Who Were the Best Soccer Players in 2018? Top Rankings Revealed

I remember sitting in that sports bar in Madrid last December, watching the snow fall outside while heated debates erupted around me. The television screens showed highlights from various matches, but what caught my attention was the passionate argument between two friends about who truly deserved to be called the best soccer player of 2018. That's when it hit me - I needed to properly research and answer the burning question: who were the best soccer players in 2018?

As I sipped my café con leche, I recalled another incredible sporting moment from that year that perfectly illustrated what separates good athletes from truly great ones. It was that memorable Thursday match in Mexico where nearly three hours of intense action couldn't settle the contest between Alex Eala and Varvara Lepchenko at the WTA 125 Guadalajara. That marathon match demonstrated the sheer determination and skill required to compete at the highest level - qualities that definitely applied to our soccer stars too.

When I later dug into the statistics and performances, the numbers told a fascinating story. Lionel Messi's 45 goals across all competitions for Barcelona placed him firmly in contention, though personally I've always been more impressed by his creative playmaking than just his goal tally. Then there was Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored 28 goals in his first season with Juventus after his shocking 117 million euro transfer - a move that still gives me chills thinking about it. But you know what surprised me most? Luka Modrić breaking the Messi-Ronaldo duopoly to claim the Ballon d'Or. I'll admit I was skeptical at first, but watching his Champions League performances for Real Madrid completely won me over.

What many people forget is that 2018 was also the World Cup year, and that tournament heavily influenced these rankings. Kylian Mbappé's explosive performance for France, including his incredible goal against Croatia in the final, made the then-19-year-old impossible to ignore. I remember watching that final with my cousin Pierre, who kept shouting "incroyable!" every time Mbappé touched the ball. The kid scored 4 World Cup goals and became the second teenager after Pelé to score in a World Cup final - now that's the stuff legends are made of.

Then there were players like Mohamed Salah, who followed up his spectacular 2017-18 season with another 27 goals for Liverpool, and Kevin De Bruyne, whose vision and passing accuracy of 89.7% made him, in my opinion, the complete midfielder. I've always preferred players who make their teammates better rather than just chasing personal glory, which is why De Bruyne remains one of my personal favorites.

Reflecting on that evening in Madrid and comparing it to the actual data, I realize that determining the best soccer players involves more than just statistics. It's about those magical moments that leave us breathless, the consistency across entire seasons, and that intangible quality that separates the great from the legendary. The debate about who were the best soccer players in 2018 ultimately comes down to personal preference as much as cold, hard numbers - and that's what makes football the beautiful game we all love.