The 10 Best Footballers In 2010

Ollie Irish

21st, December 2010

52 Comments

By Ollie Irish

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10. Javier Zanetti - Brilliant for Inter last season and would have gone to the World Cup, but for Maradona's gross ego. Zanetti is a model professional and at 37 is still world-class in at least one position.

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52 Comments

  1. Monster says:

    No Robben?

  2. Montesquieu says:

    Puyol may get better with age, but definitely not better looking.

  3. MaxMad says:

    Zing!

  4. Jawillia says:

    Good list. I’d have gone for Pique over Puyol though. Ozil must have been close to making the list?

  5. gaptooth says:

    none of them play in the premiership – dam

  6. Conor O'Riordan says:

    When I saw Ollie wrote this, I knew there’d only be one player on top of this list……….. it is right choice however :) Xavi is a god.

  7. Miguel - NYC says:

    Excellent list. Though I am a barca fan, i think the top three in this list (in the same order) should be the finalists of the Ballon d’ or. Xavi is the brain behind Barca and the spanish national team a a joy to watch on and off the field.

  8. alleke says:

    chaa-vi! chaa-vi!

  9. Andrew Thompson says:

    pleased to see Bastian in there, was awesome in WC…until Xavi and Iniesta turned up

  10. Richard Keys says:

    Where’s Gareth Bale?

  11. krak says:

    i had my mind set on messi being #1 on the list, but when he popped at #2, i had to pause for a second. I thought about it for a while before xavi’s name popped in my head. He is that kind of player; you wouldn’t expect him to top the list, but you fully understand if is #1 on any list.

  12. Nick says:

    Milito should be there. People forget how amazing he was last season before Maradona just ignored him. Inter man of the season in all competitions

  13. edhehe says:

    @Richard Keys try 2011 this is for 2010! dont think handfull of games this season merits a top 10!

  14. aj says:

    good list but Arjen Robben, David Villa and Diego Milito all had an immense year

  15. WTF says:

    WHEre THE HELL IS ARJEN ROBBEN?!

  16. Dan says:

    2 Germans might be too many, but considering that they went farther than Messi’s Argentina and Ronaldo’s Portugal in the world cup, Thomas Muller has been forgotten.

    Winning the golden boot in south africa and going to the champion’s league final in his first season in the first team at the age of 21 should count for something. Had Bayern or Germany won the whole thing he most likely would have been included, but look for him on a similar list in the future.

  17. flow says:

    Rolando deserved to be in first five.

  18. Anonymous says:

    What about francesc fabregas

  19. Ollie Irish says:

    Robben, Villa, Muller, Ozil and Milito were all considered and would all have been in a Top 20. No England players is miserable for us English, but you have to be true to the facts.

  20. Nibali says:

    Interesting list, very good.

    Milito, Cambiasso, Eto’o, Maicon and Walter Samuel could easily have made the Top 10 but I understand their has to be some variety.

    For me Samuel’s performances exceeded that of Lucio last season, they both played out of their rather tough skins – the whole Inter team defended like maniacs against Barca, what a performance that was – you might not want to see it every week but for a one-off show of defensive quality it was riveting (Eto’o practically at left wing back)

    In fairness many of their games in Serie A were fantastic & exciting, lots of late action, hopefully get back to that now Benitez has gone.

  21. Nibali says:

    Saying that, Samuel Eto’o never does get the credit he deserves – like Seedorf, he just keeps on winning big!

  22. Ollie Irish says:

    @ Nibali – Yes, I love Cambiasso (was either him or Zanetti for me) and Samuel has been brilliant this year, though I see him very much as the quiet assassin to Lucio’s defensive leader; and I think you have to get an extra point or two for being as much (hence Puyol in ahead of the excellent Pique). It was also tough to leave Maicon out, and Eto’o is just a top-class player who had one of his better seasons. So many good players – and so few of them are out-and-out strikers.

    Cheers, Ollie

  23. Nibali says:

    I believe this list highlights just why the Premiership is over-rated, to be the top league you do need some of the best players there, other than Essien, perhaps Fabregas and the emerging Bale I don’t see much, the level of defending is atrocious. Man City have some top players but you always get the impression they can’t wait to get out of England and move to Serie A.

