Top 10 Greatest Football Players of This Decade
The world of football continues to change with new names striking a chord with the fans through their entertaining style of football.
However, there are still many accomplished names that are still relevant today, and at times, unstoppable.
The comparisons between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will remain, and there's no way you could completely identify who the greatest of all time is.
But, if the past ten years are anything to take into consideration, there's a possibility that statistics, personal accolades, and trophies could settle the debate.
With names like Kylian Mbappe beginning to ascend to the top of the mountain, the past decade has produced some of the top footballers of our generation.
Over the span of three World Cups (2010, 2014, and 2018), the footballing world has witnessed tremendous moments of glory that they will remember for the rest of their lives.
So, without further ado, let's dive deep into history and rank the top 10 greatest footballers of this decade.
Also see: Champions League | Champions League Table | Champions League Fixtures
#10 Luis Suarez
No. 10 in our list of Football Players of the decade is Luis Suarez. If you're looking for the greatest football players in the world, you start and go to the greatest stage in football. Luis Suarez is one of the most top-tier talents in football history, with the Barcelona forward achieving incredible feats in his career.
Being Uruguay's all-time top scorer, Suarez has been able to gravitate tremendous attention through his versatility and fantastic skill-set.
Despite being involved in controversies throughout his career, the 31-year old has enough accolades to back it up and has cemented his legacy in world football.
The former Liverpool striker has won 16 trophies throughout his career, and won La Liga's Pichichi Trophy in 2016, ending Messi and Ronaldo's six-year dominance.
The incredible forward became popular after conquering the Eredivisie title in 2011 and was named the Dutch Footballer of the Year.
His transition to Liverpool was sensational, with the player winning the League Cup in his first full season, and made an entire city dream by inching closer to the EPL title.
However, despite not winning the EPL, Suarez's world-record transfer to Barcelona ascended his legacy to the top of the footballing world.
The Spanish side went on to win the historic continental treble, with Messi, Suarez and Neymar scoring a total of 122 goals, making them the most dangerous trio in Spanish football history.
His partnerships with Steven Gerrard, Edinson Cavani, and Lionel Messi in respective campaigns was excellent, and the 31-year old has proved his agility and technical ability time and time again.
With all that has transpired throughout his entire career, there's no denying that Suarez is the most versatile striker to have step foot in the world of football in this decade.
#9 Zlatan Ibrahimovic
No. 9 in our list of football players of the decade is Sweden's very own Zlatan Ibrahimovic. He is one of the most dangerous strikers on the planet, with the man's precision, ability, and striking power being as eccentric as his humour.
He has struck a chord with football fans all over the world and carries an incredible resume with 32 trophies to back up his credentials.
His sensational style of play has managed to gravitate attention, with fans all around the world admiring Zlatan's striking ability.
Ibrahimovic is currently the third most decorated active footballer in the world, having won over 30 trophies with high-profile clubs.
His performances in Italy, Spain, France, and England speak for themselves, with the 36-year old revolutionizing football with his superheroic goal-scoring prowess.
Regarded as the best Swedish International of all time, Ibrahimovic is the only player in the world to have played with seven big clubs in the UEFA Champions League.
His demand in the footballing world only justifies his credibility as a world-class striker, and his bicycle kick against England in 2013 could very well be the best goal I have ever seen through my naked eyes.
Having scored 436 goals from almost 750 appearances for all his clubs, Ibrahimovic has catapulted his legacy of being one of the most dangerous attackers of this decade.
#8 Toni Kroos
No. 8 in our list of football players of the decade is Toni Kroos. Midfield is generally positioned as the most significant element in the entire football game, with the midfielders essaying a centrally deep playmaking role to get the game going.
Since the central midfielders have always created an impact on the way a particular team plays up front, Toni Kroos' significance remains unparalleled on many departments.
The German is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest in the game and has gravitated a lot of appreciation for his mobility and efficiency in the central role.
While becoming famous in his early time with Bayer Leverkusen, Kroos came to full life in Bayern Munich, his parent club and went on to win many accolades and trophies with the German Giants.
His set-piece ability and proficiency in playing deep whilst enacting a central role has propelled him to unimaginable heights and positioned him as one of the most talented midfielders on the planet.
His contribution to Real Madrid remains immense, with the German winning three consecutive UEFA Champions League trophies with the Spanish Giants; solidifying his position in history.
There's no denying that he couldn't push his national side to the Finals of the FIFA World Cup, Kroos' mentality as a footballer still remains very ambitious and optimistic.
#7 Sergio Aguero
No. 7 in our list of football players of the decade is Sergio Aguero. There's absolutely no denying that Sergio Aguero is possibly the greatest striker to ever grace the football world, let alone the English Premier League.
The Argentinian forward has proved his mettle for both national team and clubs and hijacks the spotlight in marquee matches with his recent performances against Arsenal and Chelsea justifying his prowess of a show stealer.
Having established himself as the youngest player to perform in the Argentine Primera Division, Aguero quickly made a solid transition to Atletico Madrid where he scored a whopping 101 goals in 234 appearances whilst winning the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Super Cup in the process.
Despite being so versatile for his position, Aguero's 94th-minute winner against Queen Park Rangers in his debut season for Manchester City ascended the club to it's first EPL trophy in 44 years.
If his goal-scoring statistics are anything to take into consideration, then the Manchester City striker has earned a reputation of being one of the greatest strikers to ever grace EPL in the modern era, if not the greatest.
While some may argue that Thierry Henry might be the greatest EPL forward ever, Aguero's fantastic agility and proficiency for the game has somehow coerced the fans to think otherwise.
He is currently tied with Alan Shearer as the highest hat-trick scorers in the EPL of 11, and judging by how the Argentinian has been performing as of late, we are likely to see him break Shearer's record sooner rather than later.
Despite not winning a major trophy with his country, Aguero has remained an influential figure in football and his legacy may remain untouched for a long, long time.
With Manchester City locked in an edge of a seat thriller title race with Liverpool this season, Pep Guardiola would be certainly counting on Aguero to propel his side to unimaginable heights.
#6 Sergio Ramos
No. 6 in our list of football players of the decade is Sergio Ramos. Highly regarded as one of the most incredible defenders of this beautiful game, Sergio Ramos' resume speaks for itself and continues to prosper every single season.
The highly-rated defender has been influential in elevating the stature of both Real Madrid and Spain, with his proficiencies as a full back earning him various accolades throughout his prestigious career.
While Ramos has always made headlines for all the wrong reasons, legions of football fans cannot deny that his accomplishments as a defender are unparalleled, in this decade.
The Spanish Sensation was incredibly significant in assisting Real Madrid to a whopping four UEFA Champions League titles, with his 93rd-minute equalizer in the Final of the 2013-14 season against Atletico Madrid registering them a record tenth title in the illustrious competition.
There's no denying that his national side is undoubtedly one of the most perilous sides in Europe, if not the world and Ramos' indispensable leadership has coerced the nation to be an established team.
Having won the 2010 FIFA World Cup alongside two UEFA Euro in 2008 and 2012, Ramos' was incredibly efficient and still continues to be as threatening as he used to when he started out.
Regardless of what transpires in the headlines, there's no way we can ever exclude Sergio Ramos from the history books as one of the greatest defenders of this decade.