Using FIFA 11 ratings to name the 30 best players at the start of the decade

GiveMeSport

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By Kobe Tong

Published Oct 27, 2019

Messi and Ronaldo have spent the entire decade as the top two players

We're coming to the end of a brilliant footballing decade.

The gradual approach of 2020 has proven a fitting point to look back on 10 more years of the beautiful game from the best players, goals, moments and more.

A lot can change in a decade and picking the best starting XI since 2010 is testament to that with great players both starting and ending their careers in this most recent epoch.

But putting aside the whole 10 years of reflection for one minute, let's take the chance to rewind back to 2010 itself and remember the footballing world as it entered the new decade.

We're all familiar with the top 30 or so players in the current footballing climate, but who were their equivalents nearly 10 years ago?

Top 30 players in 2010

It's a tough question to answer, but we've decide to use EA Sports' FIFA series to discover the answer and have ranked the best players on their FIFA 11 ratings, according to FUTWiz.

FIFA 11 was the first instalment in the series post-2010 and when two players or more have the same rating, we have favoured the player with the highest total statistics.

You can probably imagine who the top two turned out to be, but treat yourself to the entire top 30 for a true wave of footballing nostalgia.