Player Power Rankings - October: Cristiano Ronaldo on top of the mountain

In a new monthly feature, theScore's trio of footy editors will list - and then defend - the men they believe to be the 30 best footballers on the planet. Current form, past displays, the team, positional elements, and even the so-called ability for players to step up and perform in the big moments will all be taken into account. You will agree with some. You will certainly disagree with many, many more.

Football's oldest debate stems from the simplest possible question. It elicits the most convoluted of answers.

Who is the best player in the world?

Easy, right? One name, and be done with it. If only it was so straightforward. All of those points mentioned in the preamble above serve to make what should be an easy distinction terribly difficult, and creates the types of debate that makes this question football's most intriguing.

Let the arguments begin.

Note: Footballers who are not playing at the time of publishing due to long term injury or suspension will not be considered.

The Big Board

An aggregate list of the top ten players, made up of the individual rankings from each of our three editors.

THE TOP TEN
1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
2. Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
3. Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich)
4. Neymar (Barcelona)
5. Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)
6. Angel Di Maria (Manchester United)
7. Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea)
8. Gareth Bale (Real Madrid)
9. Diego Costa (Chelsea)
10. Eden Hazard (Chelsea)