The 25 Best Players At The 2010 World Cup

Ollie Irish

9th, June 2010

51 Comments

By Ollie Irish

The cream of the crop, will rise to the top, I never eat a pig because a pig is a cop etc. Here you go – the best 25 players at this year’s World Cup finals, in reverse order:

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Picture 1 of 25

25. Ashley Cole - England's best defender and one of their very few world-class players

So, not a sign of Stevie G or Super Frank Lampard. Agree/disagree? You know what to do…

EDITED: Ah, just realised I missed out Samuel Eto’o. Bah. He should be in there really, so let’s say he’s the unofficial No.26.

Posted in Featured, Photos, Top 10s & lists, World Cup

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51 Comments

  1. samhumphreys says:

    Nice compilation there, god the World Cup is gonna be good :)
    Barca had Alves. Xavi, Iniesta, Messi and Villa in there, and id like to think Ibra would be in there too if Sweden got in.. Great team

  2. NokkonWud says:

    I wouldn’t have had Kaka, Ribery, Lucio or Van Persie, and certainly no Ibrahimovic if Sweden had made it.

    For me Evra, Pirlo, Pique (would have been Ferdinand), Lampard and Lloris all rank higher for me than those, as well as a few others too. I’d have had Gerrard in there normally but he’s had a terrible last 12 months.

  3. Hootie says:

    I’d put Lampard on ahead of Ashley Cole. Cole is more prone to the odd bad game that Lampard seems to never really have. Also, I think Sneijder, while brilliant, may be a bit high. Otherwise, fantastic list.

  4. James says:

    Gerrard should be in this list. And if the reason you didn’t include him was because of his form this season then neither Casillas or Kaka should be in the list either. Lampard also deserves to be in.

  5. Miguel says:

    Excellent list. I think your choices are correct given the strength of every team. Maybe that’s why Pique or Puyol didn’t make it, but Lucio did. Also, your picks state the obvious, Spain and Brazil have great teams, with Holland coming close to it, while other teams (Arg, Eng, IVC, Por) depend way too much on one player. Again, great list.

  6. Jack says:

    Good list there. Its hard to determine whether players who are in poor form but obviously still great (kaka, casillas, gerrard, ribery havent had great seasons)merit more of a place than players who are in great form but probly wouldnt have made the list last year (lucio, wesley, robben)… But the majority are in anyway! Would probly have lampard, lahm is aslo a very good player.

  7. Main Man U Fan says:

    Top 8

    1. Cristiano Ronaldo
    2. Lionel Messi
    3. Xavi Hernandes
    4. Wayne Rooney
    5. Andres Iniesta
    6. Douglas Maicon
    7. Fernando Torres
    8. David Villa

  8. i♥cows says:

    i agree on most of the pick. messi rules! but i’m rootin’ for spain. ;)

  9. ppytam says:

    What about the over-conquering Heskey?!?
    We all know Rooney would be lost without him!

  10. me says:

    Sergio Ramos????? Why isn’t he on the list. He is at least equally good to Dani Alves. Ok, I agree that he’s better in attacking but have you seen Alves defend. It’s terrible.

  11. horale says:

    ramos is a shitty rightback but has the potential to be a superb centreback

  12. yank says:

    Gonzalo Higuain is definetly better than the likes of RvP and Ribery. He had a great year with Real and I hope SA is his coming out party.

  13. INTER291103 says:

    Higuain is definitely better than Aguero. And don’t know why there’s no sign of Diego Milito who scored the two goals in the last Champions League final, or Walter Samuel and one of the two Barcelona centre-backs.

  14. tnelson says:

    don’t get me wrong, cristano is amazingly skilled and incredibly fun to watch, but i think he should get bumped down a bit because he dives like a little bitch all the time and always makes that obnoxious, whiny little cry-baby face to the ref when he doesn’t get his way. he’s a great footballer, but i have absolutely no respect for him. divers are cheaters as far as i’m concerned

  15. Mihajlo says:

    Where is Nemanja Vidic on this list. Ashley Cole, Danny Alves??

