The Ballon d'Or ceremony always sparks some sort of controversy, with many arguing that Player A should have been picked ahead of Player B in a debate that rumbles on weeks after the final result is revealed.
This year was no exception after Lionel Messi claimed his seventh Ballon d'Or, prompting a huge backlash in support of other seemingly more worthy winners.
Messi finished above Robert Lewandowski in second, with the award largely focusing on players in the attacking end of the pitch.
Advert
But ESPN have sought to rectify this with their FC 100 list, which breaks down the top ten players in individual lists according to their positions on the pitch.
A total of 77 ESPN experts around the world, including editors, writers, TV talent and former players, split the players up into goalkeepers, right-backs, centre-backs, left-backs, central midfielders, attacking midfielders, wingers, forwards, strikers and managers.
It makes for some fascinating reading, with Chelsea (12), Manchester City (12) and Paris Saint Germain (12) the three clubs with the highest representation in the list.
Unsurprisingly, the Premier League leads the way in the number of players included, with 41 representatives. This is followed by La Liga (21), Serie A (14), Bundesliga (10) and Ligue 1 (10).
Advert
We have picked out a few selected lists below - let the debate begin! All 10 lists can be viewed here.
Goalkeepers
10. Keylor Navas (Paris Saint-Germain)
Advert
9. Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa)
8. Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona)
7. Edouard Mendy (Chelsea)
6. Ederson (Manchester City)
Advert
5. Alisson Becker (Liverpool)
4. Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid)
3. Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich)
2. Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain)
Advert
1. Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid)
Centre-back
10. Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
9. Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus)
8. Thiago Silva (Chelsea)
7. Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli)
6. David Alaba (Real Madrid)
5. Antonio Rudiger (Chelsea)
4. Raphael Varane (Manchester United)
3. Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus)
2. Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain)
1. Ruben Dias (Manchester City)
Central midfield
10. Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona)
9. Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City)
8. Luka Modric (Real Madrid)
7. Pedri (Barcelona)
6. Casemiro (Real Madrid)
5. Marco Verratti (Paris Saint-Germain)
4. Nicolo Barella (Inter Milan)
3. Jorginho (Chelsea)
2. Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
1. N'Golo Kante (Chelsea)
Forward
10. Gerard Moreno (Villarreal)
9. Dusan Tadic (Ajax)
8. Kai Havertz (Chelsea)
7. Memphis Depay (Barcelona)
6. Son Heung-Min (Tottenham Hotspur)
5. Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain)
4. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
3. Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain)
2. Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
1. Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain)
Striker
10. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (AC Milan)
9. Alexander Isak (Real Sociedad)
8. Ciro Immobile (Lazio)
7. Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan)
6. Luis Suarez (Atletico Madrid)
5. Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur)
4. Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea)
3. Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
2. Erling Braut Haaland (Borussia Dortmund)
1. Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Robert Lewandowski, Serie A, Ligue 1, Lionel Messi, Premier League, Cristiano Ronaldo, La Liga, Bundesliga