of the pitch.
25. Dimitar Berbatov (Tottenham Hotspur)
He has the body of a bruiser and the touch of a virtuoso. And he looks like he’ll only get better. One of the more athletic big men on this list.
24. Andriy Shevchenko (Chelsea)
Like Ballack, he underachieved last year. But his contribution goes beyond goals (is it just a coincidence that Didier Drogba scored so much in the one season he played alongside the Ukrainian?) and with an injury-free pre-season under his belt, he’s worth taking a punt on.
23. Ronaldo (Milan)
Put your fat jokes to one side please. Consider instead the seven goals in twelve starts for Milan after leaving the Bernabeu asylum. Or the 82 goals in 117 starts he notched at Real in the seasons before the move. Now wash your mouth out with soap.
22. Didier Drogba (Chelsea)
The nice thing with him is that you can either leave him up on his own and lump balls to him or get him involved in the short-passing game. Either way, he’ll tie up entire opposing back fours on his own.
21. Carles Puyol (Barcelona)
A fine defender, but he ranks so high for the intangibles. Puyol is a natural-born leader, a manager’s dream, a guy who knows his limits and will leave his innards on the pitch for the club.
20. Iker Casillas (Real Madrid)
Already a legend, and he only turned 26 last month. He’s an agile, fearless shot-stopper who, if Raul ever retires, will captain Real for years to come.
19. Daniel Alves (Seville)
Rarely does a single man dominate an entire flank the way he does. He combines the skills of a winger with the grit of an old-style hard man. His mere presence on the pitch forces the opposing side to readjust everything defensively.
18. Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal)
If you could open his skull, you’d find the brain of a 30-year-old. Few players are so mature and so aware at such a young age, while also being totally undaunted by the task in front of them.
17. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter)
Admittedly, he’s one of the more volatile heads on this list. But creativity and vision like his rarely come in 6ft 5in packages, which makes him one of the most difficult players to defend against in the game.
16. Frank Lampard (Chelsea)
Let’s let the numbers do the talking, shall we? He has missed five league games in the past six seasons at Chelsea, while hitting double figures in league goals in each of the past four. Plus, he never slows down and is genuinely adored by his team-mates. What more do you want?
15. Ruud van Nistelrooy (Real Madrid)
And to think some numpties thought he was finished. He and Thierry Henry are the only strikers to have scored 20 or more goals in a major European league in five of the past six seasons. Put the ball anywhere near him and he’ll score. Simple as that.
14. Petr Cech (Chelsea)
Go ask Jose Mourinho and he’ll tell you that, had it not been for Steven Hunt’s boot, Chelsea would have won the treble this year. That’s how important Cech is. With a guy like him, you can just stick him in goal, stop worrying about the defensive aspect of the game and focus instead on the other end of the pitch.
13. Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)
The highest ranked defender on this list and with good reason. He’s big, strong, fast and gifted. He held Real’s defence together this season, while chipping in at the attacking end as well. And he’s still only 21...
12. Thierry Henry (Arsenal)
Would have ranked higher, if not for the fact that he hasn’t played since early March and it remains to be seen in what condition he’ll return. Beyond that, he’s a sure thing. Not only does he scare the bejesus out of defenders, he is also one of the most prolific forwards around today. Had he been around all year, it’s unlikely the naysayers would have mocked Arsenal’s lack of finishing the way they did.
11. Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)
Another who had a mediocre season (by his standards). You notice how important he is when he is not there. His workrate and ability are hard to replace and he is quickly becoming indispensable, both for club and country.
10. Francesco Totti (Roma)
