Summary
- Leicester City's Jamie Vardy went from being a Non-League footballer to a Premier League champion and World Cup participant, making a significant impact on the pitch throughout the decade.
- Keylor Navas, the Costa Rican goalkeeper, had a standout performance at the 2014 World Cup and experienced success with Real Madrid, despite being underrated and underappreciated.
- Roberto Firmino's selfless nature and tireless work ethic made him a crucial part of Jurgen Klopp's successful Liverpool side, contributing to their Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup victories.
From Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi scoring every 10 seconds, Leicester City winning the Premier League and France becoming world champions, there was no shortage of memories in the last decade of football. The year 2010 kicked off with Inter Milan winning the Champions League and Spain capturing their first World Cup. These are two things that have not happened since.
And here at GIVEMESPORT, we've been reminiscing on the years between 2010 and 2019, selecting everything from the most exciting games, finest teams, greatest goals, and even the best-looking kits. But we've now taken on our toughest and most important retrospective: counting down the top 100 footballers of the decade.
The decade in question saw some of the greatest football players in the entire history of the game, with two players, in particular, being in the conversation for being the greatest footballer ever. As you can imagine, picking the candidates and ranking them all wasn't easy, with football being a game full of differing opinions, but we have given it our best shot and think the results are quite solid.
With all that being said, join us in celebrating a remarkable decade of the 'beautiful game' by viewing and disputing our final list.
All statistics mentioned in this article have been taken from TransferMarkt at the time of writing.
100 Jamie Vardy
Considering Vardy started the decade as a non-league footballer, his rise to a Premier League champion and appearance-maker in the 2018 World Cup is simply staggering. His highest goal-scoring season came during Leicester's title-winning campaign in 2015/16, as he netted on 24 occasions in the league. His relationship on the pitch with Riyad Mahrez was vital to Claudio Ranieri's men securing the historic honour.
The English striker continued to impress for the remainder of the decade as he scored 51 Premier League goals in the following three seasons combined and started the 19/20 season in red-hot form - setting himself on his way to a 23-goal campaign. Vardy will forever be remembered as a Leicester City icon for his contributions to giving the fans a league title as well as Champions League football.
99 Keylor Navas
Navas hit headlines around the world with his stunning performance for Costa Rica at the 2014 World Cup with some unbelievable displays along the way as his nation defied all odds and reached the quarter-finals after topping a group that included England, Italy, and Uruguay.
These performances earned the shot-stopper a move to La Liga giants, Real Madrid, from Levante. The majority of his time spent at the Santiago Bernabéu saw Navas being underrated and largely underappreciated. Thibaut Courtois arrived from Chelsea to provide competition to the Costa Rica international and eventually took his place completely. Navas ended the decade by joining Ligue 1 side PSG to continue competing at the top level.
98 Fernando Torres
We only saw glimpses of a prime Torres during the decade, although he still scored over 90 goals after 2009, but the Spanish striker earned his place with a stunning trophy cabinet. Torres held the World Cup, European Championship, Europa League, and Champions League titles simultaneously in 2013 and won the Golden Boot at Euro 2012.
An ill-fated £50 million move from Liverpool to Chelsea in January 2011 was expected to be the final piece in the puzzle for the Blues as they chased more domestic success as well as a first Champions League title in the club's history. That plan did play out perfectly - with the Spaniard suffering from the number nine curse at Chelsea - as Torres and co lifted the biggest European trophy on the planet in 2012 after beating Bayern Munich in their own backyard. The Spaniard's contributions weren't quite as drastic as hoped, but he did seal the club's place in the final with a brilliantly taken goal at the Nou Camp in the semi-final.
97 James Rodriguez
How could we leave out a World Cup Golden Boot winner? Rodriguez became an instant superstar when he scored six times - including THAT volley against Uruguay - in the summer of 2014. The Colombian truly announced himself to the world of football during the tournament in Brazil, scoring six times as his country reached the quarter-finals. Rodriguez's ridiculous displays at the World Cup in 2014 were meant to be the start of a special career.
