In Inverting the Pyramid: The History of Soccer Tactics, Jonathan Wilson describes the symbolism of the no. 10 as “the “free-spirited epitome of the artistry of soccer.” And while free-spirits have become fewer and farther between as more money’s been poured into the game and managers have systematized their tactics, the no. 10 is still typically given to the most creative player on the team. Or, in Poland or Nigeria’s case, it’s given to a defensive midfielder best known for his ability to make tackles and pass the ball sideways.
But each team has its reasons, and so with all of the World Cup squad lists now officially released, we each ranked all the nos. 10 set to play in Russia this summer, tallied the results, and came out with the following list. No. 1 is obvious, but that’s about the only spot we came close to agreeing on. Yes, someone, who shall remain nameless out of our sheer fear for his safety, didn’t put Lionel Messi first.
32. Ismael Díaz, Panama
Shaker Samman: Ismael Díaz has never played on any A-team outside Panama. He’s been capped just 10 times for a national team many believe to be the worst in the tournament. He made just 12 appearances for Deportivo’s reserve team in Spain. He is not, what one might call, a star player. The Guardian puts Panama’s odds of winning the tournament at 1,000-to-1, and Díaz isn’t even named in their preview. But hey, at least he’s going to the World Cup, which is more than I can say for my favorite national team.
31. Mohammed Al-Sahlawi, Saudi Arabia
Michael Baumann: Let’s not kid ourselves: None of you have ever seen Saudi Arabia play either, and they’ll be gone in three games. I could tell you this guy plays blindfolded and locates the ball by sound and you’d have to look it up. In real life, the 31-year-old Al-Sahlawi has played his entire career in Saudi Arabia and has one hell of a strike rate: 98 goals in 199 appearances in nine seasons for Al Nassr at the club level, 28 goals in 38 caps for the national team. Maybe he’ll bag another goal or two in Russia.
30. Robbie Kruse, Australia
Miles Surrey: Robbie Kruse’s most discernible trait is looking like an Australian Slenderman; the lanky winger hasn’t scored a goal for the Socceroos since 2016. Thankfully, Aaron Mooy’s shiny dome and questionably short shorts have picked up the playmaking slack in Kruse’s stead. Australia face a stern test in the group stage against France, Denmark, and Peru, and any contributions from Kruse to lessen the loaf on Mooy, 19-year-old Daniel Arzani, and the ageless Tim Cahill will be greatly appreciated by Aussies everywhere.
29. Wahbi Khazri, Tunisia
Surrey: Is it disconcerting that Tunisia’s most important player couldn’t find consistent playing time on a team that just got relegated from England’s second tier? Not quite. Wahbi Khazri was loaned to Ligue 1 side Rennes this past season, netting nine goals in 24 games and playing a more centralized role than he was typically permitted at Sunderland, where he was frequently utilized on the wings. Tunisia’s slim hopes of getting out of its group, which includes the formidable Belgium, England, and the never-been-here-before Panamanians, rest on Khazri, and whether he can control his temper.
28. Karim Ansarifard, Iran
Paolo Uggetti: Ansarifard is Iran’s lead striker and arguably the country’s most exciting player. In 2014—his first World Cup—he barely played and didn’t score a single goal in the tournament, but he’s coming off a season at Olympiakos in which he tallied 17 goals in 22 appearances. Iran is in a tough group that includes Morocco, Spain, and Portugal, but for at least three games, they can hope that Ansarifard’s scoring spree spills over from Greece to Russia.
27. Lee Seung-woo, South Korea
Donnie Kwak: Since joining Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy at age 13 in 2011, Lee has been pegged as a star of the future—and also, predictably, the “Korean Messi.” The diminutive attacker is boldly creative with the ball and happy to cut through throngs of defenders, which makes him a welcome wild card in a bland Korean squad that relies heavily on Tottenham star Son Heung-min. Sold last summer to recently relegated Italian team Hellas Verona, Lee made his national-team debut only days before the World Cup roster was finalized. Manager Shin Tae-yong, who previously coached Lee at youth levels, probably didn’t need much convincing of what the 20-year-old is capable of on an international stage:
”It’s true that I became more confident after receiving this important no. 10 jersey,” said Lee about the hefty honor for the youngest player on the Korean team. You can bet that Barça, who has the option to buy him back, will be watching Lee in Russia as closely as anyone.
