Top 10 footballers of 2017 according to The Guardian

There cannot be a better time to debate about the best players of 2017. Right now, we're up for anything that takes the attention away from Manchester City romping through the league, making it look boring, despite their beautiful brand of football. The Guardian recently released their list of top 100 footballers as the year draws to a close.

In their sixth annual survey, they have drawn out a list based on the votes of the biggest panel they have assembled to date - 169 judges from 63 countries. The panel includes 27 current and former professionals along with various correspondents, reporters, players, coaches, broadcasters and editors. Ronaldo 'Il Fenomeno', Javier Zanetti and Hernan Crespo are some names in the panel.

The judges were tasked with selecting 40 players from a list of 500 footballers from all over the globe. The no.1 was awarded 40 points, no.2 with 39 points and so on. The votes were added up to obtain a raw score that decided the ranks of the respective players.

Amongst the 100 top footballers, here are the ten best players according to the judges, who have been at their supreme best in 2017.

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#10 Eden Hazard

Eden Hazard is the best player at Chelsea right now

Rank in 2016: 35

Eden Hazard seems to be the worthy successor to Didier Drogba at Stamford Bridge. Thanks to his impressive vision and dribbling ability, the Belgian playmaker is already one of the best players to have graced the Premier League.

He was an important piece of the jigsaw as Chelsea clinched the Premier League title last season and with Diego Costa's departure, it won't be wrong to say he is the main man at the club right now.

WhoScored.com has awarded him a 7.64 rating this season, more than anyone else in the squad, signifying his importance in the Blues line up. He has moved 25 places in the list this year, after being ranked 35th in 2016.

#9 Toni Kroos

Toni Kroos has been a vital player for Real Madrid

Rank in 2016: 21

The German can sure pass it around and averages close to 90% when it comes to passing accuracy. His vision and passing abilities are unparalleled and he is equally brilliant in dead-ball situations. He moved up twelve places in The Guardian's list after being ranked 21st last year.

Playing on the left in a three-man midfield, the midfielder was at his imperious best, as usual, orchestrating Real Madrid's impressive attacking style of play from the middle. IFFHS Best Playmaker Silver award of 2017 is a testament to his contribution in the Los Merengues' five-trophy haul. Also, he finished second in the assists charts of La Liga last season.

#8 Kylian Mbappe

Kylian Mbappe has taken the world by storm since his arrival

Rank in 2016: -

Kylian Mbappe is a new addition to the list albeit not a surprising one. The Frenchman announced himself to the football world with impressive displays for AS Monaco and has been repeating his feats following his move to Paris Saint Germain.

Mbappe grabbed the Golden Boy award in 2017, beating Ousmane Dembele and Marcus Rashford in the process. Also, he became the youngest player to be nominated for the Ballon d'Or at the age of eighteen.

At Parc Des Princes, he seems to be under no pressure in spite of giants like Neymar and Edinson Cavani playing by his side. His impressive displays as a goal-scorer and a playmaker have continued and PSG will have no regrets after making him the costliest teenager in the history of the game for £166 million.

The World Cup 2018 is approaching fast and it will be exciting to see if Kylian Mbappe can deliver equally well for his country as he has done for his respective clubs.

#7 Robert Lewandowski

Robert Lewandowski is one of the consistent footballers of this generation

Rank in 2016: 7

Bayern Munich's acquisition of Robert Lewandowski has to go down as the bargain of the century. Considering the number of goals he has scored for them, don't you think Borussia Dortmund deserved more than €100 million for their former striker?

In 2017, Robert Lewandowski netted an incredible 53 goals in just 54 matches, justifying his tag as the best no.9 in the world right now. Also, he became the first player to score 16 goals in a qualifying campaign for a major tournament, accomplishing the feat in the World Cup qualifiers.

Apart from his goalscoring feats, the 29-year-old deserves praise for maintaining consistency under pressure, being the only striker at the Allianz. Regarding the club's failure to sign another marksman, Robert Lewandowski had a row with CEO Karl Heinze Rummenigge and threatened to leave the club, given the pressure he is put under for scoring goals.

Considering they have no back-up the for the Pole, Bayern definitely need to sign a goal-poacher to keep Lewandowski happy. Should they fail to do so, Lewandowski definitely won't have trouble in finding another club.

#6 Luka Modric

Luka Modric has been the chief midfield orchestrator for Real Madrid

Rank in 2016: 12

When he arrived at Real Madrid, Luka Modric was rated as another transfer failure of the club, as he failed to impress in the meagre playing time given to him. Fast forward five years, he holds the crown as the best midfielder of the current generation of footballers. It's his pin-point passing and exquisite vision that have helped establish him as the creative lynchpin at Real Madrid.

