1. Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro
Born: February 5, 1985
Country and Club: Portugal; Forward for Spanish club Real Madrid
Nickname: The Sultan Of The Stepover - stepover is a dribbling move
Net worth: At $400 million, he is the highest paid footballer ever
• With 120 goals, he is the leading scorer of all time in the UEFA Champions League
• His free-kick speed is 130 kmph
• Underwent laser heart surgery at 15
• A regular blood donor, he avoids activities that may prevent him from donating
• Has an airport, a galaxy and a sociology course named after him
2. Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini
Born: June 24, 1987
Country and Club: Argentina; Forward for Spanish club Barcelona
Nickname: The Flea - for his speed and agility
Net worth: $340 million
• Diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency at 11
• First contract with Barcelona was detailed out on a paper napkin
• Made it into the Guinness World Records for scoring 91 goals in a year
• After losing three international finals, he announced his retirement in 2016. Later, following an outcry from Argentines and football lovers, he changed his decision
• In 2013, a Spanish dictionary added a new adjective - Inmessionante. Meaning, the perfect way to play football/an unlimited capacity for self-improvement
3. Kylian Mbappé Lottin
Born: December 20, 1998
Country and Club: France; Forward for French club Paris Saint-Germain, on loan from Monaco (Ligue1)
Nickname: The New Thierry Henry - after the French legend who retired in 2014
Net worth: $82 million
• Made his debut at 16
• First player ever to score in each of his first four Champions League knockout appearances
• Known for his quick feet, darting runs and keen vision
4. Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior
Born: February 5, 1992
Country and Club: Brazil; Forward for Paris Saint-Germain
Nickname: Joia, meaning the gem
Net worth: $140 million
• Known for his speed, dribbling, finishing and ability to use both feet equally well. He is often likened to Pele
• Spent $86 million to set up the Neymar Jr. Institute in Praia Grande, a little away from São Paulo, where he once lived. The institute is meant to help children in what is an otherwise impoverished and troubled neighbourhood
5. Francisco Román Alarcón Suárez
Born: April 21, 1992
Country and Club: Spain; Attacking midfielder for Real Madrid
Nickname: Magia, meaning Magic; El Culon, meaning The Big Arse - for his large rear which seems more pronounced because of his waddling gait
Net worth: $12 million
• Born with bow-legs, which he has since turned into an advantage
• Won the 2012 Golden Boy award, chosen by sports journalists and given to a top Under-21 player of Europe
• Named his labrador Messi
6. Toni Kroos
Born: January 4, 1990
Country and Club: Germany; Midfielder for Real Madrid
Nickname: Garcon or The Waiter. In 2014, Brazilians nicknamed him thus - for his ability to deliver passes to strikers
Net worth: $86 million
• He is the youngest player ever to have represented Bayern Munich professionally
• Is the first footballer born in East Germany to be part of the team that won the World Cup in 2014
7. Marco Asensio Willemsen
Born: January 21, 1996
Country and Club: Spain; Attacking midfielder for Real Madrid
Nickname: Golden Boy, after the award he won
Net worth: $35 million
• Struggled with growth deficiencies in knees in his childhood
• As a child, he idolised
Zinedine Zidane, who later became his coach
• Scouted by Real Madrid even before he made his debut for a local team
• His mother, an ardent football fan, passed away when he was 15. She's the reason he casts his eyes skywards after scoring a goal
• Because of his Dutch heritage, Asensio was also eligible to play for The Netherlands. Fans started an online campaign to this end
8. Antoine Griezmann
Born: March 21, 1991
Country and Club: France; Forward for Atlético Madrid
Nickname: The Uruguayan, for his love of the South American drink Mate
Net worth: $21 million
• Due to his slight frame, professional clubs did not sign him initially
• Was banned from representing France in 2012 because he skipped training to party at a nightclub
• Has won the most number of La Liga Player of the Month awards
9. Thomas Müller
Born: September 13, 1989
Country and Club: Germany; Midfielder, and forward for Bayern Munich
Nickname: Raumdeuter, meaning Space Investigator - for his strength as an attacker lies not in dribbling, passing or shooting but "in finding space"
Net worth: $12 million
• Won the Golden Boot at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa with five goals from six games
• Is often likened to the retired German player, Gerd Müller
10. Mohamed Salah Ghaly
Born: June 15, 1992
Nickname: The Egyptian King
Country and Club: Egypt; Forward for English club Liverpool
Net worth: $2.25 million
• Is the first footballer to score 32 Premier League goals in a single season
• A devout Muslim, he bows in prayer after scoring a goal, and has named his daughter Makka
• Despite being from Egypt, Salah did not have to serve the obligatory one year of military service
• In the 2018 presidential elections in Egypt, a lot of people struck out Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Moussa Mostafa Moussa's name to cast their ballot for Salah
10. Gabriel Fernando de Jesus
Born: April 3, 1997
Country and Club: Brazil; Forward for English Premier League club Manchester City
Nickname: Little Neymar
Net worth: $3 million
• Started off as a street football player
• At Manchester City, he demanded the #33 shirt - meant to be his tribute to Christ who was supposedly crucified when he was 33
• Has often been called out on the field for aggression
