As in every calendar year, 2018 also brought us a lot to pick from …
The end of the year ‘Gold List’ is a compilation and ranking of the best in football.
Our monthly Gold List is ranking the best 10 teams in football.
Out monthly Silver List is the ranking of the next 10 best teams in football
Our monthly Copper List is the ranking of final 10 teams in the 30 teams that received acknowledgment for their current form/efforts.
This is the final Gold List for the year. We made a list but avoided ranking the finalist.
In alphabetical order, these are the Gold List players of 2018.
It was Luka Modric’s year.
It is difficult to see any change in Luka Modric’s game in the last 5 years. But Modric’s performance for Croatia in the 2018 FIFA World Cup brought him out of the ‘bunch’ to the lips and headlines of every major news publications. When it comes to winning anything that requires votes, being on the lips and headlines of major publications is the campaign you need.
UEFA Player of the Year – Luka Modric
Ballon d’Or winner – Luka Modric
FIFA Player of the Year – Luka Modric
Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Raphael Varane were the top three players in our internal polls.
In alphabetical order, these are the ‘Gold Listed’ goalkeepers of 2018.
Goalkeepers
Alisson Becker (Liverpool/Brazil) David De Gea (Manchester United/Spain) Ederson (Manchester City/Brazil) Gianluigi Buffon (Paris St. Germain/Italy) Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur/France) Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid/Slovenia) Keylor Navas (Real Madrid/Costa Rica) Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona/Germany) Pepe Reina (AC Milan/Spain) Roman Burki (Borussia Dortmund/Switzerland) Samir Handanovic (Inter Milan/Slovenia) Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid/Belgium) Wojciech Szczesny (Juventus/Poland)
In alphabetical order, these are the ‘Gold Listed’ center backs of 2018.
Center Backs
Diego Godin Atletico Madrid/Uruguay Gerard Pigue Barcelona/Spain Giorgio Chiellini Juventus/Italy Jan Vertonghen Tottenham Hotspur/Belgium Kalidou Koulibaly Napoli/Senegal Leonardo Bonucci Juventus/Italy Matt Hummels Bayern Munich/Germany Naldo Schalke 04/Brazil Nicolas Otamendi Manchester City/Argentina Raphael Varane Real Madrid/France Samuel Umtiti Barcelona/France Sergio Ramos Real Madrid/Spain Virgil van Dijk Liverpool/Netherlands
In alphabetical order, these are the ‘Gold Listed’ full backs of 2018.
Full Backs
Alex Sandro Brazil/Juventus Dani Carvajal Spain/Real Madrid David Alaba Austria/Bayern Munich Felipe Luis Brazil/Atletico Madrid Jordi Alba Spain/Barcelona Joshua Kimmich Germany/Bayern Munich Juanfran Torres Spain/Atletico Madrid Kieran Trippier England/Tottenham Kyle Walker England/Manchester City Marcelo Brazil/Real Madrid Marcos Alonso Spain/Chelsea Sergi Roberto Spain/Barcelona Sime Vrsaljko Croatia/Atletico Madrid
In alphabetical order, these are the ‘Gold Listed’ central midfielders of 2018.
Center Midfielders
Andres Iniesta Spain/Vissel Kobe Casemiro Brazil/Real Madrid David Silva Spain/Manchester City Ivan Rakitic Croatia/Barcelona James Milner England /Liverpool Kevin De Bryune Belgium/Manchester City Koke Spain/Atletico Madrid Luka Modric Croatia/Real Madrid N’Golo Kante France/Chelsea Paul Pogba France/Manchester United Sergio Busquets Spain/Barcelona Thiago Spain/Bayern Munich Toni Kroos Germany/Real Madrid
In alphabetical order, these are the ‘Gold Listed’ attacking midfielders of 2018.
