Top 10 footballers in the world right now

With football entering the business end of the season, we are destined to see some exciting, enthralling and thrilling football unfold in front of our eyes. This season will be known for the various surprises and comebacks that were staged by different teams. Manchester United, Juventus, Porto and Ajax are four sides who made remarkable comebacks to qualify for the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League.

We also have some close title races with Liverpool and Manchester City, and Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund locked into a nail-biting title race in their respective leagues. Throughout the season we have seen a number of players standing out, making valuable contributions for their respective teams displaying their undying quality.

So here I have decided to carry out the fun yet excruciatingly difficult task of picking and ranking the best football players in the world right now.

#10 Eden Hazard

Watching Eden Hazard in full flow is one of the most beautiful sights in football. He glides past markers like they are nonexistent using his pace and acceleration. He is one of the best dribblers in the world if not the best. The Belgian completes 3.8 dribbles per game.

The winger is an ambidextrous footballer thus making him very difficult to defend against. He can cut inside and have a shot on goal or he can run to the byline and whip in a cross. The Belgian is Chelsea’s most important player and has scored 13 goals and provided 11 assists in the Premier League.

It hasn’t been one of the best seasons for Maurizio Sarri and his players but Hazard has impressed amidst rumors of a potential move to Real Madrid who are long admirers of his talent. It would be interesting to see if Hazard eventually makes a move to Madrid to realize his dream and weave his magic in front of the Santiago Bernabeu crowd.

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#9 Sergio Aguero

Next on the list is the Argentine maestro Sergio Aguero. Despite being one of the most lethal strikers in the Premier League, Aguero’s future was in doubt earlier in Pep Guardiola’s tenure as his work rate was called into question. But he has silenced all his doubters and is the first man on Guardiola’s teamsheet, keeping the highly talented Gabriel Jesus out of the starting lineup.

Aguero is one of the deadliest strikers in the world. He feeds on goals and has already plundered 29 goals in 41 appearances this season. The Argentine despite his relatively short stature has a powerful header in his armory. His short center of gravity helps him to wriggle past his opponents and his acceleration enables him to breeze past them.

His hold up and link up play has improved and is a much more complete player now. If Manchester City intends on creating history by winning an unprecedented quadruple, the onus will be on their record goalscorer to bang in the goals on their quest to achieve the impossible.

#8 Jadon Sancho

Jadon Sancho is having a tremendous season and his performances reach new heights with every passing game. He has been an important figure in Borussia Dortmund’s title charge and thus has attracted interest from some of Europe’s biggest clubs, notably Manchester United. He has played most of his football on the right but can play anywhere across the front three.

His movement is exquisite and he always finds space in attack, thereby giving his teammates an outlet. He is a perfect fit in Lucian Favre’s counter-attacking style and has taken like a duck to water in these new foreign conditions.

The 19-year-old has plundered 9 goals and notched an impressive 14 assists in all competitions this season. Such fantastic performances have been noticed by his national manager and he made his England full debut last month and capped it with an assist for Raheem Sterling’s first goal.

The bravery to move to Germany in search of first-team football at the tender age of 18 even after being offered a contract by Manchester City and the prospect of playing under one of the best managers in the world in Pep Guardiola, shows the immense belief and confidence that Sancho has in his abilities. This belief has served him well so far and a bright future awaits the teenage sensation.

#7 Raheem Sterling

Raheem Sterling has been a revelation under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola, as the Spaniard has been successful in taking Sterling’s game to the next level. Before his arrival, Sterling suffered from toothless finishing that arose from his panic and desperation in front of goal. However, Pep has worked on his shortcomings and the result has truly been marvelous. This season, the Man City man has plundered 25 goals and provided 12 assists in what is turning out to be another stellar season for him.

Sterling’s quick feet and mazy dribbles bamboozle his opponents helping him win countless penalties for his team. The trademark goal of Manchester City as well Raheem Sterling has been that tap in goal at the back post from a low drilled cross from the opposite winger. His brilliant positioning, drive, and determination to score these crucial tap ins have enabled him to amass such impressive numbers.

Having been a victim of racism and unfair criticism over the years from fans and the media, Sterling has displayed his mental strength to come out from such a tough situation to being considered one of England’s and Europe’s best attacking players.

#6 Gerard Pique

The ever-present Barcelona center back is 6th on the list and is an integral figure in the Barcelona team. He has an excellent reading of the game and is quick to nip attacks in the bud. He is serene in possession and one of the best ball-playing defenders in the world right now.

The Spaniard helps the team to play effectively out from the back with his calm and composed persona on the ball. Pique boasts an impressive pass completion rate of 91.1% in all competitions. The defender is also a threat from set pieces as he is dominant in the air which has seen him find the back of the net four times this season, an impressive number for a center back. Pique is a leader in the defence and will have a big part to play if Barcelona go on to win another historic treble at the end of this season.

#5 Luis Suarez

Now things start to heat up a bit. Making the top five is the Uruguayan and Barcelona striker Luis Suarez. After smashing in 31 goals in 33 appearances for Liverpool, bringing them in touching distance of winning the Premier League title, the Urugyuan made a move to Spain in the summer of 2014. Since then he has been part of a formidable trio of Lionel Messi and Neymar winning major honors and has established himself as one of the best strikers in the world.