His job is to create, not finish, and yet he won the European Golden Boot this season with 26 league goals: a total made all the more remarkable when you throw in the fact that he uncharacteristically missed six penalties along the way. (At least he made the ones that mattered in the World Cup.) That alone should get him on the list - his vision and phenomenal range of passing are bonuses.
9. Leo Messi (Barcelona)
Leave Maradona out of it for a minute. Focus instead on that when the ball is at his feet, unless you’re Nostradamus, you have absolutely no idea what will happen next. There is no legislating for unpredictability in football and Messi has bags of it. Plus, his 14 Liga goals last year show that he has added a healthy scoring dimension to his game as well.
8. Carlos Tevez (West Ham)
A single-minded winner, who has carried whole clubs on his back in Argentina, Brazil and England. Tevez’s contribution isn’t measured in just goals and assists, but in self-sacrifice and heroism. With a season of European football under his belt, there is no telling how much better he’s going to be next year.
7. Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)
Speaking of heroics, he’s done it so many times, it’s easy to lose track. If Gerrard were a few inches taller and a few pounds more slight, we would marvel at his pure technical ability. Instead, we focus on his bruising workrate and other more obvious qualities. Don’t worry about fitting him into your side. Just do what Rafa does. Line up your nine other outfield players and let Gerrard do whatever he likes.
6. Gigi Buffon (Juventus)
Simply put, he’s a freak of nature. No man his size should be so athletic. His agility belies the laws of physics and he is about as unflappable as they come. Having a guy like him in your side means that defeats turn into draws and draws into victories. That alone is worth an extra ten to 15 points at the end of a season.
5. Michael Essien (Chelsea)
A one-man wrecking crew. Is there anything he can’t do? You could probably let the rest of the team go off for a fag break in the middle of the game and let him man the fort in midfield. Terrifyingly gifted already and, if given more responsibility, likely to get even better.
4. Samuel Eto’o (Barcelona)
He’s tired of playing second fiddle to Ronaldinho and with good reason. If he were anywhere else, people would be writing odes and sonnets to him. Eto’o is freakishly quick, an outstanding finisher, with a supernatural eye for goal. Plus, he’s happy to do the dirty work when the other side have possession. Just make sure you continue to massage his ego.
3. Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
In the P.C. era (pre-Cristiano) wingers were slight, nippy and small. He redefined the position marrying size and brawn with pace and trickery. You get the sense that, when he’s running at defenders, he could go around them or straight through them. As an added bonus, he’s also an aerial threat on set pieces.
2. Ronaldinho (Barcelona)
There’s a reason he’s always smiling. You’d be smiling all the time too if you knew that you were the best player on the pitch and you were about to make some poor defender look a jackass. He is the poster child for Brazilian football, the proud heir of those who came before him. He didn’t adapt to the European game, he forced it to adapt to him. Put him on the team sheet, sit back and enjoy the show.
1. Kaka (Milan)
The top four are incredibly tight, but he just edges it for one simple reason: he combines Brazilian flair with European directness like nobody else. He truly is a product of two footballing cultures, a man who has all the virtues and none of the vices of either. Speaking of vices, he really, really doesn’t have any. A committed Christian, he announced proudly that he was a virgin on his wedding night. He likes to parade around in his favourite T-shirt, the one that reads “I belong to Jesus” (thereby opening a whole can of worms regarding third-party ownership). And that’s another reason he tops the list - with Kaka in your team, odds are, the big fella upstairs will be on your side as well...

