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Player Power Rankings - October: Cristiano Ronaldo on top of the mountain

Reuters

In a new monthly feature, theScore's trio of footy editors will list - and then defend - the men they believe to be the 30 best footballers on the planet. Current form, past displays, the team, positional elements, and even the so-called ability for players to step up and perform in the big moments will all be taken into account. You will agree with some. You will certainly disagree with many, many more.

Football's oldest debate stems from the simplest possible question. It elicits the most convoluted of answers.

Who is the best player in the world?

Easy, right? One name, and be done with it. If only it was so straightforward. All of those points mentioned in the preamble above serve to make what should be an easy distinction terribly difficult, and creates the types of debate that makes this question football's most intriguing.

Let the arguments begin.

Note: Footballers who are not playing at the time of publishing due to long term injury or suspension will not be considered.

The Big Board

An aggregate list of the top ten players, made up of the individual rankings from each of our three editors.

The Top Ten
1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
2. Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
3. Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich)
4. Neymar (Barcelona)
5. Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)
6. Angel Di Maria (Manchester United)
7. Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea)
8. Gareth Bale (Real Madrid)
9. Diego Costa (Chelsea)
10. Eden Hazard (Chelsea)

The Top 30

Each editor's individual list of 30 players. The real fun starts here.

Gianluca Nesci Gordon Brunt Carlo Campo
1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) 1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) 1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
2. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) 2. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) 2. Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
3. Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich) 3. Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich) 3. Neymar (Barcelona)
4. Angel Di Maria (Manchester United) 4. Neymar (Barcelona) 4. Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich)
5. Sergio Aguero (Manchester City) 5. Diego Costa (Chelsea) 5. Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)
6. Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich) 6. Eden Hazard (Chelsea) 6. Mario Gotze (Bayern Munich)
7. Neymar (Barcelona) 7. Gareth Bale (Real Madrid) 7. Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich)
8. Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea) 8. Paul Pogba (Juventus) 8. Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea)
9. Luis Suarez (Barcelona) 9. Mario Gotze (Bayern Munich) 9. Diego Costa (Chelsea)
10. James Rodriguez (Real Madrid) 10. Angel Di Maria (Manchester United) 10. Gareth Bale (Real Madrid)
11. Gareth Bale (Real Madrid) 11. Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea) 11. Angel Di Maria (Manchester United)
12. Arturo Vidal (Juventus) 12. Sergio Aguero (Manchester City) 12. Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
13. Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund) 13. James Rodriguez (Real Madrid) 13. Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal)
14. Eden Hazard (Chelsea) 14. Carlos Tevez (Juventus) 14. Keisuke Honda (AC Milan)
15. Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal) 15. Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich) 15. Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich)
16. Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich) 16. Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich) 16. Raheem Sterling (Liverpool)
17. Diego Costa (Chelsea) 17. Luis Suarez (Barcelona) 17. David Alaba (Bayern Munich)
18. Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona) 18. Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) 18. Paul Pogba (Juventus)
19. Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich) 19. Koke (Atletico Madrid) 19. Max Kruse (Borussia Monchengladbach)
20. Luka Modric (Real Madrid) 20. David Alaba (Bayern Munich) 20. Ricardo Rodriguez (Wolfsburg)
21. Sergio Busquets (Barcelona) 21. Oscar (Chelsea) 21. Oscar (Chelsea)
22. Mario Gotze (Bayern Munich) 22. Keisuke Honda (AC Milan) 22. Kevin de Bruyne (Wolfsburg)
23. Yaya Toure (Manchester City) 23. Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal) 23. Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona)
24. Paul Pogba (Juventus) 24. Arturo Vidal (Juventus) 24. Andre-Pierre Gignac (Marseille)
25. Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich) 25. Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund) 25. Alexandre Lacazette (Lyon)
26. Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich) 26. Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona) 26. Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund)
27. Toni Kroos (Real Madrid) 27. Karim Bellarabi (Bayer Leverkusen) 27. Graziano Pelle (Southampton)
28. David Alaba (Bayern Munich) 28. Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich) 28. Carlos Tevez (Juventus)
29. Ricardo Rodriguez (Wolfsburg) 29. Toni Kroos (Real Madrid) 29. Dusan Tadic (Southampton)
30. Isco (Real Madrid) 30. Luka Modric (Real Madrid) 30. Luka Modric (Real Madrid)

On the Bubble

Radamel Falcao (Manchester United), Thiago Silva (Paris Saint-Germain), David Silva (Manchester City), Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund).

Out with Injury or Suspension

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Paris Saint-Germain), Mesut Ozil (Arsenal), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona).

Defend Your List

Gianluca Nesci

Philipp Lahm at No. 6

How can I have someone ranked in the top-10 that my two colleagues don't even have listed at all? There are a couple possibilities. The likely answer is that I'm insane. But I prefer to think that Philipp Lahm - football's ultimate Swiss Army Knife - is overlooked by many because he's so damn brilliant (at everything) that he's become boring. 