Apart from achieving success with the team, Luka Modric also grabbed important accolades on an individual level. He won the UEFA Best Midfielder of the Year and trumped Cristiano Ronaldo to the FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball. Also, he clinched the IFFHS World's Best Playmaker Bronze award.

As 2018 approaches, a new set of challenges await the 32-year-old who is trying to find his lost form. The World Cup is approaching fast and Croatia certainly wouldn't like seeing their captain being a shadow of his former self, would they?

#5 Harry Kane

Harry Kane netted the highest amount of goals in the calendar year

Rank in 2016: 33

Tottenham talisman Harry Kane has established himself as one of the best marksmen in the Premier League since 2014. The Englishman won the Premier League Golden Boot for two consecutive seasons.

The European Golden Shoe is the biggest accolade the 24-year-old has landed this year. In doing so, he became the first player in seven years to break the stronghold of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Adding to that, he netted 37 times in the league in 2017, breaking Alan Shearer's 22-year-old record of 36 league goals in a year.

Also, he moved up 28 places after being ranked 33rd in The Guardian's annual rankings last year. Considering the red-hot form he has been in, Tottenham will face a tough test in keeping their star striker, with a number of worthy suitors lining up massive bids for him.

#4 Kevin De Bruyne

Kevin De Buyne has been a revelation this season

Rank in 2016: 13

Manchester City have played swashbuckling football this season and Kevin De Bruyne is at the heart of it, pulling strings in the midfield. It won't be surprising to see him winning the Premier League Player of the Year this season, would it?

Kevin De Bruyne's efficient passing sets the perfect rhythm the Citizens require while attacking their opponents. Playing in a deeper role under Pep Guardiola, the Belgian has found ways to tear apart the defences with his precise short passes and through balls.

Adding to that, he is just as effective with set-pieces and long shots which make him a player to have on your team.

The club's resolve to keep their star playmaker is bound to be tested in the summer, with a host of European heavyweights already eyeing deals for him.

#3 Neymar

Neymar became the most expensive footballer in the history in 2017

Rank in 2016: 5

Considered by many as the third best footballer after Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, Neymar's arrival has transformed Paris Saint Germain into world beaters this year. Les Parisiens will be pleased to watch the Brazilian justify his humongous €222 million price tag in France.

With Neymar, Barcelona netted 20 times in the Champions League group stage last year. This season, they managed only 9 goals in his absence. PSG scored 25 goals with Neymar in the team, compared to the 12 goals in the group stage last year.

The Brazilian has also proven to be an excellent playmaker after finishing at the top spot in the Champions League assists charts last season. He also won the IFFHS Best Playmaker Bronze award in 2017 further compliments his playmaking skills.

Also, the Selecao skipper will be one of the players to watch in this year's World Cup. Impressive performances and a possible victory in the competition might place him above Ronaldo and Messi in contention for the Ballon d'Or in 2018.

#2 Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo finished second despite winning the Ballon d'Or

Rank in 2016: 1

Cristiano Ronaldo played his part in continuing the decade-old duopoly along with Lionel Messi this year. He won the FIFA Men's Best Player of 2017 and the fifth Ballon d'Or of his career. He was voted as the no.1 footballer by 79 voters in The Guardian's top 100 footballers of the year.

Apart from being the centrepiece of a mighty Real Madrid team that clinched five trophies in the calendar year, the 32-year-old virtuoso continued his usual hobby of breaking records for fun. In 2017, he became the first player to score in every game of the Champions League group stage. Also, he netted 19 Champions League goals this year, surpassing his previous best of 16 in 2015.

Cristiano Ronaldo became the subject of criticism owing to his abysmal conversion rate, but the Real Madrid talisman has been returning to his former best and it won't be long before we see him firing on all cylinders once again.

#1 Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi was reinstated to the top spot this year

Rank in 2016: 2

For The Guardian, Lionel Messi has been the best footballer of 2017. The Argentine demigod wrestled back the top spot from his arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo after he was ranked 2nd in 2016. He was voted as the top player by 72 voters in the poll that decided this list.

Lionel Messi was at his imperious best as usual, topping the La Liga and Copa Del Rey charts for goals and assists.

Apart from his abundance of goals, Messi deserves praise for his contribution to Argentina in the World Cup qualifying campaign. His treble against Ecuador saw Argentina book a berth for the World Cup in Russia. Frankly speaking, if it wasn't for him, Argentina stood no chance for qualification.

The upcoming World Cup is probably the last chance for Messi to lift the golden trophy, the only award that has eluded him in his career. A victory in the competition will no doubt silence his critics and justify his claim as the greatest footballer of all time.