26. Jefferson Farfán, Peru
Micah Peters: Let me be clear that I’m writing about Jefferson Farfán because someone has to, and not necessarily because I believe he is the best no. 10—although the Lokomotiv Moscow winger will prove indispensable to Peru, who are playing their first World Cup in 36 years. Would you like to hear about his nickname? It’s La Foquita, which translates to “the little seal” and appropriately describes his ability to wiggle into free space and convert half-chances. If Peru struggle to find goals elsewhere in the squad, Farfán can also play the deeper lying striker in a two-man front.
25. Bryan Ruiz, Costa Rica
Ryan O’Hanlon: Bryan Ruiz is the purest no. 10 on this list: the moody-looking, often unreliable, but occasionally brilliant playmaker who doesn’t want to defend but still warrants a place in the lineup because there’s always a chance he does something like this:
Ruiz scored two goals at the last World Cup, but he missed a penalty in Costa Rica’s shoot-out loss to the Netherlands in the quarterfinals. I doubt the Ticos advance that far again, but make sure you catch one of their games: We probably won’t see Ruiz—or anyone like him—at the World Cup ever again.
24. Fyodor Smolov, Russia
Zach Kram: I admit I have never seen Smolov play a full match, given that he’s spent most of his career playing in the Russian Premier League and has never featured in a Champions League tie. Yet among our group of Ringer rankers, I was the high man on Smolov because what I don’t know, the invisible hand—a fitting notion for soccer—presumably does. According to Transfermarkt’s “market value” metric, Smolov is worth as much as Dusan Tadic and more than Shinji Kagawa, and if anyone is going to benefit individually from a host country boost, it might as well be Smolov, whose familiarity with Russia’s stadiums has helped him score 52 domestic goals over the past three seasons.
23. Giovani dos Santos, Mexico
Samman: When was the last time you saw a goal physically and emotionally break a goalkeeper in a way that made you question whether or not the netminder would ever recover? (Before Loris Karius in Kiev, that is.) In 2011, with Mexico up 3-2 against the U.S. in the final of the Gold Cup, Gio dos Santos beat Tim Howard so badly you can almost see the moment when his soul leaves his body.
Granted, it was nearly seven years ago, but if that’s not a no. 10 operating at the peak of his powers, I don’t know what is.
22. Younès Belhanda, Morocco
Kwak: If Hakim Ziyech of Ajax is Morocco’s playmaking danger man, then Belhanda is the midfield’s steadying hand. The 28-year-old veteran made his name feeding Olivier Giroud for Montpellier during their Ligue Un–winning 2011-12 campaign. Oli went on to greener pastures in England, while Belhanda has since toiled in Ukraine, Germany, and Turkey, where he now features for Galatasaray. A native of France, Belhanda is one of 17 Atlas Lion players born outside of Morocco, but there is no ambiguity in his mission for the tournament: “The crucial thing is to make our country happy,” he told FourFourTwo.
21. John Obi Mikel, Nigeria
Uggetti: In soccer years, Obi Mikel is ancient. (In real life, he’s just 31.) From 2006 to 2016 the Nigerian midfielder was a staple of the Chelsea roster until he transferred to the Chinese club Tianjin TEDA in January of last year. He was such a stalwart for the London club that seeing him in the Super Eagles’ dazzling green and not Chelsea blue feels off. Now Nigeria’s captain, Obi Mikel will appear at his second World Cup, hoping to replicate the team’s 2014 success and make it back to the Round of 16.
