Who Were the Best Soccer Players in 2018? Our Complete Ranking

As I sat watching that incredible WTA 125 match between Alex Eala and Varvara Lepchenko in Guadalajara last Thursday, I couldn't help but draw parallels to the soccer world. Nearly three hours of intense tennis action that couldn't settle a match - it reminded me of those epic soccer clashes where even 120 minutes couldn't separate two brilliant teams. This got me thinking about 2018's soccer landscape and who truly stood out that year.

When I look back at 2018, what strikes me most is how we witnessed one of the most fascinating battles for individual supremacy in recent memory. While Messi and Ronaldo continued their otherworldly dominance, we saw several players emerge who genuinely challenged the established order. Let me share my perspective on this - having followed soccer religiously for over twenty years and analyzed countless matches, I believe 2018 represented a subtle but significant shift in the global pecking order. The usual suspects were still magnificent, but new contenders emerged with performances that simply couldn't be ignored.

Luka Modrić's 2018 was something truly special. Watching him control games with that effortless grace reminded me why I fell in love with soccer in the first place. His 72 completed passes per game average in the World Cup might not sound spectacular to casual fans, but when you consider the context - the pressure of knockout stages, the quality of opposition - it becomes clear we were witnessing genius. He didn't just win the Ballon d'Or; he broke the decade-long duopoly, and frankly, it felt deserved. What many people overlook is how his performance in the Champions League that year was equally impressive, completing 89% of his passes in the competition while creating 28 clear scoring opportunities.

Then there's Kylian Mbappé - my goodness, what a revelation he was in 2018. I remember watching France's World Cup match against Argentina and thinking I was witnessing the birth of a new era. His pace was terrifying - clocked at 38 km/h during that tournament - but it was his decision-making that truly impressed me. For a 19-year-old to display that level of composure in crucial moments was extraordinary. He scored 4 World Cup goals, but his impact went far beyond numbers. He changed games single-handedly, something I've only seen from a handful of players throughout my years covering the sport.

We can't discuss 2018 without acknowledging that Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi still produced moments of magic that left us breathless. Ronaldo's bicycle kick against Juventus remains etched in my memory - I've probably watched that goal a hundred times, and it still gives me chills. Meanwhile, Messi's 45 goal contributions in La Liga that season demonstrated his relentless consistency. Though neither won the biggest team trophies that year, their individual brilliance remained undeniable. What often gets missed in these discussions is how their very presence elevated their teammates - something statistics can't fully capture but seasoned observers like myself notice immediately.

Reflecting on that marathon tennis match I mentioned earlier, it occurs to me that determining the "best" soccer player involves similar complexities. Statistics matter, but so does the intangible ability to rise when it matters most. For me, Modrić's achievement in breaking the Messi-Ronaldo stranglehold while leading his country to a World Cup final makes him 2018's standout performer, though I completely understand arguments for Mbappé's explosive impact or the enduring excellence of the established superstars. The beauty of soccer lies in these debates, and 2018 gave us particularly rich material to discuss for years to come.