Ranking World Football's 20 Best Players in October
There were plenty of outstanding performances across the world of football in October. Here I rank the top 20 players over the past month.
Some of those on the list have played consistently well over that period, while others make the grade on the back or one or two brilliant displays in key matches.
The rankings are weighted towards the biggest competitions where, as a rule, the finest talent tends to congregate.
Here are the players who ruled the roost in October.
20. Gareth Bale
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An inclusion that will no doubt raise a few eyebrows, the Welshman makes it on to the list on the basis of one standout performance.
Hobbled by niggling injury, Gareth Bale had made a decidedly unimpressive start to his Real Madrid career.
He was given a golden opportunity to set things right with a starting berth in el Clasico but once again failed to deliver.
With the criticism mounting, the former Tottenham winger answered the naysayers in resounding fashion with a barnstorming display in Madrid's 7-3 win over Sevilla.
Bale terrorized the Sevilla defense all evening, setting up two goals and scoring two of his own.
For his ability to deal with immense pressure and finally show La Liga fans his worth, the 24-year-old makes it into the top 20.
19. Diego Valeri
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Like Mr. Bale, midfield maestro Diego Valeri had been struggling with injury for much of the month but was risked in the Portland Timbers' starting lineup for their final regular season game.
Given the opportunity to prove himself, he immediately stamped his class on proceedings.
Though he only played 45 minutes, the Argentine midfielder scored two goals in his side's 5-0 win over Chivas USA, the second of which was a delightful lob over goalkeeper Tim Melia.
Not only that, his sublime assist for Rodney Wallace's goal secured his status as the league's leader in the category for the season, with 13 overall.
18. Thibaut Courtois
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Atletico Madrid's strong run in La Liga continued through October, thanks in no small part to the brilliance of Thibaut Courtois between the sticks.
The Belgian dominates his area like few other current custodians, and if he maintains his fine form, Diego Simeone's men will continue to be tough to break down.
17. Dejan Damjanovic
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The final of the Asian Champions League is well-poised after the first leg in South Korea, thanks largely to Dejan Damjanovic's coolly-taken late goal for FC Seoul which tied the game against Guangzhou Evergrande up at 2-2.
He will need to be at his best if his team are to overcome Marcello Lippi's side in the second leg.
The Montenegro striker also sneaked a goal in his country's World Cup Qualifier against England on October 12, but it made little difference in the 4-1 loss.
16. Fernando Torres
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Another who earns himself a place in the rankings due to his bouncebackability, Fernando Torres capped a fine performance in Chelsea's crunch clash with Manchester City by scoring the winning goal.
The 29-year-old also slotted two past Schalke 04 in the Champions League to prove that reports of his demise as a world-class striker had been greatly exaggerated.
15. Andros Townsend
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In what was the biggest month of 22-year-old Andros Townsend's career thus far, the Tottenham winger made his England debut and also scored his first Premier League goal.
The speedster was nothing short of superb for England against Montenegro, finding the net and generally proving a massive headache for his opponents.
He then backed that up four days later with another strong display against Poland, more than justifying Roy Hodgson's decision to call him up.
14. Walter
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Deadly striker and big unit Walter of Goias has been tearing up the Brazilian Serie A for weeks now.
The heavyset frontman added four more goals to his tally last month and is giving his unfancied side, who currently sit in fifth, hope of qualifying for the next edition of the Copa Libertadores.
13. Carlos Tevez
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Juventus' acquisition of Manchester City's trouble-making forward Carlos Tevez appears now to be a stroke of genius.
The Argentine has settled nicely in Turin and is giving the Italian champions an extra element of danger and unpredictability in the attacking third.
His developing understanding with Fernando Llorente and steady flow of goals in Serie A will give Juve fans great hope for a prosperous season.
12. Maxi Rodriguez
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The highlight of Maxi Rodriguez's October output was undoubtedly his strong display in the colors of Argentina, as he found the net twice in the Albiceleste's 3-2 loss to Uruguay.
At club level, he has been consistently superb for Newell's Old Boys, as the current champions of Argentina push for back-to-back titles.
11. Giuseppe Rossi
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With nine Serie A strikes this season, Giuseppe Rossi has stormed back from long-term injury to stake his claim once again as one of the top marksman in Italy.
His hat-trick for Fiorentina against the old enemy Juventus on October 20 will be talked about in Florence for years to come.
10. Morgan De Sanctis
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In three Serie A games in October, Roma custodian Morgan De Sanctis continued his impressive recent streak by not allowing a goal, which dates back to September 16.
He is now vying for the all-time Roma club record of 774 minutes without conceding, held by Ivan Pelizzoli.