Now at the age of 32, he doesn’t possess the turn of pace that once made him such a deadly player to face but still remains a prolific striker. Earlier this season, Luis Suarez scored a hattrick against arch-rivals Real Madrid in La Liga becoming only the second player (after Messi) to achieve this feat since the legendary Romario in 1994.

He is only behind Lionel Messi in the scoring charts of La Liga with 18 goals to his name. Suarez is not only a force to reckon with in front of goal but he is also an able creator, having provided 10 assists in all competitions this season.

The powers must have waned a bit but the controversial striker still remains one of the world’s best on any given day.

#4 Virgil van Dijk

The signing of Virgil van Dijk has completely transformed the fortunes of Liverpool. Signed for a world record fee, the defender has repaid the faith that Liverpool showed him in by putting in accomplished performances every game and shoring up a leaky defence.

Van Dijk’s infectious calmness and composure has brought out the best of his partners. The Dutchman’s reading of the game is immaculate and he is always in the right position to intercept balls and stop the progress of the opposition. His brilliant positioning means he doesn’t have to slide into challenges rather he stays on his feet which gives him an added control while tackling.

The Liverpool man has made an impressive 1.2 interceptions and 5.1 clearances per game this season. For the past couple of years, Liverpool had suffered from the lack of a top quality center back and were an all or nothing team. They relied on their attacking brilliance and mantra of “You score three, we score four”.

But the signing of van Dijk completely changed that as he brought defensive solidarity and much-needed leadership and character. Van Dijk has played a huge part in Liverpool keeping 17 clean sheets this season thus turning them into title challengers. Van Dijk has arguably been of the best center backs in Europe and is rightly touted to be one of the names who could win the PFA player of the year.

#3 Kylian Mbappe

And making our top three is the French wizard - Kylian Mbappe. Mbappe has gone from strength to strength since breaking on the scene as a young teenage sensation at As Monaco. At the age of 20, the youngster has won the World Cup, scored a goal in the World Cup final, named as the best young player in the World cup and has won the French league with both PSG and As Monaco.

Mbappe is the most coveted youngster in the world right now. His lightning pace and acceleration sets fear in the hearts of the opposition defenders. He uses his frightening pace to good effect having completed 2.3 dribbles per game this season. Mbappe’s decision making in the final third sets him apart from any other player at his age.

The Frenchman is deadly in front of goal and rarely misses an opportunity to get his name on the scoresheet. He has scored a staggering 39 goals and notched 11 assists in 49 appearances in all competitions this season. Many have earmarked Mbappe as a future Ballon d'Or winner.

With all due respect to the French league, Mbappe might have to move to a big club in the future to truly cement his status as one of the best players in the world. And if and when that happens, there will be no shortage of potential suitors for the purchase of the freakish talents that Kyliann Mbappe possesses.

#2 Cristiano Ronaldo

No prizes for guessing the top two on this list. And in second place is a certain Portuguese who has won every honor there is to win in football (except the World Cup). After having conquered Europe three times in a row with Real Madrid, the 32-year-old made a brave move to move to a new team in a new country in search of a fresh challenge.

It is incredible how Ronaldo has transformed himself from a high flying winger at Manchester United to adopting a more central striking poacher’s role in his later days at Real Madrid and now at Juventus. The defining moment till date in his Juventus career has to be that hattrick against Atletico Madrid to power the Old Lady through to the quarterfinals of the competition overturning a 2-0 deficit.

It showed the mental fortitude, never die attitude and innate belief in his extraordinary abilities that Cristiano Ronaldo has. He has broken countless records in his illustrious career and is arguably regarded as one of the greatest players to play the beautiful game.

But if he can guide the Italian heavyweights to Champions League glory and subsequently win it with a third different club, he might make a good case to be considered as the greatest football player of all time.

#1 Lionel Messi

And sitting in first place (sorry Ronaldo fans) is the little magician who goes by the name of Lionel Andres Messi. So where do I start and how do I describe this extraterrestrial outer space alien? All the superlatives do not do justice to the incredible gifts that this man possesses. He accumulates numbers every season that would constitute as the greatest campaign of a mere mortal’s career.

The Argentine is already the top goalscorer in Spain as well as in Europe with 31 goals to his name. But what makes Messi even more special is that he is not even a striker but rather a playmaker for Barcelona. He drops deep to collect the ball and then causes carnage with his mesmerizing dribbles as he lays waste using his quick, nimble feet.

The number 10 moves at such speed, changing directions at velocities with such grace that leaves people in awe and makes him unplayable. His vision, weight on the passes and precision while making those needle eyed passes are a joy to behold. Moreover, he carries the expectations of the team and millions of fans on his shoulders and is expected to perform at an unreal level in each game.

In my opinion, after wrongly finishing in 5th place in the Ballon d'Or rankings, Messi has proved to the world that he is the best player in football right now and we indeed are privileged to witness one of the greatest football players ever to grace a football field in front of our eyes every week.

Edited by Zaid Khan