10 Best Football Players of the 2010s: Ranked

Lionel Messi ranks as FootballerRank’s best football player of the 2010s. His scoring, playmaking and five Ballon d’Or awards give him a narrow lead over Cristiano Ronaldo, whose four Champions League titles and Portugal trophies provide the strongest rival case. Andrés Iniesta takes third for his contribution to Spain and Barcelona.

This list counts performances and achievements from 2010 through 2019 only. The decade also produced leading midfielders, defenders and goalkeepers, so we judge each player by his role. Peak quality, consistency and major-match impact matter alongside honours. Success from 2009 or the 2020s does not improve a player’s position here.

Editorial decade ranking | Reviewed 2026

Key Takeaways

• Lionel Messi ranks as our best football player of the 2010s.
• Cristiano Ronaldo is second after an extraordinary decade of goals, Champions League titles, and individual awards.
• Andrés Iniesta ranks third after winning the 2010 World Cup, EURO 2012, and major Barcelona trophies.
• Luka Modrić’s 2018 World Cup Golden Ball and Ballon d’Or give him one of the decade’s strongest midfield records.
• Manuel Neuer is the highest-ranked goalkeeper.
• Only achievements from 2010 through 2019 count toward this ranking.

Top 10 Best Football Players of the 2010s

The order is FootballerRank’s editorial judgment, rather than an official FIFA or UEFA ranking. The table lists selected achievements within the decade, rather than full career totals.

How We Ranked the Best Players of the 2010s?

We use six factors. Their weights describe editorial priorities rather than a computed score. Messi’s 2022 World Cup, Ronaldo’s later international success and Lewandowski’s Champions League victory in 2020 are outside the period.

How the Calendar Year Cutoff Works?

An achievement counts when it occurred. A trophy won in 2010 qualifies even if the club campaign began in 2009. A trophy won in 2020 does not qualify even if the campaign began in 2019. Individual match performances in 2019 can still count separately from a later trophy.

Awards are assigned to the year they recognize. The FIFA Ballon d’Or awards from 2010 through 2015 belong to the same Ballon d’Or record used here, rather than being counted again as a second award. Tournament awards and team trophies remain separate evidence.

How We Compare Different Positions?

Forwards are judged on scoring, chance creation and influence on attacks. Midfielders also receive credit for control, progression and defensive work. Defenders and goalkeepers are assessed through their own duties, including positioning, preventing chances and contributing to buildup. Raw goal totals cannot settle a comparison between Messi and Neuer.

1 Lionel Messi

Country: Argentina
Main club in the decade: Barcelona
Position: Forward / Playmaker

Lionel Messi is our choice as the best football player of the 2010s. His decade combined scoring, creativity, dribbling, consistency, individual awards, and major club success at a level few players have reached. Messi entered the decade as an established leading player. His earlier award is background and receives no credit here. He then won the award in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, and 2019.

Barcelona records 91 goals for Messi in the 2012 calendar year: 79 for the club and 12 for Argentina. This is a calendar-year figure, rather than one club campaign. Messi also became Barcelona’s main creator. He could drop deeper, receive the ball between midfield and attack, beat defenders, create chances, and still finish as the team’s main scorer.

Barcelona won the Champions League in 2011 and 2015 during the decade. The 2011 final against Manchester United showed Barcelona at its best, with Messi scoring in a 3-1 victory. Four years later, Barcelona completed another treble. Messi played alongside Neymar and Luis Suárez in one of the decade’s strongest attacks. Argentina reached the 2014 World Cup final, with Messi winning the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player.

Argentina also reached Copa América finals in 2015 and 2016 but lost both. Argentina did not win a senior international title during Messi’s 2010s, while Ronaldo won EURO 2016 and the Nations League in 2019.

Why he ranks No. 1: Messi produced the strongest combination of scoring, playmaking, individual awards, club success, and consistency across the 2010s.

2 Cristiano Ronaldo

Country: Portugal
Main clubs in the decade: Real Madrid, Juventus
Position: Forward

Cristiano Ronaldo is an extremely close second. His decade was built around goals, Champions League dominance, major individual awards, and international success with Portugal. UEFA records 17 Champions League goals for Ronaldo in the club campaign ending in 2014. His knockout scoring was a central part of Madrid’s success. Real Madrid won the competition in 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2018.

