1. Lionel Messi (Barcelona, Argentina) Has had a tough past year and rarely looked fully fit, but showed again the once-in-a-generation ability he possesses when dragging Argentina to the latter stages of the World Cup despite not being at his best. He still has plenty left at age 27, which is a scary thought for Barcelona opponents.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid, Portugal) Rightly ended Messi’s domination to win his second Ballon d’Or earlier this year after consistently starring for club and emphatically firing his country to the World Cup. After a forgettable World Cup, Ronaldo will have more incentive to win another Champions League and La Liga title.
3. Luis Suárez (Barcelona, Uruguay) Continues to attract controversy, but his ferocious desire to win added to a rare ability to win game’s single-handedly is what has seen him become one of the best players in the world. How Suarez adapts to playing alongside two superstar forwards at Camp Nou will be perhaps the most intriguing story of the season.
4. Gareth Bale (Real Madrid, Wales) Did not have an easy time when he first moved to the Bernabeu for a world record transfer fee. Yet he has since responded superbly, and his searing pace and eye for the goal saw him score in both the Copa del Rey and Champions League finals last season.
5. Andrés Iniesta (Barcelona, Spain) A consistent presence in central midfield, the 30-year-old continues to be a star for the Catalans. Suffered in what was an immensely difficult season for Barcelona last term and then a disastrous World Cup for Spain. Still, no player combines his dribbling skills with ability to split open a defense with a single pass.
6. Neymar (Barcelona, Brazil) Somehow managed to thrive on the immense pressure on his shoulders as the poster-boy for the 2014 World Cup, before his unfortunate injury. Should enjoy a better second season at Barcelona after time to get used to the system.
7. Arturo Vidal (Juventus, Chile) In his third title-winning season with Juventus, Vidal scored 18 goals in all competitions and established himself as the world’s best all-round midfielder. It was disappointing then that injury limited his influence at the World Cup. The Chilean is in his prime at age 27, and is expected to excel in 2014-2015.
8. Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich, Netherlands) Not for the first time in his career, it appeared that Robben might be cast aside when Pep Guardiola arrived at Bayern Munich. Instead, he proved the club’s best player last season and continued to produce the best form of his career during the World Cup.
9. Zlatan Ibrahimović (Paris Saint-Germain, Sweden) Had the most prolific season of his career last term, scoring an extraordinary 41 goals for PSG. Sadly his unique talent was absent from the World Cup after the Swede lost a shootout with Ronaldo in a memorable qualifying playoff.
10. Ángel di María (Real Madrid, Argentina) Looks to be on the way out of Real Madrid, but then that looked the case last summer before he adapted superbly to a midfield role and went onto be voted the Man of the Match in the Champions League final. While Madrid appear to believe he doesn’t have the marketing potential of the stars they continue to sign, he is undoubtedly one of the world’s best players
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