10 most graceful players in world football today

Rivelino. Johan Cruyff. Diego Maradona. Roberto Baggio. Dennis Bergkamp. Pavel Nedved. Zinedine Zidane. ‘Il Fenomeno’ Ronaldo. All legends of the game – players who can walk into football’s Hall of Fame blind-folded.These are players so decorated that no song of praise can amount to exaggeration in their case. They saw the beautiful game through an eye that us mortals don’t have access to; they are orchestrators who composed the greatest melodies in the game; men who gave the word “grace” new meaning every day. For grace is what stood them apart from equally illustrious peers during their distinguished careers.These were players who could insult our intelligence by making football look so easy that we’ve all stupidly tried imitating them in our college grounds. These were players who exuded a lazy elegance in their prime, an elegance so sublime that it’s hard to find it in today’s age of specialized, sophisticated football. Needless to say, graceful footballers are a dying breed today. They’re square pegs in round holes for managers who prefer the consistent yet predictable machines over the mercurial genius that this breed could bring. But thankfully, we still have a few of them left.And they serve as massive inspiration to others who are gifted enough to play the game the way they do. Football needs them. For like any other sport, football too needs its smattering of grace.Here’s a look at the 10 most graceful players in the beautiful game today.

#10 Isco

A player who has had a fledgling career at best to be on this list would take something special – and special is exactly what Francisco Roman Alarcon Suarez is. A player who has Ariel Ortega’s skills and Juan Roman Riquelme’s perseverance, it is a shame that Isco rarely gets the acclaim he deserves at Real Madrid. Indeed, it is a travesty that this fantastic playmaker missed out on a spot in Spain’s squad that failed miserably in Brazil.

Right from his early days as the prodigal son of Malaga, Isco has always been seen as a player with unreal ability. His close control, first touch and dizzyingly yet delightfully hazy feet make him an absolute nightmare to mark. Armed with intelligence that belies his age, the Spaniard never fails to please the eye, whether it is on the wings or in his favoured No. 10 role. In fact, he’s been so good this season that playing Gareth Bale ahead of him has been widely frowned upon by faithful Madridistas.

As far as the best young talents in the world go, there’s Neymar, Mario Gotze, Eden Hazard and Paul Pogba leading the list. But Isco is a player who is more aesthetically pleasing than all his equally accomplished peers. See the video to believe.