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#3 Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi, the progenitor and most successful practitioner of the art in modern football, finds himself in third place in this list simply because he has more often played as a right-forward in recent times than as a more central false 9.
The record 7-time winner of the Pichichi Award for highest goal-scorer in the La Liga, Messi, has also conjured up brilliant assists as a false 9 over time.
However, Messi is still devastating in the position and has won everything in the game, including six Ballon'D'Ors, in that role, with his vision, creativity and completeness as an attacker receiving full fruition. Famously, Messi's desire to play as a false 9 led to Zlatan Ibrahimovic being shunted to the wing and to the exit door in Barcelona.
One cannot really question Guardiola's decision to keep Messi in the false 9 role despite Ibra's protestations as the former was the best in the role. It is to be seen where Messi plays under Ronald Koeman in the upcoming season, though.
#2 Thomas Muller
Those he is not technically a false 9, preferring the term raumdeuter, the interpreter of space, for his specific style of play, Thomas Muller typifies what a false 9 does. His constant quest to find space between lines and link up play between a central striker and a potent midfield are a testament to his false 9 qualities.
Muller, not the best dribbler or even shooter in football, is a constant roaming presence in advanced areas who reads the game immaculately and discovers the best opportunities to score goals and assist teammates. With 14 goals and 26 assists last season, the 31-year-old rediscovered his mojo as Bayern Munich romped to a continental treble.
#1 Roberto Firmino
Though he has met with a lost of criticism of late, Roberto Firmino has exemplified the false 9 role as part of a revolutionary new Liverpool team that has won the Champions League and Premier League in consecutive seasons.
Firmino is the putative centre-forward in Liverpool's front-three, with Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah marauding down the wings and cutting in to devastating effect. But describing Firmino as a centre-forward only tells half the story.
He is not as prolific as his two other teammates in terms of goals, but his touch, vision and passing often sets up Liverpool's attacks. He loves to go deeper to become a de-facto playmaker in the final-third as Salah and Mane venture forward.
The Brazilian has scored 78 goals and 60 assists during a glittering run for the Reds. His goals may have dried up a bit for now, but Firmino remains the top false 9 in modern football as part of a complete attacking team.