He doesn't score spectacular goals, or make last-ditch tackles that garner headlines. Being a footballing genius means you never find yourself in need of diving in as a last resort. Leave that for the less talented players. No, Lahm just goes about his business, always in perfect position and never looking in distress on the pitch - regardless of where he is asked to play. 

The best fullback currently consuming oxygen has spent much of the last year playing central midfield. Not only has he looked comfortable, he's been fantastic for both Pep Guardiola and Joachim Loew. Most players can't do that. Lahm is better than most players.

I'll leave the final word to Guardiola, and proceed to drop the mic:

"Philipp Lahm is the most intelligent player I have managed in my career. I'm delighted to be here, just because I get to manage him."

Yes, Andres Iniesta is still that good

Note: He would have slotted in at No. 21 on my list had it not been for his calf injury in Saturday's Clasico.

Seven La Liga matches. No goals. No assists. Andres Iniesta is in decline. His time as one of the best midfielders in the world has come to an end. At 30 years old, it was inevitable. Except, it's not. 

The diminutive genius has not been able to fill the stat sheet like many of his midfield peers early this season, but that has little to do with his abilities as a player. With Xavi slowly becoming less influential at the Cam Nou, Iniesta has adopted his deeper midfield role, taking him out of the more attacking positions he has enjoyed in recent years. Gone are the days of Iniesta playing on the left wing of Barcelona's attacking trio.

Despite that deeper role, the Spaniard is still delivering at rates comparable to the rest of his career, with his key passes (1.4 per game) and dribbles (2 per game) in line with production from years gone by. It may not be as flashy as it once was, but that doesn't mean it isn't good.

Perhaps I value his unparalleled touch on the ball and extraordinary vision more than most, but someone who can unlock a defense all on his own like Iniesta will always be shown favor in my books.

But Yaya Toure has been dreadful this year ...

Form is temporary. Class is permanent. It's a phrase you've heard many times before, often used to describe players on the last legs of their career who pop up with one final moment of brilliance that hearkens back to their glory days. 

Yaya Toure is still very much in his glory days.

The Manchester City midfielder has struggled this season, with just one (great) goal to his name after 11 matches. Whether it was a tumultuous off-season and a lack of fondant, or the fact that he hasn't been granted much of a break thanks to his participation in the World Cup, the Ivorian colossus just hasn't been himself. 

Do you really think he isn't capable of getting back to the all-conquering midfielder that scored 20 Premier League goals in 2013? Perhaps it's best phrased like this: would you rather have Karim Bellarabi, Kevin de Bruyne or Toure in your midfield. I don't have to think twice about that, even if he is not living up to the loftiest of expectations thus far.

Ricardo Rodriguez is the best pure left-back on earth

Yes, I went there.

David Alaba garnered a higher ranking (by one place at No. 28) because of his supreme versatility, but the 22-year-old Rodriguez has already proven that he is not only going to hold the title as the world's premier left-back for many years to come, he can stake that claim right now.

Equally adept in both defense and attack, the powerful Swiss has led a solid, yet largely unheralded Wolfsburg side to third in the Bundesliga table. Friendly reminder: this is a left-back, which is arguably the least influential position on the pitch. If you have to hide a weak link, your best bet is likely the left side of the defense.

Not Rodriguez, whose ridiculous numbers this season tell a tale of a player being downright dominant.

According to stats site WhoScored, Rodriguez has graded as the tenth best player across Europe's top five leagues this season. That's not a mistake, and it's not going to change anytime soon.

Gordon Brunt 

Love him or hate him, Arjen Robben continues to be one of the top talents in the world

The threats are endless when Arjen Robben has the ball at his feet, with few players unable to match the influence he has on a match.

His ability to control the pace of play is second to none with defenders often left frozen with the prospect of being beat by his blazing speed and trickery or the threat of the slightest touch sending the Bayern Munich midfielder crashing to the ground. He adds a component to an already frightening Bayern Munich squad that few teams contain within their starting 11’s and displays a love for the game that will continue to inspire awe and disgust many throughout his career.

Koke's stock continues to rise

Atletico Madrid youngster Koke is the latest product to come through the seemingly endless conveyor belt of elite Spanish talent.

Having already collected 9 assists in league and Champions League play for the defending La Liga champions, Koke, 22, is showing glimpses of his predecessors, Xabi and Andres Iniesta, with his remarkable ability to supply his teammates with precision passes that often create goal-scoring opportunities. His five assists in La Liga only trail Lionel Messi’s seven, while his four is enough to lead the way in the early stages of the Champions League. 

Alexis Sanchez shines on a injury-riddled Arsenal squad

Alexis Sanchez’s arrival at Arsenal hasn’t produced the winning results originally expected when the Premier League side lured the Chilean away from Barcelona.

However, not many are going to pin the blame on him since he’s helped keep the Gunner afloat during their injury crisis as his ferociousness and endless persistence on the pitch is only matched by a few in the world. His transition into the British style of football has been smooth and should see his contributions on the score sheet increase as players return from injuries.

