THE
TOP FIVE FOOTBALLERS IN THE WORLD
Every
fan has an opinion about the world's best soccer players, but nearly everyone
agrees on a few players. Many of these stars play for the elite soccer teams —
Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Manchester figure prominently in this list — and a
few of them are already considered legends, like Lionel Messi or Cristiano
Ronaldo. All of them contribute to the global appeal that soccer fans call the
"beautiful game."
01 to
05
Lionel Messi
A
multiyear winner of FIFA's Player of the Year Award, Lionel Messi is generally
considered to be the best
soccer player of all time. His ability to mesmerize defenders with a mix of
skill and pace is unmatched, and it often appears as though the ball is glued
to his feet. Messi led his home country, Argentina, to the 2014 World Cup
final, losing 1-0 to Germany, and to the finals of the 2015 and 2016 Copa
Americas. A serial winner with his club, the Barcelona star is versatile enough
to play anywhere across the frontline.
Teams: Argentina, F.C. Barcelona
Position: Forward
Team
number: 10 (both
teams)
02
of 05
Cristiano Ronaldo.
Cristiano Ronaldo is the only player who
soccer fans say could be considered Messi's equal — if not superior. Ronaldo is
stronger and taller than the Argentine, and his goals-to-games ratio is
similar. In 2016, Ronaldo was named FIFA's Player of the Year, his fourth such
honor. In fact, he and Messi have been the only two players to win that honor
since 2007. Since joining Real Madrid from Manchester United in
2009, Ronaldo has been a revelation, making the world-record outlay of $131
million look less outrageous with every goal he scores. His famous stopover is
imitated in parks right across the
world.
Teams: Portugal, Real Madrid
Position: Forward
Team
number: 7 (both
teams)
Birthdate: Feb. 5, 1985
03
of 05
Luis
Suarez (Uruguay & Barcelona)
The
Barcelona striker is not everyone’s cup of tea, but his ability is not up for
debate. Luis Suarez is a master at weaving his way into the penalty box, deadly
in one-on-one situations, and an excellent free-kick taker. His link-up play
with teammates is of the highest order, and he is a fighter who will always
give 100 percent for the cause. A penchant for conning referees remains his
Achilles heel, but that did not stop Barcelona from paying Liverpool $128.5
million for the player in July 2014. Suarez quickly helped them to the treble.
Teams: Uruguay, F.C. Barcelona
Position: Forward
Team
number: 9 (both
teams)
Birthdate: Jan. 24, 1987
04
of 05
Neymar
has been playing pro soccer since he was 17, and he quickly established his bona
fides in the sport. Neymar has scored more goals than Messi and Ronaldo at the
same stage of their careers and has the capacity to be the very best once
Messi's career begins to wind down. Alongside the Argentine and Suarez, he
forms one of the best-attacking lineups in the history of the sport. In 2016,
Neymar was named the captain of Brazil's soccer team at the Summer Olympics in
Rio de Janeiro.
Teams: Brazil, F.C. Barcelona
Position: Forward
Team
number: 10
(Brazil), 11 (Barcelona)
Birthdate: Feb. 5, 1992
05
of 05
Sergio
Aguero
Sergio
Aguero is a handful for defenses.
A
consummate finisher, Sergio Aguero was part of Argentina's run to the 2014
World Cup finals, where they lost to Germany. Aguero has been key in the two
title wins under Roberto Mancini and Manuel Pellegrini, scoring that famous
late winner against QPR in 2012 to seal the Premier League. Quick, with an
excellent first touch and ability to bring others into play, the Argentine has
few weaknesses and is arguably the best signing since Manchester City was taken
over by the Abu Dhabi United group in 2008.
Teams: Argentina, Manchester City F.C.
Position: Forward
Team
number: 11
(Argentina), 10 (Manchester)
Birthdate: June 2, 1988
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