One of the most discussing football topics is who are the best players in the world? Everyone will have their opinions and prejudices, partly formed where they live, who support and who have seen them play, live or television.
There can be no final list. However, here are three suggestions for players who, at least, would make the list for many.
Lionel Messi
The 36 -year -old Argentine was recently voted on FIFA’s best player for 2019, the last in an almost endless list of prizes, which includes five Ballon d’Ors, six European gold shoes (awarded for the highest scorer in European football) and has been recognized as the best player in the League eight times. In 692 appearances in Barcelona, he has marked 602 times, and in 2012 he reached the remarkable feat of scoring 91 goals in a single calendar year. This is although when he joined Barcelona Youth Academy, he was so calm that his peers initially thought he was dumb, while he had to receive a hormonal growth treatment to help him develop him physically. Messi is short – 5 feet 7 inches in height – with a low center of gravity, but with excellent haggling capacity and near control, which allows him to overcome several opponents, one after the other, often through the driving runs from the right side of the playing ground. It is also an excellent passage of the ball, with the vision and the technique to find angles and options that eluding minor players and is an excellent specialist in dead balls.
A man in a club all his life has helped Barcelona a degree of unmatched success in his history, winning ten league titles, 6 Cup of Kings, 4 Champions Leagues and the World Club Championship three times.
He was part of Pep Guardiola in 2009, which won the Treble and, adopting the style “Tiki-Taka”, played some of the best footballers who never saw on the world stage, with Messi assisted by Andrés Iniesta and Xavi who helped remove ropes in the midfield. Since his retirement, Barcelona has been less dominant and has become further entrusted with Messi, and his seemingly unlimited ability to remove the games from the fire for them.
The only lack of record as a player is his international failure with Argentina. Not so beloved in their country of origin as in the rest of the world because it has played all their club football in Spain, they helped them guide them to three successive finals (the 2014 World Cup and the Amicica Cup of 2015 and 2016), but they lost them. He was briefly retired from the International Party, only to return and dragged them almost with the qualification for the 2018 World Cup finals in Russia. However, they perfected again and were eliminated in the 16 round, although it has just scraped out in the group stage.
More recently, they arrived in the semifinals of the América Cup this summer, but they fell again, hit by Brazil in the semifinals.
Cristiano Ronaldo
During the best part of a decade, Cristiano Ronaldo has been betting with his great rival Messi on access to the best player in world football.
The 9 years that the Portuguese captain passed to Real Madrid saw him and Messi devoted himself to a continuous struggle to see who would have the emergency honor as a higher dog, not in the league, but in European football in general, with each one seemed determined to match the others to get the goals and the man in the party’s performances. Ronaldo has voted for FIFA’s best male player for 2016 and 2017, and, like Messi, he is a five -time winner of Ballon d’Or. He began his career in his native Portugal, before moving to the Premier League and Manchester United, where he was first known by a global audience, winning the first of his five champions league medals. The European winner of the four -time gold shoes moved to Madrid in 2009, so it was a world record share and then proceeded to pay completely, as it helped to deliver two league titles, the King Cup on both occasions and the Champions League four of the five seasons between 2013 and 2018.
During his time in Spain he promised more than a goal as a game, and maintains the record for the most scored goals in the Champions League at 127 – 15 more than Messi, and 50 seniors than the following man on the list, Raúl, who also had a legendary career with Real Madrid. He started his career as an end and was endowed with rhythm. Excellent technical skill, he won the reputation as a “show pony” in his first days because of his tendency to do too many tricks and fall too quickly to the ground.
However, over the years, it has evolved to a complete striker, capable of playing any of the stops, as well as the center. It can mark with any of the feet, it is a powerful head of a ball and can hit free kick and nightmare. The steps and the jobs are still there, but they have learned when they occur with the utmost effect. Always in more important physical conditions, he is able to pure brightness: his general expense for Real Away to Juventus in the quarter of the 2018 Champions League was so good that he earned him a permanent ovation of home fans.
Juventus was impressed with their talent that they paid 100 million euros for those of 34 years in the summer of 2018 to sign it. He finished the highest scorer in series A for the season, but the disappointment for him and his new club arrived at the Champions League when Ajax won his side. However, he was comforted to win the league title and be voted on the most valuable player in the A.
When Ronaldo has the advantage of Messi, he has been successful internationally, having caught in Portugal to succeed in the euro 2016, and again, earlier this year, in the League of Opening Nations.