  16. the cannon says:

    all of you hating on rvp are fucking morons. he’s the real deal the only thing that holds him back is that hes always injured he definitely deserves to be on this list. oh and maybe its because im a gooner but i think cesc is better than xavi. xavi has slipped the last 12 months and any praise hes getting is on what hes done in the past. cesc is a better creator and distributor (at present, maybe not 2 years ago but most definitely now), younger, stronger in tackle (xavi’s never been good at winning the ball in midfield sure he can keep it but he’s no ball winner like cesc), and extremely dangerous on free kicks (something xavi has never been good at). also if there are any catalan cunt supporters reading this or out there in general: fuck you, fuck your whole region, fuck your piece of shit joan laporta trying to take our captain strictly as a political ploy and deliberately disrespecting the shit out of arsene wenger, arsenal fc, and fifa needs to step in and sanction barca (the catalan cunt machine) for their continued disgraceful and unethical public tapping up of a player currently under contract with another club. and dont give me that “he’s a barca youth academy player we made him” bullshit. no no you didnt, he was 16 when he came to highbury and cesc is the player he is today because of arsene wenger and arsenal fc.

  17. Pasha says:

    To the Cannon,

    Wow….just wow.

    Talk about a piss poor loser. HE WANTS TO LEAVE! Don’t be an ignorant fan and blame Barcelona. Much like Ronaldo leaving an excellent Man Utd to go to his dream club. Cesc is SICK and tired of…what is it again…ooo yah thats right, 5 trophLESS seasons. And you talk about “tapping up?” What about Wenger flying Aaron Ramsey out on a PERSONAL PLANE to FRANCE to discuss a move? Thats not tapping up right? SHUT the fuck up and stop acting like Arsenal don’t do it. EVERY TEAM taps up players, its reality. OO by the way you can have our reject JOE COLE, we don’t need at Chelsea anymore.

  18. daniel4ing says:

    Kaka in there and no van der vaart? The man that makes Real’s engine actually run smooth. When he doesn’t play the team struggles and even Ronaldo can’t get the team engine going.

    Also I really think everybody underestimates how good van Persie really is.

  19. Ste says:

    Of what I have seen the last 6 months: watch out for Marko Marin, the smallest German alive!

  20. […] features the 25 best players at the World […]

  21. shefeek says:

    They have included all the main spain midfielders iniesta,xavi,fabregas except Xabi Alonso But
    I think De Rossi (Italy – AS Roma ) Donovan (USA – Galaxy ) are also the possible contenders
    I don’t think julias Caesar needs to be included in the list.
    Terry or Ferdinand are the challengers for the centre back.
    Lampard or Gerard (might be we are following EPL) ?
    I completely rule out Malouda’s inclusion.
    I think we can think of including Milito instead of torres…
    Reagards,
    shef

  22. mjc says:

    “What about Wenger flying Aaron Ramsey out on a PERSONAL PLANE to FRANCE to discuss a move? Thats not tapping up right? SHUT the fuck up and stop acting like Arsenal don’t do it.”

    Actually, you’re talking bollocks. The price had been agreed with Cardiff for Ramsey, and the only issue was whether Ramsey would move fro £5m to Man Utd or to Arsenal. Of course Arsenal had Cardiff’s permission to fly Ramsey to Switzerland (NOT France). So don’t talk out of your arse….

  23. bob says:

    You include malouda but not lampard…..wtf

  24. Deckard says:

    I respect everyone’s opinions but some people really have little understanding of football I get the idea. Someone suggest Landon Donavon be on a Top 25 list. But who to take out then? Kaka, Van Persie, Ribery? that’s insane. Be it what kinda season these players might’ve had, anyone who’s anyone knows they have more talent in their little toe than that over-rated Yank has in either feet. That might be a little rude, but I really get sick and tired of people rating Donavon so highly all the time when he’s simply not anywhere near world class.

    Why shouldn’t Lucio and Julio Ceasar be in it? this tell me some people haven’t seen Inter once this past season, and were probably too unmotivated to even watch the CL Final. The two Brazilians have demonstrated all year round why they’re the best in the world now.

  25. Chris says:

    It’s great list, and all of them are great player, BUT: Torres, Fabregas, Daniel Alves, Aguero and Malouda are just subs for their national team. The three first are truly world class players, but unfortunatey they are hold out by better players!!!

  26. jon says:

    I would have put Xavi top.

  27. rat says:

    torres should be number 1. wayne rooney(shrek)???

  28. aybar says:

    is wayne rooney superhuman or just sum sort of god. best player in da world messi doesnt ave look in rooney is gorgeous. ji sung park player of tournament so far

  29. nora says:

    heskey is gay. he kept on blowing it. rooney..? wow he played like he never did. he is soooo shit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!oh my god england play like stick.

