In a fair and ideal world, both would follow in Tom Brady’s footsteps and continue to win titles through their 40s. All things being equal, Real Madrid center back Sergio Ramos was one of the most infuriating and frustrating players of the 2010s.
The “MSN” triumvirate won the Champions League only once before Neymar left Spain for France, but Suarez stood tall as a four-time La Liga champion in the closing days of the 2010s. She buried her second career Olympic gold-medal-winning goal in 2012. That story ties to this piece because “The Special One,” one of the most successful managers in the history of modern football, worked with a plethora of the best players of the past 10 years.Inevitably, legendary and elite male and female players were snubbed from this list because only so many slots exist. From his best days in Europe through a two-season stay with Major League Soccer outfit L.A. Galaxy, Ibrahimovic wowed audiences with spectacular and acrobatic finishes. Robben moved from Real Madrid to Bayern Munich in August 2009, and the Dutchman won eight Bundesliga titles before his retirement in 2019.
Hazard captained Belgium at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, where he won the Silver Ball and a bronze medal.
1 spot in player power rankings for the 2015-16 European season. When fully fit and in his prime, Manuel Neuer may have been the greatest “sweeper-keeper” and greatest all-around goalkeeper in history. While some casual fans may have taken former Barcelona genius Andres Iniesta for granted during his tenure with the Spanish giants, voters appreciated the nine-time La Liga champion and four-time Champions League winner throughout the decade. Both AC Milan and PSG have Zlatan in their Halls of Fame. He also has past experience of working at Manchester United and once locked eyes with Jose Mourinho.
In December 2018, he became the first player not named Messi or Ronaldo to win the Ballon d’Or this decade. © Darren Staples/Sportimage via PA Images (Photo by PA Images/Sipa USA) As ESPN’s Sam Marsden wrote in 2018, Pique became the heart of the Barcelona backline after Carles Puyol retired in 2014, as the eight-time La Liga champion utilized his footballing IQ and positioning abilities to compensate for a lack of pace compared to other defenders. Mbappe hobbled off during Paris Saint-Germain's …
Morgan remains one of the most recognized women’s player in the world. © Photo by James Wilson/Sportimage/PA Images/Sipa USA
FIFA 16 front cover with Messi (Image: EA Sports/FIFA 16) 23 of 25. Striker Sergio Aguero signed with Manchester City in the summer of 2011, and his walk-off goal vs. Queens Park Rangers in the first season finale of his City tenure secured the title for his club and became an instant highlight for the ages. Recently, Miguel Delaney of The Independent praised Godin as “the very best center-half in the world” during the player’s prime. While both Messi and Ronaldo won the Ballon d’Or five times through the end of November 2018, the diminutive Argentinian reached that mark first in 2015. FIFA 12 | Download A Club Cover. After Suarez won the 2013-14 Premier League Golden Boot, 2013-14 Premier League Player of the Season, 2013-14 FWA Footballer of the Year and 2013-14 PFA Players’ Player of the Year, the polarizing striker completed a dream move to Barcelona in the summer of 2014. The England international will end the 2010s with a pair of Premier League Golden Boot awards and the Golden Boot for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. In June 2019, Lloyd set a record as the first player to score in six consecutive Women’s World Cup contests. Modric was an unstoppable and nonstop force for Croatia during the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and he won the Golden Ball for guiding his nation to the Final. While a laundry list of injury woes prevented the Welsh wonder from meeting the expectations so many had for him once the ink dried on his Real contract, the four-time Champions League winner delivered some of the club’s biggest goals of the decade. His biggest on-the-pitch crime to affect his standing on such lists is that he spent the majority of the decade with Atletico Madrid instead of Real Madrid or Barcelona. Time Magazine named Salah one of the world’s most influential people in 2019.
"I've been playing this game since I was a kid and I am honoured to represent a whole new generation of footballers and be in the same group as many other amazing footballers who I now share this honor with. FIFA 17 cover (Image: EA Sports) 24 of 25 By July, Brazilian forward Marta had cemented herself as one of the greatest World Cup players, male or female, in history. © Paul Terry/Sportimage via PA Images (Photo by PA Images/Sipa USA