    Nice to see a high level of integrity from an English website as opposed to the rather tired blowing of the EPL trumpet, to be honest a World Cup year always serves to highlight the quality of talent in Serie A, La Liga and the Bundesliga (which is on fire these last few years).

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  25. Greg says:

    Puyol over Pique?

    Hmm… I wouldn’t be so sure about that.

  26. Riho says:

    Right , No Robben ??

  27. Lunga says:

    No Gary Neville?

  28. James says:

    I do like Robben but glad to so wes

  29. gilly says:

    Nasri and Bale are the two stand out players so far this season, but not so much last season, whick I guess is why they didn’t get in. Eto’o has been awesome, and so has Villa

  30. […] Cup year always serves to highlight the quality of talent in Serie A , La Liga and the … More: The 10 Best Footballers In 2010 » Who Ate all the Pies Read the full article » Fatal error: Call to undefined function st_related_posts() in […]

  31. Jack says:

    Gareth Bale, Arjen Robben, It was looking good for Wayne Rooney for a couple of months.

  32. rob says:

    what more does wes need to do. he practically carried a mediocore dutch side to the world cup final, and was the catylist for inter in their treble winning season and still can’t win the ballon dor, oh wait he didn’t even make the top 3 ! all politics!!

  33. Ruperto says:

    CHICHARITO

  34. Luke says:

    I knew it would be a good list, albeit with one correction needed before I saw it – Milito in Sneijder out. Him, like the dutch team, were not impressive to watch, their achievement was impressive as a unit. He was immense for inter but Milito was the man finishing on the big stages, no one truly expected the quality he played with.

  35. S-League Player says:

    Damn glad you added Puyol. Can still remember when he first appeared for Barca, all shaggy hair and mad running, seemingly not knowing the first thing about defending OR football (a bit like a souped-up Jamie Carragher really). Turns out what I know about defending and football eh? A real defender’s defender and would surely teach Pique a few more tricks (ask Robben) before he rides off into the sunset.

  36. Deb says:

    Agree with the list but not with the comments about Cris. Not a spoiled brat imo.

    I like Xavi as a player but off the pitch lately, I’m seeing a side of him that I don’t respect at all. He should take PC and humility lessons from his teammates, Iniesta and Messi.

  37. DH says:

    I agree with Richard – where is Gareth Bale? Monkey boy has had a great year and he’s only going to get better!

  38. Pete says:

    Thomas Müller! What a year for him, what a career jump!

  39. logan says:

    No Gyan?

  40. jaymin says:

    Messi’s shits are better than any player on the list. if messi is not at the top, you’re making a list of your favorites. not THE BEST.

  41. haha says:

    nothing to say

  42. deckard says:

    talking of “very few hyped starts to live up to their billing” during the world cup. then where the hell is arjen robben? ur again being ridiculous in ur selection ollie. i think over looking pique in ur defensive picks is a serious mistake. and xavi will NEVER be rated among the greats (laudrup, platini, zico, francescoli, hagi, zidane) for the simple fact he did FUCK ALL before 2007. even in their league and champions league double of 2006 xavi hardly made an impact. it wasn’t he was 27-28 and until iniesta broke through that xavi got going, and that’s simply a fact.

  43. Kevin Barry says:

    wot no Galen?

  44. Mcgrath says:

    This is nowhere how it stands…..there is no Villa,robben,Nasri,fabregas or even gareth bale

  45. oi! so what says:

    Why Fagiano Gaynaldo was included in that list? He did nothing worth of notice except showing how tiny penis he has in Armani commercial

  46. MR. T says:

    why lucio? wheres david villa?

  47. daniel says:

    nani, bale, berba, chicha, elmander, vidic, nasri…………. having a excellent season dont u think……….. united to claim title….. cum on lads…. rooney to score 20 goals, when bak fit….. rooney, rooney

  48. yul aranas says:

    Where is Fabregas!!??

  49. Suv says:

    Wow, a lot of people asking where Gareth Bale is after he dribbled well for 5 games.

  50. Jimbo says:

    lol fabregas is nowhere near as good as the players in this list little girls, calm down

  51. Divu says:

    ROBBEN IS THE BEST!

  52. Kevin says:

    This is literally the worst list I’ve ever seen. Messi at no. 2!?!? Ronaldo at 8!?!? Were you high when you made this list?

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