20. Giorgian De Arrascaeta, Uruguay
Zach Schwartz: You may not know the name, but Uruguay’s no. 10 looks like a promising player and deserves his place above the lesser talents below him on this list. With Uruguay, the best player on the team doesn’t wear the no. 10, so it’s essentially up for grabs. After nine goals and six assists for Cruzeiro in 2016, De Arrascaeta has not been as effective the past two years, but he could make himself a lot of money with a strong showing at the World Cup.
19. Grzegorz Krychowiak, Poland
Schwartz: Let’s also ignore the fact that Robert Lewandowski, Poland’s best player, chooses to wear no. 9 and appreciate the fact that they gave the most important number in soccer to a defensive midfielder who sometimes moonlights as a center back. Krychowiak doesn’t have the highlight reel to match most of the other nos. 10 on this list, but he provides a stability in the back half of Poland’s midfield that could help them make a run in Russia.
18. Emil Forsberg, Sweden
Baumann: Forsberg struggled with injuries in 2017-18, but the year before, he led the Bundesliga with 19 assists for RB Leipzig. Here they are.
Watching that clip you realize that German wunderkind striker Timo Werner’s job is a lot easier when Forsberg either wins possession or bulldozes through two defenders and plays Werner through with nothing but the goalie between him, a yawning open net, and 40 yards of space in which to pick out a corner.
17. João Mário, Portugal
Surrey: On a team with Cristiano Ronaldo, André Silva, and Bernardo Silva frontlining the attack, João Mário isn’t expected to score as much as shepherd the ball to their feet. On Portugal, if he’s not lining up on the right side of the midfield, Mário embraces a deeper midfield role—and that deference to Ronaldo and the Bernardo Silva precludes him from gaudier international assist totals. But that doesn’t make Mário’s versatile role for Portugal any less important, and after barely featuring with Inter Milan, a midseason loan to West Ham United ensured Mário—unlike Silva, who had a tough season with AC Milan—won’t be rusty for the national team.
16. Dusan Tadic, Serbia
Peters: If Nemanja Matic and Luka Milivojevic are going to do the sensible, boring stuff in midfield for Serbia, it’s going to be Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Dušan Tadić providing the creative spark. Tadić is the less exciting and less sought-after of the two—Milinkovic-Savic is linked with everyone this summer; Tadic … plays for Southampton—but look for Tadić to be making those darting runs in from the wing that set defenders on their heels, and cause them to make stupid challenges.
15. Granit Xhaka, Switzerland
Kwak: Fans of Arsenal have seen the best and worst of Xhaka over his two seasons in England. On the positive side, he is a prolific, reliable passer who never shies away from the ball, with a left foot that can be deadly if given enough space. But the 25-year-old midfielder is also prone to reckless tackles and the occasional defensive lapse at inopportune moments. Still, Xhaka came into his own toward the latter part of this past club season, and paired next to Swiss stalwart Valon Behrami, he may have more license to roam in Russia than he usually does at the Emirates.
14. Shinji Kagawa, Japan
Uggetti: Given his success and club pedigree, Kagawa is one of the more notable figures on not just this Japan roster, but in Japanese soccer history. He’s had a stint with Manchester United and two with Borussia Dortmund, where he currently plays. (I’ll always remember Kagawa for predicting that he’d score two goals against Schalke in 2010 and then going out and scoring two goals.) Kagawa has played internationally since 2008 and racked up 29 total goals and 18 assists in 90 appearances. His midfield presence along with Keisuke Honda will be crucial in propelling the Japanese out of a competitive Group H.