gustavo

This is the guy with the Italian - American accent ? Good list , I'd find room for Ronaldo in there somewhere
Whoops there he is at 23
Quite surprised Cannavaro isnt there

Steve_o

Its not bad....Dunno if Tevez is worth no. 8....then again maybe he is! Also where's Cannavaro??

emc2

Don't usually like this type of list but this is one of the better ones I have seen. I wouldn't have Gary Neville ahead of players like cannavaro or maldini.

Zapp Brannigan

These things are always an argument waiting to happen.
The list is that guys opinion, fair play to him.

PHB

Think there's too few defenders in there(Cannavaro(although he was pretty **** for Real this year), Carvalho and Ferdinand are two notable exceptions to me), also wouldn't agree about the inclusion of Diarra from Real Madrid, or Palacio. Also wouldn't agree with the presence of Tevez in the top ten already, don't think he's done that much to deserve it.
Other than that, it's a good enough list, although these things are really quite tough to do.

Raskolnikov

emc2 wrote:

I wouldn't have Gary Neville ahead of players like cannavaro or maldini.

It's a list of the worlds greatest players at this present moment.

Maldini is a legendary player but he really struggled this year in Serie A. As for Cannavaro, he was for the most part, horrendous for Real Madrid.

kronsington

difficult to argue with such a list, marcotti knows his stuff. im a big fan of his and enjoyed very much listening to his rants every week during the season on "thegame" podcasts hosted by that prat danny kelly. few notable names off the list i thought: deco, ribery, zambrotta, reina, joaquin, vidic. is gary neville worthy of a place on this list? i know henry was fairly indifferent last season with injuries etc, but 12th on the list? tevez has only come to the fore recently and had a great spell towards the end but to have him above henry, in my view, is a bit questionable. totti above rooney? as the cockneys would say, you're 'avin a laugh. personally, i think totti is one of the most overrated footballers in world football and has been for many years.. and a total gob****e to boot!

Mitch Connor

Totti is the european golden boot winner this year, can't be that bad!

Seaneh

PHB wrote:

Think there's too few defenders in there(Cannavaro(although he was pretty **** for Real this year), Carvalho and Ferdinand are two notable exceptions to me), also wouldn't agree about the inclusion of Diarra from Real Madrid, or Palacio. Also wouldn't agree with the presence of Tevez in the top ten already, don't think he's done that much to deserve it.
Other than that, it's a good enough list, although these things are really quite tough to do.

Get off Rio Ferdinands dick,
the man is a fu*king ball watcher.

Mitch Connor

Seaneh wrote:

Get off Rio Ferdinands dick,
the man is a fu*king ball watcher.

:rolleyes:

if he name was Rio Ferdinando, and he didn't play for United, you'd think he was great. Ball watcher my arse.

gustavo

Tauren wrote:

:rolleyes:

if he name was Rio Ferdinando, and he didn't play for United, you'd think he was great. Ball watcher my arse.

Regardless of whether he played for Manchester or not I still wouldnt have him as one of the Top 50 in the world .

Seaneh

Tauren wrote:

:rolleyes:

if he name was Rio Ferdinando, and he didn't play for United, you'd think he was great. Ball watcher my arse.

I've been watching him play for ten years now and never rated him.

I have no problem with man united, I have no problem with the premiership, what I do have a problem with is the way english tabloids blow players reputations way beyond what they actually deserve.

Rio Ferdinand is AVERAGE.

I'll list 5 better centre hals in the premiership alone.

Terry, Carvalho, Vidić, Woodgate, Campbell.

All of the above had a better season that Rio.

kronsington

jesus ya! why isnt carvalho on the list?

Reganio 2

Carra should be higher. Neville shouldn't be on it and where the hell is Stephen Ireland on that list should be num. 1

kronsington

yeah, i was wondering where marco boogers was.

i smell a new thread on the way

Mitch Connor

Seaneh wrote:

I've been watching him play for ten years now and never rated him.

I have no problem with man united, I have no problem with the premiership, what I do have a problem with is the way english tabloids blow players reputations way beyond what they actually deserve.

Rio Ferdinand is AVERAGE.

I'll list 5 better centre hals in the premiership alone.

Terry, Carvalho, Vidić, Woodgate, Campbell.

All of the above had a better season that Rio.

Well, i disagree.

Terry didn't have a great season, at the start of the season the absence of Gallas was easily seen, with Terry getting more exposed then he used to. Picked up and had a strong end to the season following his injury though. Carvalho i'll give you, he was excellent this season. Vidic - formed a gret partnership WITH ferdinand, didn't look even nearly as good without Rio. An excellent defender anda great addition to the team. However, if one was to be sold, I would pick Vidic. Woodgate....No. He was ok for boro', but is a long way off the potential he showed in his leeds days. Campbel....No. Had a good year, but not better the Rio. I would also have put Kolo Toure ahead of Campbel.

