Lionel Messi has been
named the world's best footballer in the Guardian's top 100 footballers
list published today. Photograph: Lluis Gene/AFP/Getty Images
The Guardian's choice of the world's top 100 footballers has been unveiled today
with Lionel Messi topping the list at No1.
An
11-strong international panel of experts were asked by Guardian Sport
to name their top 30 players in action today and rank them in order of
preference. Players were then scored on their ranking by each panellist:
a No1 choice allocated 30pts, No2 29pts and so on down to selection
No30, given one point.
So
how did the Guardian top 100 come about? Sports editor
Ian Prior explains:
Compiling
such a list requires a certain confidence, some may say arrogance of
judgment. Guilty, if so. Not all may agree, but it is a personal belief
that these pages are currently home to perhaps the finest collective of
football writers and analysts in the English language. From Daniel
Taylor to Sid Lowe, Jonathan Wilson to Michael Cox, Richard Williams to
Raphael Honigstein, we are blessed with writers whose knowledge covers
not only the English game but who offer a genuinely global perspective.
The
ranking, which has slowly been revealed in a countdown from the 20
December, is now published in full and the world's top 100 footballers
are listed below for you to view.
The choice of Messi at No1, beating
Cristiano Ronaldo into second place, is explained below by
Sid Lowe:
There was only one name and one position on which all 11 members of the panel were in unanimous agreement; the world No1, Lionel Messi. How could we not choose him?
The
debate has moved to another plane: it is not so much a question of
whether Messi is the best player in the world right now, as whether
Messi might just be the best player there has ever been.
Xavi,
Andrés Iniesta,
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Radamel Falcao,
Robin van Persie, Andrea Pirlo, Yaya Touré and Edinson Cavani make up the rest of the top 10.
Four English players make it onto the list;
Ashley Cole (30th),
Wayne Rooney (31st),
Joe Hart (65th) and
John Terry (86). Despite only a few English players making it onto the top 100, the
Premier League is the best represented with 27 players, followed by
La Liga with 23. The chart above shows the top five leagues by the number of footballers appearing in the list.
Barcelona is the best represented club with 12 players on the list followed by
Bayern Munich and
Real Madrid with 10 each.
Chelsea and
Manchester City each have eight players on the list.
The
average age for the footballers appearing on the list is 26 years old.
Stephan El Shaarawy, aged 20, is the youngest player in the top 100
whilst Javier Zanetti is the oldest at 39 years old.
So how does
the list break down by nationality? 16 of the players are Spanish, 12
Brazilian and 10 German. There are 8 Argentinian players on the list and
both Italy and France have seven footballers on the top 100.
If
you're wondering which position is the most common amongst the top 100
players then we've also broken that down too: 36 are midfielders, 29
forward, 19 defenders. The full breakdown by nationality, club and
position can be found in the downloadable spreadsheet.
The full
list of the world's top 100 footballers can be found below along with
