Top 10 South Americans

South America have produced many great players pretty much ever since the game was invented going back to at least the 60s or 70s when people of that generation saw that iconic Brazil sides that won the World Cup in 1968 and 1970.

If this was the top 10 South Americans of all-time, Pele and Diego Maradona would definitely be on the list but as this is the top 10 South Americans from the modern era to have played in Europe, I've had to leave them out.

Anyone could've been on the list because of the amount of great players South American countries have produced.

When I look back at the list, I can't believe I left R9 out as he's one of the greatest players to play the game and easily the greatest no.9 of all time. I don't know why I didn;t think of him when doing the list.

Dani Alves is another name I could've included as well as he is in my opinion the greatest full back to play the game due to what he's won.

Now without further ordo, here is the list:

Lionel Messi

Luis Suarez

Neymar

Sergio Aguero

Kaka

Cafu

Roberto Carlos

Marcelo

Angel Di Maria

Ronaldinho

10. Angel Di Maria

Di Maria was right up there among the best wingers in Europe in his prime as he could crosses into the box, cut inside to get shots off at goal, and play any kind of pass from almost anywhere on the pitch both with the inside and outside of his foot.

But I do feel that he was a bit underrated as he didn't get as much praise as the other top players did and hasn't been given the respect his career deserves, as I wrote on a previous top 10 he was mentioned in.

He won everything on offer for both club and country including the Champions League in 2014 with Real Madrid, where he also won the La Liga title and two Copa del Rey's, multiple Ligue 1 titles and French Cups with PSG, and two Copa Americas and the 2022 World Cup with Argentina.

He did have a poor spell at Man United as he never properly settled to life in England but apart from that, he's still been a great player and has had a great career.

9. Sergio Aguero

Aguero was one of the best strikers in Europe on his day as he was quick and could score almost any kind of goal.

He showed a lot of promise when he was a young player at Atletico Madrid where he was a player with potential and it was at Man City where he fulfilled that potential.

He took City onto the next level when he arrived there by making them serious Premier League title contenders and he showed it in his first season by scoring 24 league goals as City won their first Premier League title in 2012, with his dramatic late winner on the final day against QPR being the goal that won them the title.

He later went on to become City's record goal scorer with 260 goals and win almost everything on offer including four more Premier League titles, the FA Cup and six League Cups.

8. Neymar

Neymar would be higher up the list if it was based on ability but as it's about his career as a whole, I had to put him down in 8th.

He has been a brilliant player to watch on his day as he's incredibly skilful, quick, agile, and can cut inside and score goals.

But he hasn't lived up to the promise or potential that was expected of him when he first emerged and that was mostly down to injuries.

He was incredible at Barcelona when he played alongside Messi and Suarez as part of that MSN frontline and it was after he left Barca where his career went downhill.

He left Barca for PSG so he could be the main man and step out of Messi's shadow. But he never was the main man as he was outshone by Kylian Mbappe and picked up a number of injuries.

7. Marcelo

Marcelo was the best left back in the world for a number of years because of how good he was going forward.

He bombed up and down that touchline all game for both Real Madrid and Brazil due to the incredible energy and pace he had.

He did have his flaws defensively but going forward, he was incredible as he could get crosses into the box and also chip in with the odd goal every now and then.

He won everything on offer at Real Madrid including six La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey's and five Champions Leagues.

6. Cafu

Cafu was one of the greatest full backs of his generation because of how good he was at both sides of the game.

Defensively he always timed his challenges well due to his brilliant reading of the game whilst going forward, he loved to run up and down the touchline and get crosses into the box.

He was also a leader as well as a top defender and his leadership played a massive role in Brazil's World Cup winning campaign in 2002.

Alongside the World Cup in 2002, he won everything else in the game including another World Cup in 1994 and the Champions League in 2007 with AC Milan.

5. Roberto Carlos

Carlos for me is the greatest left back of all-time and maybe even the greatest full back of all-time because of how good he was especially going forward.

He was a full back who ran up and down the touchline all game and was a brilliant crosser of the ball from both set pieces and open play.

His deliveries into the box were so good that opposing defenders struggled to keep them out because of the quality of the ball he could deliver into the box.

He was also a very striker of the ball and especially from long distance free kicks as his shots were struck so hard that very few keepers could keep them out.

He was an integral part of the Brazil side that won the World Cup in 2002 and all three Champions League winning sides he was part of at Real Madrid.

4. Kaka

Kaka was the last player to win the Ballon D'or before the award was dominated by Messi and Ronaldo over the next decade when he won it 2007 following a stellar year at AC Milan.

He won the Champions League with Milan that year where his goals and incredible performances played a key role in them going all the way.

He was an incredible player to watch on his day as he was skilful, a brilliant carrier of the ball, could glide past players without too much effort, a brilliant passer of the ball and could score goals.

Alongside winning the Champions League in 2007, he also won the Serie A title with Milan in 2004 and was part of the Brazil side that won the World Cup in 2002.

3. Luis Suarez

Suarez did have a bad side to him as a lot of people will know but when he was focused his football, he was an incredible player to watch.

In his prime, he was a player who was quick, agile, skilful, had an incredible first touch and could score a variety of goals.

He showed a lot of promise at Ajax and Liverpool, but it was at Barcelona where he went onto that world class level and established himself there with the goals he scored.

He won everything on offer at Barca including four La Liga titles, four Copa del Rey's and the Champions League in 2015 as part of the treble Barca won that year alongside the 2011 Copa America with Uruguay.

He did have some controversial moments as I mentioned earlier but on his day, he was right up there among the best strikers in the world.

2. Ronaldinho

Ronaldinho is one of the greatest players to have ever played the game and was on his day the best player in the world.

He was incredibly skilful as he could perform many incredible tricks and skill moves, an excellent dribbler due to his brilliant agility, and goals cut inside and score goals.

He was truly unstoppable in his prime for both Barcelona and Brazil because of how talented a player he was on his day.

He won everything on offer in the game including the La Liga title in 2005 and Champions League in 2006 with Barca, and the 2002 World Cup Brazil alongside the Ballon D'or in 2005.

1. Lionel Messi

There was always going to be one winner of this top 10 and it had to be Lionel Messi because of the player he's been and the levels he's performed at right throughout his career.

He can do things with the ball that very few players can do and for him to perform at such a high level throughout his career is just incredible.

He's the best player I've ever seen play the game and in my opinion the greatest player of all-time because of what he could do with the ball at his feet and the fact that he's won 8 Ballon D'or's.

I don't think we're going to see another like him.

MY TOP 10:

1. Lionel Messi

2. Ronaldinho

3. Luis Suarez

4. Kaka

5. Roberto Carlos

6. Cafu

7. Marcelo

8. Neymar

9. Sergio Aguero

10. Angel Di Maria