No doubt the capital team's strong defense and gritty midfield has helped the keeper's cause, but nevertheless the former Napoli man has been impeccable for weeks.
9. Olivier Giroud
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The Arsenal machine has been humming with beautiful synchronicity this season, and Olivier Giroud has both benefited from, and contributed to, the Gunners' dazzling form.
The Frenchman had a hectic month, playing eight games for club and country, but he showed no signs of fatigue on his way to tallying five goals.
He was also proud to contribute to Jack Wilshire's unforgettable strike against Norwich City, as he explained to Arsenal Player, as reported by Sport Review:
"It is a great thing because the goal was shown all over the world – I am proud of it.
It is a quality when you are a striker to not always be greedy and when you have a team-mate well placed on the pitch, in a good position, you have to assist him.
Strikers are judged on their goals but we must also [provide] assists and that is what I try to do: help my team-mates.
It is easy to play with people like Jack, Mesut [Özil], Santi [Cazorla] or Tomas [Rosicky] – all my offensive team-mates. We have good relationships on the pitch and when we play one-touch football like [against Norwich], it is a pleasure.
We try to do it in every game, and when we succeed it is fantastic.
"
8. Wayne Rooney
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When things are going right for Wayne Rooney, whichever team he is playing for—be it England or Manchester United—looks so much better.
And the 28-year-old has played very well for both sides in the past month.
Rooney scored in each of England's World Cup qualifying matches and has also been a driving force for Manchester United as the reigning EPL champions attempt to get their season back on track after a slow start.
7. Henrikh Mkhitaryan
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Armenian playmaker Henrikh Mkhitaryan was the ringleader of his Borussia Dortmund side's 3-1 win over Schalke 04 in the Bundesliga on the weekend, demonstrating the best of his creative abilities.
That showing rounded out a wonderful month for the 24-year-old, in which he also orchestrated the Germans' 2-1 defeat of Arsenal and 3-0 hammering of Marseille in the Champions League.
6. Aaron Ramsey
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Dynamic midfielder Aaron Ramsey may not have kept up his frantic scoring rate from September, but his excellent form continued to play a part in keeping Arsenal at the top of the Premier League ladder.
The stats show one goal and three assists for the resurgent 22-year-old, who is clearly relishing playing alongside the Gunners' star signing, Mesut Ozil.
5. Luis Suarez
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Following an enforced absence through suspension at the start of the season, Luis Suarez is now really getting into the swing of things for Liverpool.
The snappy Uruguayan netted to help his national team overcome arch-rivals Argentina in Montevideo before scoring a gorgeous hat-trick against West Bromwich Albion at Anfield.
4. Diego Costa
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You know you must be doing something right when you've got two of the favorites for next year's World Cup fighting over you.
Diego Costa recently pledged his allegiance to Spain, angering many back in his native Brazil, but the reason everybody is after his services is because of the blistering La Liga form he has shown this season.
In October, Costa hit three goals in three league games for Atletico Madrid, while also bagging a brace against Austria Vienna in the Champions League.
3. Sergio Aguero
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Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini seems to have figured out how to get the best out of Sergio Aguero.
And he rates his fellow South American highly, as revealed in these quotes to Sky Sports:
"He is a top player. I always talk with Sergio about the fact that he, for me, is one of the five top players in the world.
He must try to demonstrate it in every game he plays. He is playing with more intensity when we don't have the ball and he has a lot of quality to make the difference.
I didn't know the statistics which said City have never lost when he scored but he is an important player for us.
He was an important player also in the past - with his goal Manchester City won the title. We hope in the future he will continue being a very important player for the club.
"
Kun has repaid the faith the Chilean coach has put in him. He scored six goals and made three assists for the Citizens in a fruitful month.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo
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Mock Cristiano Ronaldo at your own risk.
Not only did the Portuguese demand an apology from Sepp Blatter for the FIFA kingpin's mildly disparaging comments about him at an Oxford Union presentation, he then proceeded to score a hat-trick in his next game against Sevilla as if to prove his unflinching focus and unquestionable talent.
That display capped a typically prosperous month for Cristiano, as he smashed nine goals in six games for Real Madrid. The one blip on his record was a subdued showing in el Clasico.
1. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
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PSG superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been in such superlative form of late that some of the game's great minds have claimed he is the premier player on the planet at the present time.
Arsene Wenger said this of the giant Swede, as reported in The Telegraph:
"Is Zlatan better than Messi and Ronaldo? Right now, I'd say he is. At 32, you know how to get the best from your talent.
"
Ibrahimovic scored nine goals in five games for his club in October (and a goal against Austria for Sweden), highlighted by his astonishing four-goal haul in the Champions League against Anderlecht.
