Champions League semi-finals aside, it was a pretty good year for German double-winners Bayern Munich – especially those players who also won the World Cup with Germany.
Pep Guardiola’s Bundesliga juggernaut is the most represented club in the FourFourTwo 100 Best Football Players in the World 2014, with no fewer than 14 of the top ton plying their trade at the Allianz Arena. Philipp Lahm even managed to oust Lionel Messi from the top two, with team-mate Manuel Neuer also included among the leading quartet.
Real Madrid 11-10 Barcelona
The second-most represented club is Real Madrid, whose main man Cristiano Ronaldo tops the 100. Furthermore, Madrid's summer signings – and the decline of Barcelona's brilliant recent vintage – help them climb above their Catalan rivals for the first time since 2008.
There are 11 Madrid players in the list compared to Barça's 10. Ronaldo is joined in the top five by Gareth Bale, while Messi is backed up by Luis Suarez (No.8).
Adding in Andres Iniesta, Toni Kroos, Neymar and Luka Modric means the La Liga big boys own eight of the top 20, while further down there are new additions in Ivan Rakitic, James Rodriguez, Javier Mascherano and Keylor Navas.
Juve and the Premier League
Below Bayern and the Clasico couple, the next-most represented team is Juventus. The triple Serie A champs have nine players in the list, including all of their rock-solid defence: Gianluigi Buffon, Martin Caceres, Stephan Lichtsteiner, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini.
Runaway Premier League leaders Chelsea are the top English club with nine. Fearsome front-man Diego Costa makes the top 10, with Thibaut Courtois and Cesc Fabregas in the top 20.
In fact, Stamford Bridge is home to five of the top 10 Premier League players in the 100, with Nemanja Matic, Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois also in the running.
Manchester United edge out their close friends Manchester City by seven players to six, while Arsenal's four inclusions far outweigh Spurs' one.
More on the FFT100
