Lionel Messi nearly always tops the "best football players on the planet" lists - a four-time winner of the Ballon d'Or (three times in its current incarnation, once in its old format), the Argentine is rightly considered one of the greatest footballers to ever kick a ball. His list of achievements are many. Three-time winner of the European Golden Shoe, three-time winner of the World Soccer Player of the Year Award and a three-time Champions League winner with Barcelona, Messi's trophy cabinet must be in need of reinforcing. However, the reason he doesn't come in at No.1 is because he has missed the past two months with injury. Football is not a game that stands still for anyone and while Messi has been sidelined, others have passed him by. Perhaps temporarily, perhaps for the foreseeable. Only time will tell. Without further ado, let's move on to No.1.
Joseph is an accredited football journalist and has interviewed nearly all of the current 20 Barclay's Premier League managers. He is also a correspondent for Bleacher Report and has written for Caught Offside and Give Me Football.
