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Topics: Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Football, Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Nasir Jabbar
Topics: Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Football, Zlatan Ibrahimovic
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."
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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.
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.