A big-money move to Real Madrid was sealed after taking the World Cup by storm, with massive expectations placed upon his shoulders to provide chances for the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema. Things fizzled out towards the end of the decade in all honesty, but you can't ignore 37 goals and two Champions League titles with Real Madrid as well as decent spells at AS Monaco and Bayern Munich.
96 Rio Ferdinand
Ferdinand might have hung up his boots in 2015 after a terrible season with Queens Park Rangers, but he entered the decade as one of the best defenders on the planet. Had this list been based on the decade prior, he would have ranked a lot higher as Ferdinand was one of the greatest defenders in Premier League history as well as one of Manchester United's greatest players ever when at the peak of his powers.
Scoring in Sir Alex Ferguson's final game as Man United boss, the centre-back effectively brought his career at the top level to a close in a fitting way before embarking on two further underwhelming campaigns including the aforementioned year at Loftus Road. The Englishman squeezes his way onto the list after some world-class displays during the 2011 and 2013 Premier League title wins alongside another player who will feature further down...
95 Marco Reus
Now a bona fide Borussia Dortmund legend, Reus would be much higher on the list - as well as in possession of a World Cup winners' medal - if it wasn't for a series of heartbreaking injuries. There was a point where any club in world football would jump at the chance to lure the German away from Borussia Dortmund, but the injuries and Reus' loyalty to his club prevented this from materialising.
But despite being one of the most injury-prone players of the decade, the 30-year-old scored over 120 goals from midfield at Dortmund and was named Bundesliga Player of the Season three times within the years in question. The transition from a lightning-quick winger into a creative attacking midfielder was a huge testament to the technical ability the Dortmund hero possesses.
94 Mario Mandzukic
One of the most underrated strikers of the modern era and a man who was prolific everywhere he went: Wolfsburg, Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, Juventus, and his nation, Croatia. The revered target man also had the distinction of scoring in two Champions League finals and the second of which - a bicycle against Real Madrid - will be replayed for decades to come.
In terms of team honours, the striker won four Serie A titles, two Bundesliga titles, and a Champions League trophy with Bayern Munich in 2013. Croatia were a breath of fresh air at the 2018 World Cup in Russia as they got all the way to the final before being beaten by France. Mandzukic led the line admirably throughout the competition and even scored in the final defeat.
93 Branislav Ivanovic
The Chelsea legend is arguably the Premier League's best right-back of the last 10 years, as well as a defender who always had an eye for goal, finding the net 34 times for the Blues. Not only was the Serbian an always reliable option at full-back but he could also slot seamlessly into centre-back. For a more modern comparison, see Joe Gomez at Liverpool.
Ivanovic won it all during the 2010s, finishing the decade with a Champions League title, Europa League crown, two Premier League trophies, two FA Cups, and a League Cup. He is often overlooked by many when discussing the best defenders in Premier League history, but we believe there is a genuine debate for him to at least be the backup right-back in an all-time Premier League XI.
92 Roberto Firmino
Look at Firmino's goal-scoring record, and you might be underwhelmed, but you know what the Liverpool man is all about if you've ever seen him play. 'Complete' doesn't even do him justice. Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané will be the first people to explain the quality of the Brazilian during his Anfield tenure. Firmino's selfless nature and tireless work ethic were the epitome of Jurgen Klopp's successful Liverpool side.
His importance to the Reds winning the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup can't be articulated, and he even bagged the Copa América for good measure. The 2017/18 season was the most prosperous in front of goal for the former Hoffenheim man, as he found the net 15 times in the Premier League as well as 10 in the Champions League.
91 Andrea Barzagli
If it wasn't for their impermeable defender, Juventus would never have dominated Italian football this decade and Barzagli has played a massive role in that monopoly. The forever underrated centre-back won everything in the domestic game, it's just a shame that two Champions League final losses and a silver medal at Euro 2012 came in tandem.
For club and country, the defender spent a lot of his time flanked by both Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini in a back five. He is the least talked about member of the Italian trio, but this can't take away from his impact on the teams he played for. Barzagli called time on his career in 2019 after spending eight years with the Old Lady.