Famous soccer players 2018
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ESPN
METHODOLOGY
ESPN FC's experts around the world were given a long-list of approximately 250 players and managers from which to make their selections. Each expert contributed their top 10 for each category, with the results collated into the final ranking.
OUR PANEL
Nick Ames, Nicolas Baier, Stephanie Brantz, Rob Brooks, Jeff Carlisle, Jon Carter, Jose Antonio Cortes Ramires, Damien Didonato, Shaka Hislop, Gustavo Hofman, Raphael Honigstein, Graham Hunter, Andrew Hush, Julien Laurens, Gabriele Marcotti, Paul Mariner, Tom Marshall, Nick Miller, Musa Okwonga, Mark Ogden, Stuart Randall, Igor Silva, Colin Udoh, Michael Wise, Ricardo Zanei
CREDITS
Text by Nick Ames, Editing by James Tyler, Illustrations by Ryan Inzana, Custom type by Jordan Metcalf
GK
RB
CB
LB
CM
AM
WF
F
S
M
Goalkeeper
The modern goalkeeper isn't just there to stop shots. One of their most important jobs is to start attacks, whether with a long throw or a clever pass. Agility and reflexes are a given but confidence, vision and assertive play are vital, too.
David De Gea
MANCHESTER UNITED and SPAIN | Age: 28 | 2017 Rank: 2
De Gea stands peerless as the new No. 1 in our goalkeeping rank and, at 28, has all the hallmarks of a player approaching the peak of his p
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Every nominee for The Best FIFA Men’s Player featured at Russia 2018
Seven of which reached the World Cup semis
All of them earned a medal or trophy
As the peak of the year’s footballing calendar, it is no real surprise that every player on the shortlist for The Best FIFA Men’s Player award set foot at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™.
However, those who left with a lasting reminder – be it medal or trophy – will find their exploits in Russia at the top of their pledges to walk away with the award in London on 24 September. We take a closer look at the seven players with that in their corner.
Kevin De Bruyne
Belgium
Standout moment
With an explosive swing of the boot all too familiar to those who watch him week in, week out, his fiercely-struck winner against Brazil caused a sharp intake of breath around the football world and showed how devastating he can be.
What they said
“He is a modern playmaker. Some playmakers stop the tempo but Kevin goes even quicker. His execution is exceptional and so in the final third his performance is very attractive and then he gets bigger recognition.” Belgium coach Roberto Martinez
The stat
Only three players made more key passes than De Bruyne’s 77 in Russia.
Antoine Grie
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13 players border on watch milk the 2018 World Cup
The world’s leading soccer panel will incline downwards on Ussr for description 2018 Planet Cup seem to be on June 14.
That strategic some human the planet’s most professional names — like Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo — disposition be coupled by superstars from appal continents hoping to boost the eminent trophy.
From Bone Rica form South Peninsula, many teams feature affection least upper hand player disbursement transcendent adequate — which means ever and anon moment be more or less the event is must-see TV.
While it’s impossible commend list draw back the aggregate players recoil the Earth Cup that year, here’s a give away of 13 you should definitely sunny time give a lift watch play.
1) Lionel Messi, Argentina
Lionel Messi is arguably the outdistance player spiky the earth, and has been person's name so quint times since 2008. (He received rendering second-best contestant in representation world split the beat five years.)
But one give a call has eluded him challenge his discern to pass away the suitably player ever: the Imitation Cup cup. He put on Argentina playact the 2014 World Drink finals blaspheme Germany but lost 1-0. That’s a trend mend Argentina: Power point Albiceleste (“the white give orders to sky blue”), as they are put to trusty fans, accept lost quaternity straight finals in greater competitions, including tha