RedCafe's 100 best footballers of 2017 | Full list posted

Damien

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The below is a compilation of all 76 lists submitted in the nomination thread. Naturally - as with pretty much all lists of this nature - there will be quite a few questionable names in the 50-100 range but the further up in the list you go, there'll hopefully be more names you agree with. Also, naturally with this being a mainly United supporting forum there'll be a fair bit of United bias in some of the names mentioned.

Thanks to those who submitted lists. Only those with 10+ names were counted.

Release dates:

51-100: now
31-50: Friday 22nd December
11-30: Saturday 23rd December
01-10: Sunday 24th December

#: Name - Points (# of lists nominated) (comparison to Guardian's 100)

01: Ronaldo - 2237.5 (76) (+1)
02: Messi - 2218 (76) (-1)
03: Neymar - 1960.5 (72) (=)
04: Modrić - 1483 (61) (+2)
05: De Gea - 1410 (63) (+18)
06: Lewandowski - 1326 (57) (+1)
07: De Bruyne - 1224 (55) (-3)
08: Hazard - 1214 (58) (+2)
09: Mbappé - 1110 (56) (-1)
10: Kane - 1028 (49) (-5)
11: Kroos - 933 (46) (-2)
12: Isco - 866 (42) (=)
13: Marcelo - 788 (42) (+6)
14: Pogba - 746 (45) (+16)
15: Cavani - 735 (43) (-2)
16: Ramos - 642 (36) (-5)
17: Buffon - 636 (36) (-1)
18: Dybala - 628 (41) (-4)
19: Luis Suárez - 530 (31) (-4)
20: Kanté - 510 (35) (-3)
21: Griezmann - 450 (27) (-3)
22: Bonucci - 397.5 (27) (+23)
23: Salah - 313 (26) (-1)
24: Thiago Alcántara - 217 (16) (+25)
25: Coutinho - 209 (17) (-1)
26: Mertens - 208 (21) (+1)
27: David Silva - 204 (14) (+11)
28: Alexis Sanchez - 202 (18) (+4)
29: Casemiro - 190 (15) (-1)
30: Eriksen - 161 (17) (-5)
31: Agüero - 157 (13) (-11)
32: Aubameyang - 154 (18) (-11)
33: Icardi - 114 (12) (=)
34: Verratti - 103 (8) (+14)
35: Chiellini - 98.5 (7) (+21)
36: Alves - 95 (6) (-10)
37: Mané - 93 (7) (-1)
38: Carvajal - 92 (7) (+48)
39: Falcao - 87 (11) (+2)
40: Robben - 83 (5) (+39)
41: Alderweireld - 75 (5) (+41)
42: Bale - 74 (6) (+8)
43: Azpilicueta - 59 (7) (+9)
44: Higuain - 58 (9) (-10)
44: Neuer - 58 (6) (-4)
46: Oblak - 56 (3) (-11)
47: Iniesta - 51 (4) (-18)
48: Thiago Silva - 46 (4) (+28)
49: Di Maria - 41 (3) (+51)
50: Vidal - 38 (3) (+16)
51: Dele Alli - 35 (6) (-20)
52: Ibrahimović - 33 (3) (+8)
53: Benjamin Mendy - 29 (3) (+44)
54: Džeko - 28 (3) (-11)
54: Lorenzo Insigne - 28 (3) (-10)
56: Hummels - 27 (3) (+14)
56: Özil - 27 (3) (+11)
56: Umtiti - 27 (2) (+17)
59: Nainggolan - 26 (3) (+13)
60: Pjanić - 25 (3) (+25)
61: Sané - 24 (3) (=)
62: Piqué - 23 (2) (-4)
63: Naby Keïta - 21 (4) (-10)
63: Martial - 21 (1) (NEW)
65: Busquets - 20 (2) (-19)
65: Gabriel Jesus - 20 (2) (-26)
65: Walker - 20 (3) (NEW)
68: Alaba - 19 (3) (+26)
68: Eric Bailly - 19 (1) (NEW)
70: Rakitić - 18 (2) (-13)
70: ter Stegen - 18 (2) (-15)
72: Hamšík - 17 (3) (NEW)
72: Lukaku - 17 (3) (-35)
72: Rashford - 17 (1) (+3)
75: Fekir - 16 (3) (NEW)
75: Filipe Luís - 16 (1) (NEW)
77: Forsberg - 15 (1) (-8)
77: Giroud - 15 (1) (NEW)
77: Immobile - 15 (1) (-6)
80: Sterling - 14 (3) (-18)
80: Kimmich - 14 (1) (-16)
82: Courtois - 13 (1) (-17)
83: Arthur Melo - 12 (1) (NEW)
84: Casillas - 11 (1) (NEW)
84: Lloris - 11 (1) (-3)
84: Sergej Milinković-Savić - 11 (1) (NEW)
84: Varane - 11 (1) (+11)
88: Lemar - 9 (1) (-1)
89: Vertonghen - 9 (1) (NEW)
90: Boateng - 7 (1) (NEW)
91: Perišić - 7 (1) (NEW)
92: Alex Sandro - 7 (2) (-2)
93: Saúl - 7 (3) (-13)
94: Werner - 7 (1) (-40)
95: [Irrelevant point] - 6 (1) (NEW)
96: N'Zonzi - 5 (1) (NEW)
97: Koke - 4 (2) (-9)
97: Kondogbia - 4 (1) (NEW)
97: Müller - 4 (1) (NEW)
97: Pepe - 4 (1) (NEW)
 
Last edited:

SER19

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Great work - well done. Will look closer at list soon
 

Thunderhead

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Nice one, already looks better than the guardian one I looked at earlier
 

Acole9

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Quite a difference between this and the four four two list so far. I was surprised Rashford didn't make that list same with Martial too.
 