  30. flyingkiwi says:

    Where is Shane Smeltz from New Zealand? He was top scorer in the A-League for 2 seasons in a row!

  31. clovis says:

    please i while like to be contact in any new soccer news avialable in your disposal thanks for kindness God bless you

  32. clovis says:

    HELLO i am a fan in your program mes please i while like to be contact at any time their is a new soccer news available
    THANKS for your kindness GOD bless you

  33. Matti says:

    damn man.. thats not even close to the best players.. really bad compliation.. although some of course are under the ebst 25 but just maybe 10..

  34. esssss says:

    MESUT ÖZIL AND MESSI MESUT ÖZIL IS THE BEST PLAYER OF THE WORLD CUP AND HE IS A GOOD RAPPER HE PLAY AMAZING FOR GERMANY I KNOW GERMANY OR ARGENTINA WILL WIN THE WORLD CUP 2010

  35. Ganiu says:

    You guys have problems. English players are not as good as you think. Look at the Ghanaian players such as Gyan,K.P Boateng and Dede Ayew. So far so good. English players are not suppose to be part of the best. Foreign players makes the english league exciting. S.A 2010 exposed them.

  36. d.woods says:

    eto’o should be in top ten!!!! what were you thinking don’t know what happened to messi this year and ronaldo as well. they both didnt leave up to my expectations for this years world cup. in Canada eto’o is still number one!!!!!

  37. Dutchanonymous says:

    I don’t understand the excitement around the English players. I mean, Rooney? As an objective outside viewer looking at England (not ManU), Rooney hasn’t really done anything… EVER..

    He’s failed at every big tournament.

  38. Anonymous says:

    riccardo montolivo and daniele de rossi and gigi buffon from italy belong on the list! if gigi played instead of the shitty backup who is worse than me, italy would easily be in the final 8. montolivo and de rossi are just going to get better and they’ll tear up 2014. hopefully the italians have a competant manager who actually picks the best players instead of washed up old-timers.

  39. angesom says:

    wayne rooney is the best player on his club only but he is not an international. there are enrmouse players performing quite better than wayne rooney.i am some times cofused when people compare ronaldo and messi with rooney but it is personal feeling on him than looking an over view of the art of football.

  40. Adamawa says:

    I wonder how players manage to silence messi throughout this world cup. I believe messi is not an international player, he is only best in his club side.

  41. Bappa Gaji (Adamawa) says:

    I wonder why people use to compare christiano with Messi, they are just intirely uncomparerable. It is just like yakubu Ayegbeni and Zidane Zenedine in football. Messi as Yakubu and Christiano As Zidane

  42. gozim says:

    top 11 players:ker casillas,s.gerrard,n.vidic,lucio,a.robben,s.ramos,p.evra,forlan,c.ronaldo,swarzeteiger and muller.

  43. raed says:

    david villa is the best player but his team was not good because he was in valencia but now he is in barcelona with messi

  44. Dipsikha says:

    u r kidding me!!villa at no.14 and ronaldo at no.2????ha ha ha..for all those who have watched the Esp vs Por match will be on the ground rolling with laughter!!Villa should be there among the top 3.yes he deserves that!he is the best striker in the world!

  45. Anonymous says:

    this world cup was good but not better then 2002 world

  46. Anonymous says:

    For me i think ur selection okay, but arjen robben should come first while wesley shoud be second

  47. ib says:

    u gus dont understand wat u are saying christiano ronaldo is the best player in the world

  48. sona says:

    i love xavi so much.

  49. caron says:

    F””messi the dward…Cr7 rules he is THE KING OF EUROPE AND THE WORLD THE BEST LOOKING AND THE BEST BODY ASWEL AS BEST TALENTED. So, eat your heart out barca fans. No one cares about your dwarf.I get so angry when people come on this site and run cr7 down. Cr7 haters go to your dwarf sites and praise him there, dont come here. this site is for Cr7 only. We dont care about rooney or any other player accept Cr7. i WAS LOOKING AT HIS PICTURES just now I cannot believe how goodlooking this guy realy is. He has everything that a man wants or should have. women love him and men want to be him.HE IS THE BEST AT EVRYTHING THAT HE DOES I CANNOT STOP WATCHING OR LOOKING AT HIM AND READING ABOUT HIM. PHENOMINON

  50. caron says:

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  51. Anonymous says:

    Why isnt ronaldinho on here??? He was the best player from 2004-2008. And frank lampard should be on here he is relly good!!!

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