40. Paul Pogba: Manchester United/France
Man U supporters may want to look away. We recognize that Pogba’s time in Manchester has been less than savory. Still, it doesn’t take away from how immense of a player he truly can be. There are very few with Pogba’s combination of size, speed, and skill. When he’s engaged, he can boss a game around with little effort. However, his lack of consistency undoubtedly limits his positioning within this list.
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39. Mauro Icardi: Inter Milan/Argentina
Mauro Icardi is a classic central forward. The Argentine is well-rounded in all aspects of the position. He’s excellent at holding the ball up whilst waiting for teammates to push upfield. Playing the game with a poacher’s instinct, Icardi is more than threatening in the box. He makes clever runs, and is almost never caught flat-footed when presented with a tasty scoring chance.
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38. Manuel Neuer: Bayern Munich/Germany
Neuer is still a brilliant goalkeeper. Over the last decade, he’s single-handedly redefined how the position is played. Germany and Bayern Munich both utilize him as somewhat of an atypical sweeper. He’s comfortable with the ball at his feet, and surely has no qualms about coming off his line. Aside from that, Neuer’s positional awareness is top-notch. He’s fully in command of anything within the 18. Injuries and a lack of consistency have somewhat lessened his status globally. Regardless, Neuer is without a doubt a very capable goalkeeper.
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