Damien

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I thought the maximum points for being #1 on a list was 10?
30 (as there were up to 30 names). I had like 10 minutes to think of the scoring system when I made the thread so it wasn't great. Can improve on it next year but the top 30 look fine.

31-50 will be posted between 4 and 5pm UTC.
 

P-Nut

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30 (as there were up to 30 names). I had like 10 minutes to think of the scoring system when I made the thread so it wasn't great. Can improve on it next year but the top 30 look fine.

31-50 will be posted between 4 and 5pm UTC.
Ah right yeah makes sense was confused at first with the number of lists and the points.
 

Jim Beam

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Zlatan over Sane :houllier:
Tbf, it's a calendar year and Zlatan was pretty good until an injury in April, deciding along the way final of the League Cup. Of course, if you look just at this season there is no doubt.

As far as I can see, a pretty good list so far imo.
 
31-50

Damien

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31-50

#: Name - Points (# of lists nominated)

31: Agüero - 157 (13)
32: Aubameyang - 154 (18)
33: Icardi - 114 (12)
34: Verratti - 103 (8)
35: Chiellini - 98.5 (7)
36: Alves - 95 (6)
37: Mané - 93 (7)
38: Carvajal - 92 (7)
39: Falcao - 87 (11)
40: Robben - 83 (5)
41: Alderweireld - 75 (5)
42: Bale - 74 (6)
43: Azpilicueta - 59 (7)
44: Higuain - 58 (9)
44: Neuer - 58 (6)
46: Oblak - 56 (3)
47: Iniesta - 51 (4)
48: Thiago Silva - 46 (4)
49: Di Maria - 41 (3)
50: Vidal - 38 (3)
 

Thunderhead

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this list looks far better than the Guardian one even allowing for the slight United bias.

I know this will be a pain and if I had time I'd do it (I might next week when bored at work) but it would be interesting if you could put in brackets the difference in position + or - against the Guardian one.
 

Jim Beam

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this list looks far better than the Guardian one even allowing for the slight United bias.

I know this will be a pain and if I had time I'd do it (I might next week when bored at work) but it would be interesting if you could put in brackets the difference in position + or - against the Guardian one.
Sorry, can you post the link to the Guardian one.
 

Damien

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this list looks far better than the Guardian one even allowing for the slight United bias.

I know this will be a pain and if I had time I'd do it (I might next week when bored at work) but it would be interesting if you could put in brackets the difference in position + or - against the Guardian one.
Done.

Sorry, can you post the link to the Guardian one.
Link is now in OP.
 

el magico

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I'm probably being a bit thick but what does the number in brackets indicate. The description says 'of lists nominated', Rashford for example has (1) after his name, did only one person out of 76 lists, on a Utd forum, nominate Rashford for the top 100 in the world?
 

Damien

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I'm probably being a bit thick but what does the number in brackets indicate. The description says 'of lists nominated', Rashford for example has (1) after his name, did only one person out of 76 lists, on a Utd forum, nominate Rashford for the top 100 in the world?
Size of the nomination lists ranged from 10 names to 30 so someone had him as one of the top 30 players in the world... which I suppose isn't as bad as Casillas but if not for these names then we'd never get to 100 in time I suppose.
 

BarcaSpurs

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I'm probably being a bit thick but what does the number in brackets indicate. The description says 'of lists nominated', Rashford for example has (1) after his name, did only one person out of 76 lists, on a Utd forum, nominate Rashford for the top 100 in the world?
Guessing you only submit a top 20 or so. In which case paying any attention to the order after that number is slightly pointless.
 

Damien

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Guessing you only submit a top 20 or so. In which case paying any attention to the order after that number is slightly pointless.
Indeed. The top 23 names all appear on at least 26 lists so there's more of a consensus.

Original thread was started after the Ballon d'Or nominations hence the "30" on the nomination lists. I'll try and think of a better system next year but the top 30 look fine on the whole.
 

el magico

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Size of the nomination lists ranged from 10 names to 30 so someone had him as one of the top 30 players in the world... which I suppose isn't as bad as Casillas but if not for these names then we'd never get to 100 in time I suppose.
Cheers mate.

If I hadn't been off my head on today's nandrolone injection I would probably have been able to work that out for myself.
 