Also, I would say Rio is a different type of defender to Terry, Vidic and Campbel - all 3 are bruising defenders, the players that attack the ball. Rio is more of a sweeper, and in that role he was excellent for united last season - one of the major reasons we won the title.

But this is pointless, we'll never agree.

Chucky the tree

LOL at rio ferdinands name being mentioned.

Andrew 83

Very little to argue about. Good list with good rundowns of the players' strengths.

pickarooney

Tevez - voted best player in South America three years running but hasn't done much to deserve inclusion in the top ten of this list?

Mitch Connor

pickarooney wrote:

Tevez - voted best player in South America three years running but hasn't done much to deserve inclusion in the top ten of this list?

up til march, exactly what had he done this season? Surely current form should come in to a list of the current best.

emc2

Raskolnikov wrote:

It's a list of the worlds greatest players at this present moment.

Maldini is a legendary player but he really struggled this year in Serie A. As for Cannavaro, he was for the most part, horrendous for Real Madrid.

In that case was Neville not injured for a good part of the end of season? In my opinion he's not one of the top 5 or 6 defenders in the world at the minute as this poll suggests.

PHB

I think Neville is still at the top of his game, while Maldini clearly isn't I'm afraid, what a legend though.

In terms of Ferdinand, there's a reason why United won the league this season, and theres a reason why United's defense was crap without him. People can say whatever they want about him, but his success tells all the stories. Premiership winner. In the team of the year. United's defence this season fell apart without him. Constantly picked for the England squad ahead of Carragher, through two successive managers, and there is no strong public call for him to be included either.

I just realised there is one player who is a shocking miss from this list, Xavi, possibly the best central midfielder in the world.

pickarooney

Tauren wrote:

up til march, exactly what had he done this season? Surely current form should come in to a list of the current best.

And on current form he's ****-hot, no?

Mr. Presentable

Tauren wrote:

Well, i disagree.

Rio is more of a sweeper

Typo, right?

Chucky the tree

PHB wrote:

I think Neville is still at the top of his game, while Maldini clearly isn't I'm afraid, what a legend though.

In terms of Ferdinand, there's a reason why United won the league this season, and theres a reason why United's defense was crap without him. People can say whatever they want about him, but his success tells all the stories. Premiership winner. In the team of the year. United's defence this season fell apart without him. Constantly picked for the England squad ahead of Carragher, through two successive managers, and there is no strong public call for him to be included either.

I just realised there is one player who is a shocking miss from this list, Xavi, possibly the best central midfielder in the world.

I didnt think this thread could get any more comical.

eirebhoy

kronsington wrote:

i think totti is one of the most overrated footballers in world football and has been for many years.. and a total gob****e to boot!

Can't disagree with the last comment but he got 32 goals and 12 assists this season. I still think he the most varied range of passing of any player in the world. He could play any pass with any part of either foot.

Mark

Totti earned his reputation based on how well he plays in Serie A this last decade. That form has never really translated to international or European football so most people here think he's shockingly overrated.

I echo the astonishment at Carvalho's absence which I didn't notice the first time. He sets up attacks from the defence in the way Ferdinand is meant to have the ability to do but never does.

Kold

Fabregas is at least 20 places too high..

Limerick Dude

I wouldnt argue with alot of that, one of the better lists i have seen

Lex Luthor

No Cannavarro & Klose....I suppose everybody has their own list but he seems to have gotten most of it right...

Pepe LeFrits

Kold wrote:

Fabregas is at least 20 places too high..

Nah.

Xavi not being there is strange alright. Cannavaro and Carvalho too, super defenders.

