10. Steven Gerrard: Steven Gerrard starts off my top ten list of the top soccer players in the world simply because of his ability to master the center midfield position in the English Premier League for the last thirteen years. Steven Gerrard is recognized by many for his great vision and ability to find the open player, his incredible work rate, and his long distance shooting range that makes him a dangerous player to the other team no matter where he is on the field. Gerrard currently captains Liverpool Football Club where he began playing his club soccer on the youth teams at the age of nine. After establishing himself as a strong player, Gerrard joined the English national team in the year 2000. Ever since joining the team, he has become the centerpiece of the English team. Throughout his career he has tallied 556 starts and 140 goals scored making him one of the top goal scoring midfielders of all time. Steven Gerrard has led Liverpool FC to just about every championship an English player can win, but still lacks the coveted English Premier League title after thirteen years with the club. His most notable awards are the Professional Footballers’ Association most valuable player award in 2006 and The Champions League most valuable player in 2005.  It is Steven Gerrard’s ability to control games with leadership and skill that makes him one of my top ten soccer players in the world.

9. Carlos Tevez: Coming in at number nine on my list of the top ten soccer players in the world is Carlos Tevez. The speedy attacker is known throughout the soccer world for his incredible work rate and ability to score goals at will. Anyone who has watched Tevez play the game understands that the effort he puts into the game is unlike any other. His threat as a goal scorer was clearly established last season while leading the English Premiere League in goals and finishing the season with twenty. As a young boy, the Argentinian forward began his career with Boca Juniors Futbol Club and played a large part of his career with the club until 2004 when he was moved to Corinthians Futbol Club in Brazil. It was only a few years later that his work rate and skill was finally receiving recognition from the top soccer clubs in the world and in 2007 he joined Manchester United. After two years, he moved to United’s rival club, Manchester City, where he currently plays. Tevez’s most notable year was his first with Manchester United when he led the team and scoring and won the English Premier League Title as well as the Champions League Title. Carlos Tevez will go down in history as one of the greatest Argentinian players of all time which is an amazing feat considering the number of great Argentinian players. His drive and hard work has separated him from the rest earning him my number nine spot on my top soccer players in the world.

8. Nemanja Vidic: At number eight on my top ten soccer players in the world is Serbian defender, Nemanja Vidic. Vidic belongs in the top ten simply because he is the best defender in the world. His vision and awareness allows him to dissect any opposing attack and his physical ability is off the charts. Vidic has the size to overpower any player and the speed to keep up with the best in the world making his defense nearly impossible to penetrate. It wasn’t until his move away from his original club, Spartak Moscow, that Vidic brought his talents to Manchester United in England. Since joining United in 2006 Vidic has won three English Premier League titles and has made two trips to the Champions League finals. Manchester United’s defense in regarded as one of the best in the world and Vidic is undoubtedly the core of the unit. As an international player, Vidic plays for Serbia and is the team captain. When Vidic is on the field, his presence is obvious to everyone watching. He will go down in history as one of the best defenders to ever play the game which is why he is in my top ten soccer players of all time.

7. Diego ForlanThe number seven soccer player in the world is the Uruguayan super-star, Diego Forlan. He is recognized across the world as the big and athletic Uruguayan striker with the long blonde hair that has a knack for putting the ball in the back of the net. Forlan began his soccer career playing in Argentina and it wasn’t long until English powerhouse, Manchester United, picked him up. Forlan was unable to fit into the English style of play and was moved to Villareal FC in Spain. There, he immediately established himself as one of the greatest goal scorers of all time while leading the Spanish league in goals in both the ’04-’05 year and the ’08-’09 year. In 2010, South Africa hosted the World Cup and Uruguay was assumed to be one of the weaker teams. It was in South Africa that Forlan flooded onto the scene while almost single-handedly carrying Uruguay to the semi-finals when he led the entire tournament in goals. Although he failed in his pursuits of the World Cup, Forlan was awarded the gold ball for the nest player in the tournament. Forlan easily puts himself in the top ten soccer players because of his stats alone, but it is his finishing ability, athletic skill, and his desire to win that separates him from the rest of the players around the world.



6. Wesley Sneijder: The number six soccer player in the world is the Dutch team captain and leader, Wesley Sneijder. Similar to my number ten player on this list, Steven Gerrard, Wesley Sneijder is recognized for his vision, passing ability and his powerful shot that allows him to be a threat to an opposing team from anywhere on the field. Sneijder makes his way onto my top ten list because of his leadership with his club team and while playing for his country, Netherlands. Sneijder began playing professionally for the Dutch club Ajax. He was able to cement himself as one of the top midfielders in the world through strong play and incredible goals and by 2007 Spanish club, Real Madrid, brought him over to their side. Like many other great players, Sneijder was unable to fit into the Spanish style of play and after two years in Spain he joined the Italian team, Inter Milan. After just one year with the club, Sneijder was able to lead the team to a League title and Champions League title. The next summer, he represented Netherlands in the 2010 World Cup as their captain. Sneijder led the team in assists and goals as the Dutch found their way to the World Cup finals before falling just short to the tournament favorites, Spain. Sneijder earns his spot on my top ten list because of his ability to lead his teams in the biggest situations. His appearances both with Netherlands and Inter Milan show that while he is a very strong player in terms of his skills he is even stronger on the mental side of the game.