Neymar
Neymar -to give it his full name Neymar da Silva Santos Junior -is usually mentioned in the same support as both Messi and Ronaldo, although so far there is a sense of undervaluing on the Brazilian race. In part, this is due to his character. During the 2018 World Cup, the Brazilian newspaper or Globo commented that Neymar “loved Brazil and bothered the whole world.” Among the neutrals, he likes his cynicism and his play performance, while he is considered a player who dives excessively, he always tries to win cheap free kicks and to get opposing players to have problems with the referees.
Neymar was marked as a star at an early age. The son of a former professional player, he joined the 11-year-old Santos youth creation, and so fast it was his progress that he was offered the opportunity to join Real Madrid only three years later. Instead, he chose to continue his development in Brazil, where he would continue to help Santos to win league and cup titles, while he was appointed Brazilian player of the year on four consecutive occasions. He also made his debut in Brazil as a teenager.
In May 2013, he moved to Barcelona in a transfer agreement, although the terms of his move are surrounded by mystery and then he would be investigated by the Spanish fiscal authorities. Barcelona and Vice President Josep Maria Bartomeu were charged with tax fraud. His time with Barcelona was a success in the field: the side won two league titles, the Rey Cup three times, and the Champions League in 2015.However, while Neymar remained with Barcelona, there was always the sense that was in the shadow of Messi, and in 2017 he joined the French club PSG for a global share of 222 million euros.
Until now, it can be argued that PSG has had a value for money -for at least Neymar on the pitch. It was supposed to help them achieve success in the Champions League, in the Holy Grail for the club’s owners, but since they have been there, they have constantly failed in the quarterfinals. And, although the side has won attached league titles and has doubled the National Cup in 2018, it is not a significant achievement in a country where PSG is so dominant in terms of budget and resources. In the meantime, Neymar has acquired the reputation of missing games, especially when PSG plays less fantastic teams away from home, while constantly relating to a transfer to Barcelona this summer, only for negotiations to collapse later.
The 2014 World Cup was the setting that would show his prodigious talents in the world, with Neymar a lot of the talisman for Brazil’s hosts who felt they were previously determined to lift the trophy on the floor of the house. However, against Columbia in the quarterfinals, Neymar was forced to leave the field on a stretcher, and without him the Brazil was humiliated 7-1 by Germany on the floor of the house in the semifinals.
He was more disappointed in the 2018 World Cup. Neymar helped lead his country to the quarterfinals, but were then eliminated by Belgium 2-1. And, when Brazil was winner again, in the America Cup this summer, Neymar was forced to reach the competition due to injury.
Virgil Van Dijk
Virgil Van Dijk was voted on European footballer of the year for 2019 and is one of the main contestants to win the Golden Ballon this season. Currently, captain of the Dutch national team, has promoted prominence since he joined Liverpool de Southampton for a quota of £ 75 million in January 2018.
Since arriving at Anfield, he has helped transform Liverpool into contestants for both the Premier League title and the Champions League, and was an integral part of the side that raised a sixth European title against Tottenham in Madrid in June at the beginning of this year, twelve months after Real Madrid was beaten in the final.
It is physically active, fast on the ground, tactically conscious, and an excellent passage from the ball from deep, as well as being higher in the air at both ends of the pitch. Above all, what he brings to the teams he makes is leadership, instilling the calm and confidence among teammates.
He began his career in his Natal Netherlands with Eredivisie Side Groningen, until he moved to Scotland with Celtic in 2013. In his two complete seasons in Scotland, he twice won the title of the Scottish Premier League twice, the League Cup, and was named on the PFA team in Scotland for the two years. By joining Southampton in September 2015 for a quota of £ 13, he was instantaneous with his new club, becoming his club captain and named his season player for 2015 -2016.
However, he has been to Liverpool that he has blossomed, helping to transform them on the side of the first four places into severe challenging for the main honors of the game. In recognition of their efforts last season, both Liverpool players and fans were voted by their season player for the 2018 – 2019 campaign.
He has also had a significant impact on his country, although he did not make his international debut until October 2015. He granted the captaincy by Ronald Koeman, directed his side to the UEFA Nations League final earlier this year, and although they later lost to Portugal, he was named on the tournament team.
What will add the ice to his cake this year is that and Liverpool is able, after a thirty -year -old gap, to claim the title of the Premier League again. The alleged ones are good with the side that has won all its eight opening games, but if they succeed, Van Dijk is likely to play a major role.