13. Gylfi Sigurdsson, Iceland
Samman: Last season, Gylfi Sigurdsson scored fewer goals in the Premier League than he had in any year since 2012-13—his second to last with Tottenham. It marked the second-lowest scoring output of his English career. He set up 10 fewer goals than he did with Swansea City the season before, and his expected-goals-plus-expected-assists dropped from 16.84 to a measly 6.94. So why do we have him ranked ahead of talents like Shinji Kagawa and Dusan Tadic? Well, because he can do things like this:
12. Mesut Ozil, Germany
Baumann: It’s a testament to the quality of the world’s nos. 10 that Ozil is down here in 12th place, but more than that, it’s a testament to the amount we demand of our superstar athletes. It’s not enough for Ozil to pull defenders around the pitch as if by telepathic suggestion or float through balls and key passes through opposing backlines as if by remote control. Or to cover more distance than all but one player at his club—Ozil’s slopey-shouldered posture and saucer-eyed comportment make it look like he isn’t trying hard enough. As someone invested in the success of both Arsenal and the German national team, and a certified Sad Person™, I find this line of criticism offensive. Let the man live, and he will provide assists great in both quantity and beauty.
11. Thiago, Spain
O’Hanlon: Here’s Pep Guardiola, the best manager in the world, describing the guy who’s somehow ranked 11th on this list:
The ultimatum was “Thiago or nothing” because the 27-year-old does a little bit of everything. In the Bundesliga last year, he made more tackles and interceptions than any other player in the league, and he combined the defensive ferocity with incredibly reliable passing, consistent chance-creation, and world-class winger-level dribbling. When he’s in full-flow, he’ll turn the highest level of competitive soccer into a Cadman Plaza pick-up game.
Unfortunately, in addition to all-around excellence, the only other constant in Thiago’s career has been his bone-deep fragility. He missed most of this season, and the guy’s injury list now reads like a third-year med-school syllabus. Luckily for Spain, they only need him to make it through seven games this summer.
10. Sadio Mané, Senegal
Kram: “Clutch” might not exist in sports, but if it does, it’d look like Sadio Mané over the 2017-18 season. Mané scored a healthy but not exclamatory 10 goals throughout the Premier League campaign—and then he scored that many in only 11 Champions League appearances. Most recently, Mané scored in the final against Real Madrid, and in both legs of Liverpool’s semifinal triumph over Roma, and in the first legs of knockout bouts against both Manchester City and Porto. He won’t receive the same systemic support playing for Senegal that he does with Liverpool, but the World Cup consists of exclusively important games. Mané’s current form means he’ll be just fine.
9. Luka Modric, Croatia
Surrey: Croatia has a weird conundrum: an embarrassment of riches at the center of its midfield. Its two best players, Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic, are cut from the same mold—prolific passers that meticulously bring the ball to the final third and then onto the spiky head of striker Mario Mandzukic. All due respect to Rakitic, but Croatia should be deferring to Modric, who gets to play further up the pitch for his national team than he ever does with Real Madrid. But no matter where Modric plays in the midfield, there are few comparable playmakers in Russia this summer. If Croatia is going to go make a deep run, it’s down to the creative, Pirloesque feet of its best player.
8. Christian Eriksen, Denmark
Baumann: Eriksen’s carrying tool is that ineffable ability to just make the ball do what he wants—stick to him in possession, curve gently to a teammate’s foot or the corner of the net in attack. In Denmark’s last competitive game, Eriksen scored three sublime goals against Ireland to secure qualification.
This is Eriksen’s third major tournament, but his first since he was 20, and therefore the first where he’ll be expected to carry a squad on which he’s the only player with 10 or more international goals. In a relatively easy group, he could do just that, taking Denmark to the knockout stages of a major tournament for the first time in 16 years.
7. James Rodríguez, Colombia
Peters: My beautiful, large adult son, progenitor of his own cryptocurrency, current holder of the Golden Boot, and scorer of the last World Cup’s best goal, is not only healthy—he just came off of a stellar club season at Bayern Munich. He bagged seven goals and 11 assists in the Bundesliga; in qualifying, he either scored or assisted on almost half of Colombia’s goal tally. If Colombia are going to make it to the semis, which is what James is aiming for, he’ll have to keep this form up.