Attacking Midfielders
Angel Di Maria Argentina/Paris St. Germain Bernardo Silva Portugal/Manchester City Christian Eriksen Denmark/Tottenham Hotspur Dele Alli England/Tottenham Hotspur Dimitri Payet France/Marseille Eden Hazard Belgium/Chelsea Florian Thauvin France/Marseille Isco Spain/Real Madrid James Rodriguez Colombia/Bayern Munich Luis Alberto Spain/Lazio Marco Reus Germany/Borussia Dortmund Memphis Depay Netherlands/Marseille Philippe Coutinho Brazil/Barcelona
In alphabetical order, these are the ‘Gold Listed’ forwards of 2018.
Forwards
Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal/ Juventus Douglas Costa Brazil/Juventus Dries Merens Belgium/Napoli Gareth Bale Wales/Real Madrid Kylian Mbappe France/Paris St. Germain Lionel Messi Argentina/Barcelona Lorenzo Insigne Italy/Napoli Mohamed Salah Egypt/Liverpool Neymar Brazil/Paris St. Germain Paulo Dybala Argentina/Juventus Raheem Sterling England/Manchester City Roberto Firmino Brazil/Liverpool Sadio Mane Senegal/Liverpool
In alphabetical order, these are the ‘Gold Listed’ striker of 2018.
Striker
Antoine Griezmann France/Atletico Madrid Ciro Immobile Italy/Lazio Cristian Stuani Uruguay/Girona Edin Dzeko Bosnia/Roma Edinson Cavani Uruguay/Paris St. Germain Gonzalo Higuain Argentina/AC Milan Harry Kane England/Tottenham Hotspur Iago Aspas Spain/Celta Vigo Luis Suarez Uruguay/Barcelona Mauro Icardi Argentina/Inter Milan Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Gabon/Arsenal Robert Lewandowski Poland/Bayern Munich Sergio Aguero Argentina/Manchester City
Top Scorers in the top competitions
Lionel Messi (Barcelona/Spanish La Liga) – 34 goals Mohamed Salah (Liverpool/English Premier League)- 32 goals Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich/German Bundesliga) – 29 goals Mauro Icardi (Inter Milan/Italian Serie A) Ciro Immobile (Lazio/Italian Serie A) – 29 goals Edinson Cavani (Paris St. Germain/French Ligue 1) – 28 goals
UEFA Champions League top scorer – Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) – 15 goals
UEFA Europa League top scorer – Aritz Aduriz (Athletic Club) / Ciro Immobile (Lazio) – 8 goals
2018 FIFA World Cup top scorer – Harry Kane (England) – 6 goals
2018 FIFA World Cup winners – France (2nd title)
Some key domestic league title winners from 2018
2017–18 Austrian Football Bundesliga –RB Salzburg
2017–18 Belgian First Division A – Club Brugge
2017–18 Croatian First Football League – Dinamo Zagreb
2017–18 Danish Superliga – Midtljylland
2017–18 Premier League – Manchester City
2017–18 Ligue 1 – Paris Saint-Germain
2017–18 Bundesliga – Bayern Munich
2017–18 Superleague Greece – AEK Athens
2017–18 Serie A – Juventus
2017–18 Eredivisie – PSV Eindhoven
2017–18 Ekstraklasa – Legia Warsaw
2017–18 Primeira Liga – Porto
2017–18 Russian Premier League – Lokomotiv Moscow
2017–18 Serbian SuperLiga – Red Star Belgrade
2017–18 La Liga – Barcelona
2018 Allsvenskan – AIK
2017–18 Swiss Super League – Young Boys
2017–18 Süper Lig – Galatasaray
2018 Chinese Super League – Shanghai SIPG
2017–18 Argentine Primera División – Boca Juniors
2018 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A – Palmeiras
Some major International Club Competition winners from 2018
2018 AFC Champions League – Kashima Antlers (Japan)
2018 CAF Champions League – Espérance (Tunisia)
2018 CONCACAF Champions League – Guadalajara (Mexico)
2018 Copa Libertadores – River Plate (Argentina)
2018 OFC Champions League – Team Wellington (New Zealand)
2018 UEFA Champions League – Real Madrid (Spain)
2018 UEFA Europa League – Atlético Madrid (Spain)
2018 FIFA Club World Cup – Real Madrid (Spain)