Ronaldo was the central goalscorer in all four campaigns. He became especially dangerous during the knockout stages, scoring decisive goals against many of Europe’s strongest clubs. Ronaldo won the Ballon d’Or in 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017. Portugal won EURO 2016, its first major men’s international trophy. Ronaldo scored three goals during the tournament and remained an important leader even after leaving the final through injury.

Portugal then won the UEFA Nations League in 2019. Ronaldo also moved to Juventus in 2018 and immediately remained one of Serie A’s leading scorers.

Why he ranks No. 2: Ronaldo combined four Ballon d’Or awards, four Champions League titles, elite scoring, and Portugal’s first major international title.

3 Andrés Iniesta

Country: Spain
Main clubs in the decade: Barcelona, Vissel Kobe
Position: Central / Attacking Midfielder

Andrés Iniesta produced one of the decade’s most important international moments. Spain reached the 2010 World Cup final against the Netherlands. The match remained 0-0 deep into extra time. Iniesta then scored the winning goal in the 116th minute. Spain became world champion for the first time. Spain won EURO 2012, and Iniesta was named Player of the Tournament.

His club career was equally successful. Iniesta remained one of Barcelona’s central midfielders during Champions League-winning seasons in 2011 and 2015. He worked closely with Xavi and Sergio Busquets in a midfield built around possession, movement, and quick passing. His value came from receiving the ball under pressure, carrying it through midfield, creating space, and producing important moments in major matches.

His high individual recognition supports the case, but his role and major-match contribution carry more weight than voting positions alone.

Why he ranks No. 3: A World Cup-winning goal, EURO 2012’s best-player award, and major Barcelona success give Iniesta the strongest non-Messi-or-Ronaldo case.

4 Luka Modrić

Country: Croatia
Main clubs in the decade: Tottenham Hotspur, Real Madrid
Position: Central Midfielder

Luka Modrić became one of the decade’s leading midfielders after joining Real Madrid in 2012. His passing, movement, press resistance, and ability to control transitions gave Real Madrid balance. Modrić helped the club win the Champions League in 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2018. Croatia reached its first World Cup final in 2018. Modrić captained the team and won the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player.

Later that year, Modrić won the 2018 Ballon d’Or. He ranks below Iniesta because Iniesta combined elite club football with a stronger international trophy record.

Why he ranks No. 4: Four Champions League titles, a World Cup final, Golden Ball, and Ballon d’Or give Modrić an exceptional midfield record.

5 Xavi

Country: Spain
Main clubs in the decade: Barcelona, Al Sadd
Position: Central Midfielder

His passing was central to both Barcelona and Spain. At the 2010 World Cup, Spain built much of its game around possession and midfield control. Xavi played throughout the tournament as Spain won its first world title. Spain’s earlier European title provides context. Only the 2010 World Cup and EURO 2012 receive credit in this decade ranking.

At club level, Xavi helped Barcelona win the 2011 Champions League. That Barcelona side controlled Manchester United in the final and became one of the defining club teams of the era. Xavi remained with the club through another Champions League victory in 2015, although his role had become smaller by then. His game was based on awareness.

He constantly looked around before receiving the ball and usually knew where his next pass would go. He could control tempo without relying on speed or physical strength.

Why he ranks No. 5: Xavi helped define the possession-based football behind Spain’s World Cup and EURO success and Barcelona’s early-decade dominance.

6 Neymar

Country: Brazil
Main clubs in the decade: Santos, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain
Position: Forward / Winger

Neymar’s decade included major achievements in South America, Europe, and international football. He became a leading star at Santos while still very young. In 2011, Santos won the Copa Libertadores. He joined Barcelona in 2013. His greatest Barcelona campaign ended in 2015. Barcelona won La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Champions League. Neymar scored important goals throughout the Champions League knockout rounds, including in the final against Juventus.

Brazil hosted the Olympic football tournament in 2016. Neymar captained Brazil and scored the winning penalty in the final shootout against Germany. That gave Brazil its first Olympic men’s football gold medal. The men’s Olympic event is age-restricted, with over-age places, so it is considered separately from senior international championships. He also won the Golden Ball at the 2013 Confederations Cup as Brazil lifted the trophy.

Neymar moved to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 and continued producing goals and assists, although injuries affected parts of his time in France.

Why he ranks No. 6: Libertadores success, a Champions League treble, Olympic gold, and elite attacking output give Neymar a strong decade-wide case.

