For much of the last decade plus, an exercise such as this would have seemed utterly redundant. There was really nothing to debate when it came to the question who is the greatest footballer on the planet. What a waste of hours and spreadsheets it would be to present to you all that Lionel Messi is the best in the business.
Now, however, the sport is in a transitional period. The great man and his eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo have begun their post-imperial projects, spreading the game out to its footballing backwaters. Those who were cursed to pursue greatness in the Messi age now find their lights are dimming too. As for those that follow, how can anyone hope to reach a bar raised so high?
And so welcome to the Golazo 100, a ranking of the finest players in the men’s game, with a similar women’s list to follow ahead of the Olympics. Each expert was handed a straightforward task: Give us the best you’ve got.
What we got was a quite remarkable spread. Across their individual lists of 100 came eight different players dubbed the best in the game.
Over the coming days we will unveil the best of the best, starting on Wednesday with our first 20 names. There will be surprises aplenty and plenty to…
