Top 50 players: No. 1 Messi, No 7 Essisn

Eurosports summer countdown comes to a climax as it crowns the best footballer in the world - Barcelona's Lionel Messi. The 7th best player in the world is Ghana's Micheal Essien.
Below is the list

• 1- Lionel Messi (Barcelona / Argentina)
• 2- Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid / Portugal)
• 3 - Fernando Torres (Liverpool / Spain)
• 4 - Xavi (Barcelona / Spain)
• 5 - Steven Gerrard (Liverpool / England)
• 6 - Kaka (Real Madrid / Brazil)
• 7 - Michael Essien (Chelsea / Ghana): Essien cost Chelsea a monster £24 million four years ago, and how he has repaid that fee. During his time at Stamford Bridge, he has been deployed in defence, as a wing-back and even behind the strikers in addition to his trademark midfield enforcer position, and has filled each role with aplomb. Guus Hiddink may have taken much of the credit for guiding Chelsea to their late-season revival, but the Dutchman will have counted his blessings when Essien returned from long-term injury in March. A mighty physical specimen who can also score the odd vital goal too.
• 8 - Andrei Arshavin (Arsenal / Russia)
• 9 - Wayne Rooney (Manchester United / England)
• 10 - Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Barcelona / Sweden)