7 Sergio Ramos

Country: Spain
Main club in the decade: Real Madrid
Position: Centre-Back / Right-Back

Sergio Ramos is our highest-ranked defender of the 2010s. His decade includes major success for both Spain and Real Madrid. Ramos played at right-back as Spain won the 2010 World Cup. By EURO 2012, he had moved into central defence and helped Spain win another European title. Ramos helped the club win four Champions League titles in 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2018.

The 2014 final became one of his defining moments. Real Madrid trailed Atlético Madrid 1-0 late in stoppage time. Ramos scored a header to force extra time. Madrid eventually won 4-1 and completed La Décima, its long-awaited tenth European Cup. His style combined aggressive defending, aerial strength, passing, and an unusual ability to score important goals.

Discipline could sometimes be a weakness, but his major-match influence was difficult to ignore.

Why he ranks No. 7: A World Cup, EURO title, four Champions League trophies, and decisive goals give Ramos one of the decade’s strongest defensive records.

8 Manuel Neuer

Country: Germany
Main clubs in the decade: Schalke 04, Bayern Munich
Position: Goalkeeper

Manuel Neuer is our highest-ranked goalkeeper. Neuer became one of the clearest examples of the modern sweeper-keeper. He was comfortable leaving his penalty area, passing under pressure, and helping his team maintain a high defensive line. Germany won the 2014 World Cup, with Neuer receiving the Golden Glove as the tournament’s best goalkeeper. His sweeping and distribution supported the defending as well as his saves.

Neuer joined Bayern Munich in 2011. Bayern won the 2013 Champions League as part of a treble that also included the Bundesliga and German Cup. Neuer finished third in the 2014 Ballon d’Or voting, a rare achievement for a goalkeeper.

Why he ranks No. 8: Neuer combined a World Cup, Champions League, Golden Glove, and a playing style that changed expectations for elite goalkeepers.

9 Luis Suárez

Country: Uruguay
Main clubs in the decade: Ajax, Liverpool, Barcelona
Position: Striker

Luis Suárez was one of the decade’s most complete strikers. He could score, create chances, press defenders, and produce goals from difficult positions. Uruguay reached the 2010 World Cup semi-final. One year later, Uruguay won the 2011 Copa América. Suárez was named the tournament’s best player. Suárez scored 31 Premier League goals for Liverpool in the club campaign ending in 2014 despite missing the opening games.

He shared that European Golden Shoe with Cristiano Ronaldo, who also scored 31 league goals. He then joined Barcelona. Suárez became the central striker in the Messi-Neymar-Suárez attack. Barcelona won the 2015 Champions League and completed the treble. His Barcelona league campaign ending in 2016 was even stronger individually. Suárez scored 40 La Liga goals and won the European Golden Shoe outright, finishing ahead of Messi and Ronaldo in that scoring race.

Why he ranks No. 9: Two European Golden Shoes, Copa América success, a Champions League title, and elite scoring give Suárez one of the decade’s strongest striker records.

10 Robert Lewandowski

Country: Poland
Main clubs in the decade: Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich
Position: Striker

Robert Lewandowski completes our Top 10. His Champions League-winning campaign ended in 2020, so that achievement receives no credit here. Lewandowski became one of Europe’s leading strikers at Borussia Dortmund. He helped Dortmund win consecutive Bundesliga titles in 2011 and 2012. Dortmund then reached the 2013 Champions League final. One of Lewandowski’s greatest matches came in the semi-final against Real Madrid, when he scored four goals in the first leg.

He joined Bayern Munich in 2014. There, he became one of the Bundesliga’s most consistent scorers. In 2015, he scored five goals in eight minutes and 59 seconds against Wolfsburg after coming on as a substitute, as documented by Bundesliga records. He won multiple Bundesliga scoring titles during the decade and remained Bayern’s main striker through 2019.

He ranks below Suárez because Suárez combines two European Golden Shoes with a Champions League title and Copa América success within the decade. Lewandowski’s 2020 European triumph cannot strengthen his 2010s case.

Why he ranks No. 10: Lewandowski combined elite Bundesliga scoring with titles at Dortmund and Bayern while remaining one of Europe’s leading strikers for most of the decade.

Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo in the 2010s

Messi wins our comparison for his combined scoring and playmaking across the full decade. Ronaldo has the stronger Champions League trophy record and senior international trophy record during the same period. A ranking that gives those two factors greater weight can reasonably place Ronaldo first.

The Champions League figures count titles won within 2010 through 2019. They exclude Messi’s 2009 victory and Ronaldo’s 2008 victory. International titles here refer to senior national-team competitions.