5. David Villa: At number five on my list of the top soccer players in the world is the Spanish attacker, David Villa. He is considered to be one of if not the most pure goal scorers in the entire world. Villa makes his way onto my list simply because of his ability to score goals and win games for his team at his own will. The young Spaniard began his career playing with multiple below average Spanish teams. It wasn’t until he joined Valencia Futbol Club in 2005 that he began establishing himself as one of the best players in the world. Villa scored many goals for Valencia but was yet to be recognized as a superstar until The European Cup in 2008 when he led the number one team in the world, Spain, in goals. After winning the cup, David Villa was a household name throughout Europe and his play with Valencia was finally recognized. In 2009, Villa was signed by one of the largest clubs in the world, Barcelona. There he continued to score goal after goal leading the team to two league titles and a Champions League title. Villa’s most recognizable feat was in 2010 when he won the World Cup with Spain and led the team in scoring during the tournament. David Villa was born to score goals and goals win soccer games which makes him the perfect candidate for my top ten list of the best soccer players in the world.



4. Xavi: The number four player on my top ten list for the best soccer players in the world is Xavi. Unlike most other players on this list, Xavi isn’t known as a goal scorer or for his extreme athletic ability. He represents the perfect coach’s player; a player with great technique, a hard worker, loyalty, leadership, and perfect understanding of the game.  Xavi has played for the famous Barcelona Futbol Club ever since he was eleven years old. In 1998 Xavi made his first appearance for the Barcelona men’s team and ever since then he has become the key component to Barcelona’s success. He has won every title there is to win from the Spanish league title all the way to his World Cup win with Spain in 2010. Xavi has established himself as the best playmaker in the game. While he may not score all the goals for his team he certainly play a major role in setting up the goals and developing the team’s play from his center midfield position. Barcelona’s dominance over the past decade is largely attributed to the strength of play of Xavi in the middle of the field. Xavi earns his spot on my top ten list because of his identity as the best game manager of his generation.

3. Wayne Rooney: The number three player on my list of the best soccer players in the world is the face of the English soccer world, Wayne Rooney. Rooney is known around the world as a player with extreme skill and goal scoring ability but what sets him apart from the rest is the fire in his play. No matter what game or with what team it is guaranteed that you will get one-hundred percent from him. Rooney has that uncoachable attribute that shows in his willingness to do whatever it takes to win. As a young boy, he joined Everton Football Club’s junior team and at the age of sixteen he was playing with the men’s team in the English Premier League. At just seventeen years old he made his first appearance with the England National Team. By 2004, Rooney signed with one of the top clubs in the world, Manchester United. After five years with the club, he led them to three English Premier League titles which all came consecutively from 2006-2009, and he won his fourth this past season in 2011. In the 2009-2010 season, he led the league in scoring and won his first ever player of the year award.  Rooney’s fire in his play has been known to get the best of him sometimes, but it is his drive that makes him one of the best in the world. Of course he is a skilled player that can score many goals, but Rooney’s will to win makes him my number three player on my top ten list.

2. Cristiano Ronaldo: Coming in at number two just behind the number one soccer player in the world is the world famous, Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo is most likely the most popular player in the world. Known for his fast style of play, incredible dribbling skills, and goal scoring ability, Ronaldo captivates soccer fans around the world with his amazing talent. He began his career with Sporting Lisbon in his home country Portugal. In 2003, the young prospect was acquired by Manchester United where he spent a good part of his career. With United, he won two league titles and one Champions League title while leading the league in goals in 2006-2008. In 2009, Real Madrid spent the most money ever on a single player in order to acquire Ronaldo. With Madrid, he has led the Spanish League in scoring in 2010 and 2011 but is yet to win the league title. He has won every single individual award a soccer play can win from FIFA World player of the year, which he has won three times, to best goal of the year which he won in 2007. Ronaldo has made his way into many categories of the record books after scoring the most goals in a single season in the English Premier League and scoring the most goals ever recorded by a Real Madrid player in a single season. There is no doubt that Cristiano Ronaldo will go down in history as one of the greatest players to ever play the game. His play has revolutionized the game of soccer and he has earned his way onto my top ten list as the most skillful player in the entire world.

1. Lionel Messi: The best player in the world is the little maestro, Lionel Messi. Messi is recognized across the soccer world for his attacking talent and soccer intelligence. He is known for being a magician with the ball at his feet as he finds ways to dribble through the opposing team at will. Messi was born in Argentina where he began his soccer career until he was diagnosed with a growing condition. His medical treatment would only be paid for by the biggest soccer clubs in the world so Messi was moved to Spain at a very young age to play for Barcelona. He became one of the most talented players Barcelona has ever seen and in 2004 he made his first appearance with the team. Since then he has won four Spanish League titles and three Champions League title with the club. Messi has won every award given to individual players and has won the FIFA World Player of the year three consecutive times from 2009-2011. Messi separates himself from players such as Ronaldo, Xavi, and Rooney because of his ability to take over a game as soon as he touches a ball. Whenever Barcelona is in an important game it is always guaranteed that Messi will show up and carry the team on his shoulders. He is the most dominant player in the game for that reason alone which is why Lionel Messi is my number one soccer player in the world.