information on each players club, position, nationality and age. Can you
do something interesting with this data?
Data summary
The world's top 100 best footballers
Click heading to sort table. Download this data
|
No
|
Name
|
Position
|
Club
|
Nationality
|
Age at Dec 20 2012
|
|
|
|
1
|
Lionel Messi
|
Forward
|
Barcelona
|
Argentina
|
25
|
|
2
|
Cristiano Ronaldo
|
Forward
|
Real Madrid
|
Portugal
|
27
|
|
3
|
Xavi
|
Midfielder
|
Barcelona
|
Spain
|
32
|
|
4
|
Andres Iniesta
|
Midfielder
|
Barcelona
|
Spain
|
28
|
|
5
|
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
|
Forward
|
PSG
|
Sweden
|
31
|
|
6
|
Radamel Falcao
|
Forward
|
Atletico Madrid
|
Colombia
|
26
|
|
7
|
Robin van Persie
|
Forward
|
Man Utd
|
Netherlands
|
29
|
|
8
|
Andrea Pirlo
|
Midfielder
|
Juventus
|
Italy
|
33
|
|
9
|
Yaya Toure
|
Midfielder
|
Man City
|
Ivory Coast
|
27
|
|
10
|
Edinson Cavani
|
Forward
|
Napoli
|
Uruguay
|
25
|
|
11
|
Sergio Aguero
|
Forward
|
Man City
|
Argentina
|
24
|
|
12
|
Iker Casillas
|
Goalkeeper
|
Real Madrid
|
Spain
|
31
|
|
13
|
Neymar
|
Forward
|
Santos
|
Brazil
|
20
|
|
14
|
Sergio Busquets
|
Defender/midfielder
|
Barcelona
|
Spain
|
24
|
|
15
|
Xabi Alonso
|
Midfielder
|
Real Madrid
|
Spain
|
31
|
|
16
|
Thiago Silva
|
Defender
|
PSG
|
Brazil
|
28
|
|
17
|
Mesut Ozil
|
Midfielder
|
Real Madrid
|
Germany
|
24
|
|
18
|
David Silva
|
Midfielder/forward
|
Man City
|
Spain
|
26
|
|
19
|
Bastian Schweinsteiger
|
Midfielder
|
Bayern Munich
|
Germany
|
28
|
|
20
|
Gianluigi Buffon
|
Goalkeeper
|
Juventus
|
Italy
|
34
|
|
21
|
Luis Suarez
|
Forward
|
Liverpool
|
Uruguay
|
25
|
|
22
|
Sergio Ramos
|
Defender
|
Real Madrid
|
Spain
|
26
|
|
23
|
Vincent Kompany
|
Defender
|
Man City
|
Belgium
|
26
|
|
24
|
Gerard Pique
|
Defender
|
Barcelona
|
Spain
|
25
|
|
25
|
Philipp Lahm
|
Defender
|
Bayern Munich
|
Germany
|
29
|
|
26
|
Willian
|
Midfielder
|
Shakhtar Donetsk
|
Brazil
|
24
|
|
27
|
Marco Reus
|
Forward
|
Borussia Dortmund
|
Germany
|
23
|
|
28
|
Franck Ribery
|
Midfielder
|
Bayern Munich
|
France
|
29
|
|
29
|
Manuel Neuer
|
Goalkeeper
|
Bayern Munich
|
Germany
|
26
|
|
30
|
Ashley Cole
|
Defender
|
Chelsea
|
England
|
32
|
|
31
|
Wayne Rooney
|
Forward
|
Man Utd
|
England
|
27
|
|
32
|
Juan Mata
|
Midfielder
|
Chelsea
|
Spain
|
24
|
|
33
|
Thomas Muller
|
Forward
|
Bayern Munich
|
Germany
|
23
|
|
34
|
Mario Götze
|
Midfielder/forward
|
Borussia Dortmund
|
Germany
|
20
|
|
35
|
Karim Benzema
|
Forward
|
Real Madrid
|
France
|
24
|
|
36
|
Cesc Fabregas
|
Midfielder
|
Barcelona
|
Spain
|
25
|
|
37
|
Oscar
|
Midfielder
|
Chelsea
|
Brazil
|
21
|
|
38
|
Fernandinho
|
Midfielder
|
Shakhtar Donetsk
|
Brazil
|
27
|
|
39
|
Javier Mascherano
|
Defender/midfielder
|
Barcelona
|
Argentina
|
28
|
|
40
|
Gareth Bale
|
Defender
|
Tottenham
|
Wales
|
23
|
|
41
|
Javier Zanetti
|
Defender/midfielder
|
Internazionale
|
Argentina
|
39
|
|
42
|
Daniele De Rossi
|
Midfielder
|
Roma
|
Italy
|
29
|
|
43
|
Dani Alves
|
Defender
|
Barcelona
|
Brazil
|
29
|
|
44
|
Petr Cech
|
Goalkeeper
|
Chelsea
|
Czech Republic
|
30
|
|
45
|
Mats Hummels
|
Defender
|
Borussia Dortmund
|
Germany
|
24
|
|
46
|
Carles Puyol
|
Defender
|
Barcelona
|
Spain
|
34
|
|
47
|
Angel Di Maria
|
Midfielder
|
Real Madrid
|
Argentina
|
24
|
|
48
|
Carlos Tevez
|
Forward
|
Man City
|
Argentina
|
28
|
|
49
|
Didier Drogba
|
Forward
|
Shanghai Shenhua