Regular playing time will surely see Sanchez set new career highs in Europe since playing time with Arsenal will provide him the opportunities to shine that he was only able to do on a limited basis with a supremely talented Barcelona team. 

Germany's rising star: Karim Bellarabi

A bright start to the Bundesiga season with Bayer Leverkusen has already earned Karim Bellarabi his first caps with the defending World Cup champions, Germany.

He grabbed headlines on the opening day when he recorded the league’s quickest goal during a match against Borussia Dortmundand and has continued to find the back of the net ever since.

Bellarabi’s preference is to play down the flanks where his immense speed gives him an advantage on most defenders and his propensity for cutting to the inside often creates chances for the 24-year-old to have a shot on goal or find teammates while the defence tries to adjust to his quick-thinking presence on the pitch. Thanks to his contributions, Bayer Leverkusen finds itself in fifth place in the Bundesliga and have lost just one match through nine games. The squad also sit atop their group in the Champions League after collecting six points in their opening three matches. 

Carlo Campo

Cristiano Ronaldo is not a human being 

It's been a while since there's been such a clear-cut favourite in the seemingly endless debate over the planet's best footballer. Year after year, season after season, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi pile on the goals and assists, attempting to one-up each other in spectacular fashion but struggling to establish themselves as the world's No. 1 simply because their counterpart is always equal to the task.

But things are different right now. Not because Messi is even remotely out of form. That's far from the case. The Argentine phenom has notched nine goals and nine assists in 12 appearances across La Liga and the Champions League this season, numbers that are absurdly impressive by any standard and have him on pace to surpass his tallies from the previous campaign.

However, as my rankings and the rankings of my two colleagues suggest, Ronaldo has entered 2014-15 in such breathtaking form that there simply can't be a case made against the Portuguese superstar being appointed at No. 1. 

Ronaldo has scored 19 goals in 11 competitive appearances this season, bagging at least one goal in each of those matches. He's also averaging 2.0 goals per game and 6.6 shots per game in La Liga, leaving opposing 'keepers in body bags on a weekly basis. No one from any of Europe's top leagues can compete with those stats, and as long as Ronaldo keeps up his fine form, Messi will be in tough to dethrone CR7 at the top of our lists.

How does a 'keeper break into the top 10?

As the only one to place Bayern Munich 'keeper Manuel Neuer in their top 10 - I put him at No. 7, specifically - my decision may or may not have something to do with the sympathies I acquired during my short-lived playing career as a goalie. Nonetheless, I stand by my choice.

Comparing 'keepers to players in any other position is damn near impossible. How does one equate saves and presence in the box to goals, assists, and shots? Until analytics can provide an accurate way of doing so, the argument will remain extremely subjective.

That being said, if Manuel Neuer's form in 2014-15 isn't enough to earn him a spot in the top 10, then doing so is pretty much an insurmountable feat for any 'keeper.

Neuer, to put it simply, has taken an unbelievably talented side and bumped them up a level. Teams that have the talent to break through Bayern's backline must then go through a 'keeper whose gloves seem twice the size of anyone else's, a 'keeper who barely flinches at the most difficult of saves, a World Cup winner who is quickly establishing himself as one of the greatest players to ever stand between the posts.

A message to my colleagues: if you're not putting Neuer higher on your respective lists, then I'm guessing we'll never see a 'keeper crack the top 10.

Keisuke Honda is thriving in his first full season at AC Milan

Keisuke Honda is proving that there's far more to his game that precision-perfect free kicks.

The 2014-15 campaign has seen Honda, who arrived at AC Milan from CSKA in January and subsequently received the club's famed No. 10 jersey, bag six goals and two assists in eight Serie A appearances, providing the Rossoneri with the type of consistent attacking threat they've sorely needed since Zlatan Ibrahimovic departed.

Yet Honda offers more than Ibrahimovic does in many senses, and not just because he's managed to stay healthy this season. The Japanese attacking midfielder is lethal from set pieces and holds the ability to take out an entire backline and change the outcome of a match with one dangerous pass.

Ranking Honda at No. 14 may seem too high in the eyes, and perhaps it is. But he's put Milan on his back this season, and because of his well-rounded game, a side that overhauled its squad during the summer now sits sixth in Serie A and looks to have a legitimate shot of qualifying for the Champions League.

Where's the love for Max Kruse?

In case you didn't notice, Borussia Monchengladbach's 2014-15 campaign is off to a flying start as they currently sit second in the Bundesliga table, only four points behind Bayern.

The main reason: Max Kruse, who I ranked 19th on my list.

Through seven appearances this season, Kruse has notched five goals and two assists, with his overall performances being so impactful that WhoScored currently ranks him 16th of any player in Europe's five biggest leagues. 

His recent form even led to him being named as the lone striker in Germany's squad for their Euro 2016 qualifiers in October. Although he only received limited minutes as a substitute in the two matches - both of which Germany lost - Kruse could become a regular face in Joachim Low's squad throughout the qualifiers if he keeps up his form at Monchengladbach.

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