Personally I think people are biased against Ferdinand because he plays for Man United, he cost a fortune, and he's an annoying 'innit' t... oh, I can't insult him, but everyone knows what he is anyway. However, on the pitch, he is class. He has occasional lapses in concentration and he doesn't read the game as well as an Adams or a Terry, but apart from that he's got everything.

These lists are obviously subjective but how can you compare a player like say, Thierry Henry, who has been immense for years but has had a poor and injury riddled season, to say Cristiano Ronaldo, who has been brilliant this season, but nowhere near to #3 in the world in any of the previous seasons. If it is based on the player's form, then Thierry Henry is nowhere near #12 in the world. His season was no better than Robin van Persie's, and he's not on the list. While in reverse, Van Nistelrooy has been much better this season but is below him on the list.

iregk

kronsington wrote:

tevez has only come to the fore recently and had a great spell towards the end but to have him above henry, in my view, is a bit questionable.

Remember its not based on the premiership or just the big leagues in Europe. Carlos Tevez has been an absolute monster in the South American leagues for a few years now. We haven't seen anywhere near the best of him on this continent yet.

Other than that hard to argue with a lot of the list. Carvalho missing is strange, certainly a lot better than Carragher. While I don't rate Rio as high as a lot of people he does have his uses. Models ben sherman watches quite well in the Argos catalogue!

Jazzy

poor adriano. has he really gone that bad ?

jesus, 5 league goals this season. what happend to him?

gosplan

11. Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)
Another who had a mediocre season (by his standards). You notice how important he is when he is not there. His workrate and ability are hard to replace and he is quickly becoming indispensable, both for club and country.


When did or will Rooney actually have a good season by his standards? I certinaly can''t remember him having a really good season, let anlone a few in a row which would mean setting 'standards'.

Load of rubbish. Saha was as good as him when fit this year as was Van Persie, Berbatov etc(actually probably better)

I mean what has rooney actually done apart from one hat trick in Europe and being young and English?

PHB

I mean what has rooney actually done apart from one hat trick in Europe and being young and English?

Cute He has been at United for 3 years, so it's tough for him to have a long history
Berbatov is a pretty damm good player, as is Van Persie. Rooney being compared to them isn't saying Rooney isn't a fantastic player, it's just pointing out that Berbatov and Van Persie are also fantastic players.

There was that brace against Milan that sticks in my mind as his best performance last season, but despite playing poor for most of the season, he got 14 goals and 11 assists last year That said, he wasn't as good as he was the season before, when he pretty much dragged United for the entire second half of the season. I look forward to next season when he gets a full pre-season under his belt (was rushed back too early for the WC), and then we get to see Ronnie and Rooney both on form playing for United

KdjaCL

There is a league other than the premiership and there is international teams too. List is inaccurate as it has too many Prem players in it, where is Grekias? Diogo? etc.....


kdjac

cupthehand

Javier Mascherano

An absolute monster of a midfield player, classier ball winner than Gattuso - always snapping at players heels, just look at the job he did on "the worlds number one" in the Champions League Final. An established Argentinian International at 23 (last week only!), think back to the part he played in the Argentian's destruction of Serbia in Glensenkirchen last Summer.
Should definetly be there.

KdjaCL

cupthehand wrote:

Javier Mascherano

.

Tbh its POV we could name players all night who should be in it, guess thats the point of it really.

kdjac

Call Me Jimmy

Messi at number 9? Shockingly low in the chart, he has been immense this season, no way ronaldinho should be higher if it's based on current form

gosplan

PHB wrote:

Berbatov is a pretty damm good player, as is Van Persie. Rooney being compared to them isn't saying Rooney isn't a fantastic player, it's just pointing out that Berbatov and Van Persie are also fantastic players.

Yeah, but Rooney's number 11. Figure that out.

I'm not denying his talent. I'm just saying that you can say

'Henry had a poor season by his reasonably high standards'

or 'Shevchenko had a poor season by his reasonably high standards'

Rooney doesn't have really high standards. He has a record of a couple of good 6 month spells and a lot of promise.