|
Ivory Coast
|
34
|
|
50
|
Giorgio Chiellini
|
Defender
|
Juventus
|
Italy
|
28
|
|
51
|
Marcelo
|
Defender
|
Real Madrid
|
Brazil
|
24
|
|
52
|
Stephan El Shaarawy
|
Forward
|
Milan
|
Italy
|
20
|
|
53
|
Toni Kroos
|
Midfielder
|
Bayern Munich
|
Germany
|
22
|
|
54
|
Samuel Eto’o
|
Forward
|
Anzhi Makhachkala
|
Cameroon
|
31
|
|
55
|
Jordi Alba
|
Defender/midfielder
|
Barcelona
|
Spain
|
23
|
|
56
|
Mario Gomez
|
Forward
|
Bayern Munich
|
Germany
|
27
|
|
57
|
Arturo Vidal
|
Midfielder
|
Juventus
|
Chile
|
25
|
|
58
|
Eden Hazard
|
Midfielder
|
Chelsea
|
Belgium
|
21
|
|
59
|
James Rodriguez
|
Midfielder
|
Porto
|
Colombia
|
21
|
|
60
|
Marouane Fellaini
|
Midfielder
|
Everton
|
Belgium
|
25
|
|
61
|
Ramires
|
Midfielder
|
Chelsea
|
Brazil
|
25
|
|
62
|
David Villa
|
Forward
|
Barcelona
|
Spain
|
31
|
|
63
|
Klaas Jan Huntelaar
|
Forward
|
Schalke
|
Netherlands
|
29
|
|
64
|
Nemanja Vidic
|
Defender
|
Man Utd
|
Serbia
|
31
|
|
65
|
Joe Hart
|
Goalkeeper
|
Man City
|
England
|
25
|
|
66
|
Arjen Robben
|
Midfielder/forward
|
Bayern Munich
|
Netherlands
|
28
|
|
67
|
Mario Balotelli
|
Forward
|
Man City
|
Italy
|
22
|
|
68
|
Mathieu Valbuena
|
Midfielder
|
Marseille
|
France
|
28
|
|
69
|
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
|
Forward
|
St Etienne
|
Gabon
|
23
|
|
70
|
Robert Lewandowski
|
Forward
|
Borussia Dortmund
|
Poland
|
24
|
|
71
|
Hernanes
|
Midfielder
|
Lazio
|
Brazil
|
27
|
|
72
|
Pedro
|
Forward
|
Barcelona
|
Spain
|
25
|
|
73
|
Santi Cazorla
|
Midfielder
|
Arsenal
|
Spain
|
28
|
|
74
|
Christian Eriksen
|
Midfielder
|
Ajax
|
Denmark
|
20
|
|
75
|
Ezequiel Lavezzi
|
Forward
|
PSG
|
Argentina
|
27
|
|
76
|
Joao Moutinho
|
Midfielder
|
Porto
|
Portugal
|
26
|
|
77
|
Mario Mandžukić
|
Forward
|
Bayern Munich
|
Croatian
|
26
|
|
78
|
Patrice Evra
|
Defender
|
Man Utd
|
France
|
31
|
|
79
|
David Luiz
|
Defender
|
Chelsea
|
Brazil
|
25
|
|
80
|
Luka Modric
|
Midfielder
|
Real Madrid
|
Croatia
|
27
|
|
81
|
Victor Wanyama
|
Defender/midfielder
|
Celtic
|
Kenya
|
21
|
|
82
|
Mapou Yanga-M'Biwa
|
Defender
|
Montpelier
|
France
|
23
|
|
83
|
Hulk
|
Forward
|
Zenit St Petersburg
|
Brazil
|
26
|
|
84
|
Darijo Srna
|
Midfielder
|
Shakhtar Donetsk
|
Croatia
|
30
|
|
85
|
Emmanuel Mayuka
|
Forward
|
Southampton
|
Zambia
|
22
|
|
86
|
John Terry
|
Defender
|
Chelsea
|
England
|
32
|
|
87
|
Kwadwo Asamoah
|
Midfielder
|
Juventus
|
Ghana
|
24
|
|
88
|
Leonardo Bonucci
|
Defender
|
Juventus
|
Italy
|
25
|
|
89
|
Javier Pastore
|
Midfielder
|
PSG
|
Argentina
|
23
|
|
90
|
Henrikh Mkhitaryan
|
Midfielder/forward
|
Shakhtar Donetsk
|
Armenia
|
23
|
|
91
|
Moussa Dembele
|
Midfielder
|
Tottenham
|
Belgium
|
25
|
|
92
|
Hatem Ben Arfa
|
Midfielder/forward
|
Newcastle
|
France
|
25
|
|
93
|
Samir Nasri
|
Midfielder
|
Man City
|
France
|
25
|
|
94
|
Shinji Kagawa
|
Midfielder
|
Man Utd
|
Japan
|
23
|
|
95
|
Wesley Sneijder
|
Midfielder
|
Internazionale
|
Netherlands
|
28
|
|
96
|
Pepe
|
Defender
|
Real Madrid
|
Portugal
|
29
|
|
97
|
Marek Hamsik
|
Midfielder
|
Napoli
|
Slovakia
|
25
|
|
98
|
Javi Martinez
|
Defender/midfielder
|
Bayern Munich
|
Spain
|
24
|
|
99
|
Diego Forlan
|
Forward
|
Internacional
|
Uruguay
|
33
|
|
100
|
Paulinho
|
Midfielder
|
Corinthians
|
Brazil
|
24
|
•
DATA: download the full spreadsheet
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