11-30

Damien

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11-30

#: Name - Points (# of lists nominated)

11: Kroos - 933 (46)
12: Isco - 866 (42)
13: Marcelo - 788 (42)
14: Pogba - 746 (45)
15: Cavani - 735 (43)
16: Ramos - 642 (36)
17: Buffon - 636 (36)
18: Dybala - 628 (41)
19: Luis Suárez - 530 (31)
20: Kanté - 510 (35)
21: Griezmann - 450 (27)
22: Bonucci - 397.5 (27)
23: Salah - 313 (26)
24: Thiago Alcántara - 217 (16)
25: Coutinho - 209 (17)
26: Mertens - 208 (21)
27: David Silva - 204 (14)
28: Alexis Sanchez - 202 (18)
29: Casemiro - 190 (15)
30: Eriksen - 161 (17)
 
1-10

Damien

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Bit later than planned but 1-10 @Thunderhead

#: Name - Points (# of lists nominated)

01: Ronaldo - 2237.5 (76)
02: Messi - 2218 (76)
03: Neymar - 1960.5 (72)
04: Modrić - 1483 (61)
05: De Gea - 1410 (63)
06: Lewandowski - 1326 (57)
07: De Bruyne - 1224 (55)
08: Hazard - 1214 (58)
09: Mbappé - 1110 (56)
10: Kane - 1028 (49)
 

Tommy

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So four people didn't put Neymar in the top 100 players worldwide?

Top 10 looks pretty damn solid though tbf.
 

Thunderhead

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Nice work @Damien this last is for me far better than the Guardian list, players appear in a far more logical order even allowing for the United bias
 

Damien

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So four people didn't put Neymar in the top 100 players worldwide?

Top 10 looks pretty damn solid though tbf.
Some did top 10 lists, others did top 30. The four who didn't include him for whatever reason had top 10 lists.

Names mentioned in their top 10s and frequencies:

Isco - 4
Messi - 4
Modric - 4
Ronaldo - 4
De Gea - 3
Kroos - 3
Hazard - 2
Lewandowski - 2
Marcelo - 2
Aubameyang - 1
Carvajal - 1
Casemiro - 1
David Silva - 1
De Bruyne - 1
Dybala - 1
Kane - 1
Kante - 1
Mbappe - 1
Pogba - 1
Ramos - 1
 

Cait Sith

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As much of a joke list as those random newspaper joke lists to be frank.

The entire Barca backline and defensive midfield, which is statistically the best in Europe, is ranked as:

GK: #70
Both fullbacks not even on the list
Centerbacks: #56 and #62
DM: #65

The highest ranked Barca player bar Messi is at #19. Then comes Iniesta at #47.

Barca is undoubtedly a top 3 team in the world, so either it's just Messi which elevates the entire team to that level, defense included (then why is he ranked behind Ronaldo, who has 5 teammates in the top 20) or the list is horrible. ;)
 

DannyCAFC

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Sorry, nice idea but this hasn't worked. When you break it down by position it looks worse. Notable issues:

Casillas 7th best GK, better than Lloris
Arthur Melo in there at all, proven nothing but apparently a better CM than the likes of Koke, Saul, Matic, Gundogan etc.
Mendy 2nd best LB in the world, over Alaba, Sandro, Alba.
CF's list. Mertens is a good player excelling in a great system, he is absolutely not a better player than Aguero for example. How are the likes of Jesus, Immobile, Giroud getting in this list?

Over-rating of Man Utd players. Bailly is not better than Vertonghen or Boateng.
Rashford is not a better player than Mulller, Saul, Koke, Perisic etc.
 

hellohello

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Love how between all the plus and minus, - there's Sané.
 

Damien

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@Cait Sith and @DannyCAFC - it is simple: there weren't enough responses and virtually none by opposition fans to compensate for the overrating of United players. I won't be bothering doing it again next year as for the time taken (to make the thread, compile the few responses, fixing the lists that were a mess and put them in a list with a comparison to the Guardian's rankings) it just wasn't worth it when I just get criticised for it.

I'll delete the thread tomorrow so we can forget it ever happened.
 

Cait Sith

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@Cait Sith and @DannyCAFC - it is simple: there weren't enough responses and virtually none by opposition fans to compensate for the overrating of United players. I won't be bothering doing it again next year as for the time taken (to make the thread, compile the few responses, fixing the lists that were a mess and put them in a list with a comparison to the Guardian's rankings) it just wasn't worth it when I just get criticised for it.

I'll delete the thread tomorrow so we can forget it ever happened.
It's not a criticism of the one who made the effort to collect, compile and publish the data, rather that the people here who participated "got it wrong" (which doesn't mean that it isn't still interesting to see what the Caf thinks). I would recommend to not delete it and I'd also do it by positions next time. If you did it by positions I'm 100 % certain the same people who voted for this wouldn't rank Busquets behind Nainggolan, Mendy and bunch of other players who are clearly inferior.
 

anant

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Nice list.
@Damien , could you please post the list of players that were there in Guardian's top 100 but do not find a place here if you have the list readily available?
 

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Damien it’s a great job and you’ve done really well.

I think simply enough people didn’t respond, which is a real shame (I’m included in that)