6. Raheem Sterling, England
Uggetti: If you Google Raheem Sterling right now, the most prominent story will be the controversy about his machine gun tattoo. We’re less than a week away from the World Cup, and England’s star attacker is at the center of news for something other than soccer. Sounds about right. This has been Sterling’s best club season with Manchester City, as the 23-year-old has scored an age-appropriate 23 goals. And now England needs him to have a monstrous World Cup in order for them to have any shot at advancing past the quarterfinals, let alone winning. Sterling has always been synonymous with the hype that’s surrounded him. He’s done his part domestically, and now in Russia, he’ll get another chance at fulfilling it with some credible international success.
5. Kylian Mbappé, France
Kram: Kylian Mbappé won’t celebrate his 20th birthday until December. He also just scored 13 domestic goals for Ligue 1’s runaway winners despite playing in just 24 games; no other teenager in Europe’s top leagues scored more than six. He also added eight assists, a season after combining 15 goals with eight assists. He also added four more goals and three more assists in Champions League play. That’s a lot of numbers, and a lot of alsos, and ultimately a lot of points of proof that Mbappé produces at a prolific rate for anybody, let alone the World Cup’s second-youngest player.
4. Eden Hazard, Belgium
Samman: Soccer is, for the most part, a game of order. Eleven men on each side move in similar patterns with a similar goal. But it’s when someone disrupts that order that we take notice. Enter the effortless movement of Eden Hazard. Take this goal against Liverpool in 2016.
Watch how he carefully deconstructs a defense that‘s singularly focused of pushing him off the ball. Look how he probes and feints until he’s worked his way through eight red shirts, and finds enough space to slot the ball in the back of the net. Belgium is a team at the height of its talents with lofty goals. Hazard is the creator who can help them accomplish what they want.
3. Mohamed Salah, Egypt
Schwartz: After losing Coutinho to Barcelona, many (myself included) were worried about Liverpool’s attack. Salah not only shouldered the offensive burden, he did so in record-breaking fashion, tallying more goals than anyone else in Premier League history. One of Salah’s best traits is his ability to get behind the defense and provide an outlet for the counterattack. This is terrific news for the otherwise talent-needy Egyptian national team. Honestly, playing Salah alone up top and then just using the nine other players/bodies on the pitch to defend in their own end might not be the worst idea.
2. Neymar, Brazil
Kwak: The world’s most expensive footballer is only now returning from an injury to his right foot that prematurely ended his club season with PSG in February. Of course, four years ago, it was an injury to his back that forced Neymar out of the 2014 World Cup at the quarter-final round. A Neymar-less Brazil then famously lost 7-1 to eventual winners Germany in the semifinals.
Neymar may have made more headlines for his off-pitch exploits this season than his on-pitch play, but he is still the indisputable focal point of a loaded Brazilian attack. Coming on as a halftime sub against Croatia in a World Cup tune-up last Sunday, his first game back from injury, he made a characteristically spectacular impact:
After the match, Neymar said he was only at “80 percent.” Heaven help the rest of Group E once he gets that remaining 20 percent back.
1. Lionel Messi, Argentina
O’Hanlon: He’s the best to ever do it, and he’s still the best there is right now. While the 30-year-old Messi has declined from the heady days of 2014-15, when he put up an almost impossible-to-comprehend 43 goals and 18 assists in a single La Liga season, he’s still on par with maybe only LeBron in terms of stat-sheet saturation across all sports. Barcelona outpaced the three-time defending European champs Real Madrid by 17 points in Spain this season, and they did it by letting Messi do it all: He led La Liga in shots taken, goals scored, chances created, assists, and completed dribbles.
This is likely Messi’s final World Cup as the omnipotent be-all-end-all, and he’ll be leading a team that barely qualified, is running out a defense and midfield filled with guys who were on the verge of washed-dom during the last World Cup, and got decimated by Spain, 6-1, back in March. So, in order to lift the trophy for the first time, all Messi has to do is be a better goal scorer, creator, and facilitator than everyone in the tournament. Maybe we’re asking too much, or maybe we’re just asking him to do what he’s always done.
