sportbible homepage
sportbible homepage
  • Football
  • Boxing
  • UFC
  • Home
  • Football
    • Premier League
    • Champions League
    • World Cup
    • England
    • Transfer News
    • Manchester United
    • Liverpool
    • Arsenal
    • Real Madrid
    • Barcelona
  • Formula 1
    • Red Bull
    • Ferrari
    • McLaren
    • Mercedes
    • Max Verstappen
    • Lewis Hamilton
    • Lando Norris
    • George Russell
    • Charles Leclerc
  • Boxing
  • UFC
  • More Sport
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • NBA
    • NFL
    • Darts
    • Athletics
    • Rugby
    • Wrestling
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Snapchat
TikTok
Threads
YouTube
Submit Your Content Here
  • LADbible
  • Tyla
  • GAMINGbible
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • FOODbible
  • UNILAD Tech
The Guardian's top 100 players of 2013 list resurfaces and makes for incredible reading a decade on

Home> Football> Football News

Updated 16:44 18 Dec 2023 GMTPublished 16:43 18 Dec 2023 GMT

The Guardian's top 100 players of 2013 list resurfaces and makes for incredible reading a decade on

The usual names are featured including Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Nasir Jabbar

Nasir Jabbar

google discoverFollow us on Google Discover

The Guardian's top 100 players of 2013 has resurfaced and it makes for fascinating reading ten years on.

In 2013, the English outlet listed their 100 best players in world football as they enlisted the help of Italy legend Alessandro Nesta, former England's women's coach Hope Powell and ex-USA and Tottenham goalkeeper Kasey Keller.

The experts joined a selection of Guardian journalists on the panel, with the list determined on a points system.

Stephen McMillan explained: "We asked each judge one simple question: who have been the 40 best players in the world in 2013? They ranked their answers in order, from 1-40. We awarded 40 points for a No1 choice, 39pts for No2, and so on down to one point for their 40th choice."

Advert

Only four British players made the top 100, but the Premier League was the best represented league in the list, with 29 players.

La Liga boasted 26 players, including then-Barcelona man Lionel Messi, who topped the star-studded list ahead of then-Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic came in at third ahead of Franck Ribery, Andres Iniesta and Neymar.

Gareth Bale, Xavi, Luis Suarez, who was at Liverpool at the time, and Sergio Aguero made up the top ten.

Gareth Bale in action for Real Madrid. Image: Getty
Gareth Bale in action for Real Madrid. Image: Getty

Stars from Manchester United, Arsenal and Manchester City were then listed as Robin van Persie, Mesut Ozil, Arjen Robben, Yaya Toure, Andrea Pirlo and Thomas Muller featured from 11-25.

Wayne Rooney, Cesc Fabregas, David Silva, Xabi Alonso, Vincent Kompany and Aaron Ramsey are among the names from 26-50.

While Nemanja Vidic, Karim Benzema, Luka Modric, Santi Cazorla and Keisuke Honda are included from 51-75.

The latter end of the top 100 sees the likes of Pablo Zabaleta, Michu, Samuel Eto'o, Frank Lampard and Eden Hazard named.

Check out The Guardian's top 100 players of 2013 here.

Featured Image Credit: Getty

Topics: Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Football, Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Nasir Jabbar
Nasir Jabbar

Nasir Jabbar is a journalist at SPORTbible. He graduated from Bath Spa University with a BA in Media Communications. He's a combat sport aficionado and has contributed to MMA websites AddictedMMA and CagePotato. Nasir has covered some of the biggest fights, while interviewing the likes of Conor McGregor, Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Darren Till. He's also an avid Bristol City fan.

X

@NasJabbar

Recommended reads

Mark Selby lifts lid on backstage talks over Crucible as landmark agreement reachedGettyBarry Hearn sends message to Ronnie O'Sullivan over snooker future as Crucible prediction madeGettyTyson Fury explains why his 14-year-old son Prince has “no choice” but to become a boxerGettyTyson Fury targets Jon Jones clash as next move after boxing confirmedGetty

Advert

Choose your content:

2 hours ago
4 hours ago
5 hours ago
17 hours ago
  • Getty
    2 hours ago

    Chelsea fans livid as player publicly declares he wants to leave London

    More bad news for Liam Rosenior during the international break.

    Football
  • Getty
    4 hours ago

    Spurs instantly rejected by managerial target hours after Igor Tudor exit

    Tudor left Spurs by mutual consent on Sunday after 44 days in charge.

    Football
  • Getty
    5 hours ago

    What Sir Alex Ferguson did after player knocked on his door asking for a trial

    The player turned up at Sir Alex Ferguson's house with a DVD in hand and asked for a trial at Manchester United.

    Football
  • Getty
    17 hours ago

    Cole Palmer 'pushing to leave' Chelsea this summer with three clubs as options

    Palmer's future at Chelsea is looking increasingly uncertain.

    Football
  • The top 100 players of all time have been ranked by FourFourTwo, some of the ranks will surprise you
  • Lionel Messi tops list of 100 best male footballers as Cristiano Ronaldo plummets
  • Top 100 ratings on EA Sports FC 24 have been leaked, four players tied for top spot
  • Bruno Fernandes and shock Man City player make top 10 list of players with most minutes in 2023