PHB

I think the list is pretty silly in a number of areas anyway, and imo, most young players in that list should be much much lower, cept maybe Messi and Ronaldo who were top top quality last season.

eirebhoy

iregk wrote:

Remember its not based on the premiership or just the big leagues in Europe. Carlos Tevez has been an absolute monster in the South American leagues for a few years now. We haven't seen anywhere near the best of him on this continent yet.

Other than that hard to argue with a lot of the list. Carvalho missing is strange, certainly a lot better than Carragher. While I don't rate Rio as high as a lot of people he does have his uses. Models ben sherman watches quite well in the Argos catalogue!

Still though, is he the best Argentinian player out there? Doubt it.

tdv

Its pretty f*cked up list if you ask me. Too many Prem players & lack of defenders. Nesta is top 10 material, Messi should be higher up & Gary Neville, wtf is that about?

iregk

cupthehand wrote:

just look at the job he did on "the worlds number one" in the Champions League Final.

You mean the guy that won the free kick for the first goal and set up the second?

What you most likely didn't see was the Brazil Argentina game not long before the CL final where Kaka just dominated him.

cournioni

Scholes in 38th, complete joke. He's far better than many of the players above him including the vastly overrated Gerrard, who isn't even the best midfielder at Liverpool.

Mitch Connor

PORNAPSTER wrote:

Scholes in 38th, complete joke. He's far better than many of the players above him including the vastly overrated Gerrard, who isn't even the best midfielder at Liverpool.

His inability to tackle does let him down a lot.

joe123

Far to many premiership players. Gary neville shouldnt be on it. At least he didnt put Chris Ronaldo number 1. Kaka is the best player in the world now.

Palacio should be higher. A great striker. And Riquilme dont think i saw him.

these lists are hard compile anyways but definitely to much premiership.

On another note Royston Drenthe is a player for the future not saying he should be on that list though just thought id mention he was brilliant in the u21 championship.

stooge

Seaneh wrote:

I've been watching him play for ten years now and never rated him.

I have no problem with man united, I have no problem with the premiership, what I do have a problem with is the way english tabloids blow players reputations way beyond what they actually deserve.

Rio Ferdinand is AVERAGE.

I'll list 5 better centre hals in the premiership alone.

Terry, Carvalho, Vidić, Woodgate, Campbell.

All of the above had a better season that Rio.

You're damm right there. I'm a united supporter and I still find it hard to believe we spent 28m on ferdinand.

Don't get me wrong, he is a good player, but his problem is that he switches off too often, leaving players too much space (done this in the FA Cup final). He's often not strong enough and is muscled out by good forwards. I'd take another vidic, a terry , carvalho or carragher any day, you can be sure they wouldnt give a forward and inch and will stick to them like glue.

He needs a good kick up the arse to stop acting fancy with the ball and do what centre defenders should do.. stop forwards scoring.

Chardee MacDennis

iregk wrote:

You mean the guy that won the free kick for the first goal and set up the second?

What you most likely didn't see was the Brazil Argentina game not long before the CL final where Kaka just dominated him.

sigh... alonso was marking him for the free and he wasnt on the pitch for the second.

he kept kaka in his place for the time he was on the pitch, and i dont know how anyone could deny that.

iregk

Call_me_al wrote:

sigh... alonso was marking him for the free and he wasnt on the pitch for the second.

he kept kaka in his place for the time he was on the pitch, and i dont know how anyone could deny that.

Was it not masch that gave away the free?

I'm just pointing out that its a tribute to say someone who was completely marked out of a game still managed to win a free kick for the 1st goal and set up the second.

I think Mash was great in the final, big mistake taking him off and potentially he has it to become one of the worlds best but not there yet. Still has a bit to learn. You cannot just take one match, say something like he had a better of "supposidly world number 1" and base everythign on that. Like I said a few weeks before that match Kaka destroyed in an international game, what does that say about Mash?