For a comparison covering their wider careers, see our Messi vs Ronaldo comparison.

Why These Players Defined the Decade?

Messi and Ronaldo won nine of the ten Ballon d’Or awards from 2010 through 2019. Modrić won the remaining award in 2018. Those results show how long the two forwards stayed near the top, but awards alone do not explain the entire ranking.

Spain’s World Cup victory in 2010 and EURO title in 2012 reward Iniesta and Xavi’s control as well as Ramos’s defending. Barcelona’s European victories in 2011 and 2015 connect those midfielders with Messi, then with Neymar and Suárez in the later attack.

Real Madrid’s four Champions League titles from 2014 through 2018 support Ronaldo, Modrić and Ramos. The club won three consecutive editions from 2016 through 2018, the first such run in the Champions League era. Germany’s 2014 World Cup and Bayern’s 2013 treble provide the strongest team evidence behind Neuer’s place.

Players Who Just Missed the Top 10

The final places are close editorial decisions. They compare different roles and lengths of elite contribution within the same ten-year period. A short high peak can challenge a longer record, but success outside the decade cannot resolve the comparison.

Franck Ribéry and Arjen Robben

Ribéry deserves explicit consideration for Bayern’s 2013 treble and his UEFA Best Player in Europe award that year. Robben also has a strong case for decisive European performances and his wider Bayern and Netherlands contribution. We favour the selected forwards for their combined scoring, creation, consistency and international evidence across the decade.

Philipp Lahm and Other Defensive Candidates

Lahm is a serious alternative to Ramos, with a strong case for tactical reliability, versatility and leadership. Ramos receives our narrow preference for his combined Spain and Real Madrid record and decisive European goals. Busquets’s positional control also gives him a strong midfield case.

Van Dijk’s 2019 Champions League final award supports an exceptional late-decade peak. His strongest influence within this period covers fewer years than Ramos’s. That difference matters in a decade ranking even when the peak itself is outstanding.

Benzema and Other Attacking Candidates

Benzema won four Champions League titles with Madrid during the period, but his Ballon d’Or and strongest later individual recognition fall outside it. Bale, Ibrahimović, Hazard, Griezmann and Müller also have credible cases. Kroos is another close midfield candidate. Their absence reflects the final comparison, rather than a claim that only ten players shaped the decade.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was the best football player of the 2010s?

Lionel Messi ranks first in FootballerRank’s editorial list. His five Ballon d’Or awards, scoring, playmaking and Barcelona success give him a narrow lead over Cristiano Ronaldo.

Who won the most Ballon d Or awards in the 2010s?

Messi won five: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2019. Ronaldo won four: 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017. Modrić won the remaining award in 2018.

Who was the best midfielder of the 2010s?

Andrés Iniesta is our highest-ranked midfielder, followed by Modrić and Xavi. Iniesta’s World Cup-winning goal and EURO 2012 best-player award support his third place.

Who were the best defender and goalkeeper of the 2010s?

Ramos is our highest-ranked defender for his Spain and Real Madrid contribution. Neuer is our highest-ranked goalkeeper for his World Cup, club success and sweeping style.

Does a club campaign ending in 2020 count?

Only its individual performances that occurred in 2019 can count. Trophies won in 2020 are excluded, even if the campaign began in 2019. The ranking covers calendar years 2010 through 2019.

Sources and Fact Checking

UEFA’s award history supports the Ballon d’Or counts and Iniesta’s EURO award. UEFA match and competition records support the Champions League titles, Ronaldo’s 17-goal campaign, Ramos’s positional history and the major European performances discussed here.

FIFA records support the World Cup awards and Neymar’s Olympic achievement. Barcelona records support Messi’s 91-goal calendar year and Suárez’s 40-goal league campaign. UEFA confirms that Suárez shared the Golden Shoe in 2014. Bundesliga records support Lewandowski’s five-goal performance.

Statistics identify their period and competition. Team trophies provide context alongside individual contribution, and ranking positions remain editorial judgments. No complete-career achievement is used to improve a player’s position outside the stated decade.

Conclusion

In short, Lionel Messi leads our best football players of the 2010s for his scoring, creativity and sustained influence, with Cristiano Ronaldo close behind. Iniesta, Modrić and Xavi represent the decade’s midfield quality, while Neymar, Ramos, Neuer, Suárez and Lewandowski complete the Top 10. The order reflects role-specific performance and achievements from 2010 through 2019, with earlier and later success kept outside the assessment.