Best XI of this decade (2010-2018)

Forwards

Left Wing: Cristiano Ronaldo

Ronaldo led his country to a historic win over favourites France in the 2016 Euros

Ronaldo arrived in Madrid in 2009 as a superstar, and went on to conquer European football, breaking almost every goalscoring record on the way.

Ronaldo has been the world's best, not just in the past decade, but ever since Sir Alex Ferguson signed him as a scrawny teenager from Sporting CP. He's gone on to define the prototype of the modern day left winger.

He's been in every single FIFPro World XI since 2010 (though that streak might be ending soon), and there's not really much to say about him that hasn't already been said. To put it simply, Real Madrid wouldn't be what it is today without him.

Even as the signs of his inevitable decline begin to show themselves, he continues to battle it out at the very highest level, proving to fans why he is considered the very personification of hard work.

Real Madrid might be in one of the most difficult periods of time in their history, but one thing's for sure, they can always rely on their record goalscorer to give his 100% every time he steps out on the pitch.

Striker: Zlatan Ibrahimovic

This one's close, with Luis Suarez, Robert Lewandowski and Neymar being the other contenders. But the outspoken Swede's ridiculous goalscoring record in Italy, France and England is enough to earn him a place here.

Zlatan was on the back of a frustrating and unsatisfying spell with Barca when he joined AC Milan in 2010 for €24 million. With the Italians, he won the Serie A in 2011, the last AC Milan side that won the league before descending into the chaotic mid-table side that it is today.

The inevitable big money move to Paris Saint-Germain followed, where he truly established himself as the best striker in Europe, becoming their all-time top scorer in the process (though he's currently tied with Cavani).

Between 2013 and 2016, he won four consecutive league titles, helping PSG dominate the French league like no other team has ever been able to.

Just when everyone was beginning to write him off at the age of 35, he moved to Manchester United after letting his contract in France run out, and helped them win the League Cup and the Europa League in his first season.

An ACL tear in the second half of the season should have ended his career, but he made a comeback this season, and in spite of some niggling issues with his knee, he's in the running to make a comeback soon.

Right Wing: Lionel Messi

5 Ballon d'Ors by the age of 28 - the greatest of all time?

Messi won his second Ballon d'Or in 2010 at the age of 22, by the greatest voting margin in history, kicking off an era of unprecedented global domination alongside Ronaldo.

The decade from 2010 to 2020 will probably forever be remembered for this tussle for supremacy between two of the best players to have ever stepped out on a football pitch. Messi's magic has dazzled us for over 14 years now.

He's had so many landmark personal achievements in the past 8 years that it would be futile trying to list them out. Like Ronaldo, he's been named in every World XI since 2010 (including for 3 years before that), he's won 5 Ballon d'Ors (4 since 2010), and the European Golden Shoe 4 times.

In the calendar year of 2012, he set an incredible record of 91 goals that will probably never be surpassed. In this decade, he's won 19 major honours, though the World Cup still eludes him.

But his mind-blowing hat trick against Ecuador in the final CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifier to seal Argentina's place in Russia showed us that he's capable of deciding matches on his lonesome, and you wouldn't put it past him to repeat the feat for this year's showpiece event.