Former Chelsea and Juventus stars feature alongside an ex-Manchester City, Manchester United and West Ham forward, as well as some less familiar faces.
Sebastien Giovinco and Carlos Tevez together at Juventus
It is a little known fact that football does actually exist outside of the Premier League, and even outside of Europe! Having said that, it is true that the best footballers in the world tend to ply their trade in Europe. Whilst the South American leagues have been strong historically, a quick look at the international squads of Brazil and Argentina tell you that the best players from both countries, with a few exceptions, play their football in Europe.
In fact, the focus is so firmly fixated on European football that players playing outside of the continent can sometimes be overlooked. In addition to South America, recently emerging leagues in China, the Middle East and the US can also lay claim to having some very good players in their ranks. Whilst some players depart for those leagues in the twilight of their careers, this seven is based entirely on current ability, with no regards for prior talents or achievements taken into account (sorry Robinho and Kaka).
In the interest of clarity, it is worth pointing out that nations such as Russia and Turkey, who are in both Europe and Asia, are considered for the purposes of this list to be European, and therefore players based in those countries are discounted. This is because these Eurasian countries compete in European football competitions (such as the Champions League and Europa League), so in footballing terms at least, they are European.
7. Andre-Pierre Gignac
Dimitri Payet and Andre-Pierre Gignac at Marseille
A lot of people were surprised to see Andre-Pierre Gignac included in France’s squad for the 2016 Euros, especially whilst fellow strikers Karim Benzema and Alexandre Lacazette watched on from home. In truth, Gignac’s inclusion was nowhere near as shocking as some made out, especially not when Didier Deschamps has a well-known fondness for having a focal point up front.
Gignac is 31, and is best known for his spells in France with Toulouse and Marseille, and he was particularly prolific with the latter, scoring 77 goals in 186 games. The Frenchman made an unusual move to Mexico in 2015, joining Liga MX side Tigres, where he has since scored a highly creditable 59 goals in 98 games. A big, strong and intelligent centre-forward, Gignac just makes the cut for our top seven.
6. Oscar
There are more players from the Chinese Super League than any other league in our seven, and the first is Oscar. The 25-year-old left Premier League champions Chelsea for a whopping £60 million to join Shanghai SIPG in January, becoming one of the world’s best paid players in the process.
A two-time Premier League winner with the Blues, Oscar made the 2014 World Cup All-Star XI. He has played 21 games since his move to China, scoring four goals but receiving an eight-game ban recently for his involvement in an on-field brawl.
5. Miguel Borja
The least well-known player in this seven, Miguel Borja is only 24, and should he make the move to Europe in the future, he’s likely to become a big hit. A Colombian international, Borja scored 22 goals in 24 games for Colombian top flight outfit Cortulua and 17 goals in 27 games for Atletico Nacional, before becoming the fourth most expensive player in the history of Brazilian football when he made an £8 million move to Palmeiras in February 2017.
Since joining the most successful team in Brazil, who can boast the likes of Rivaldo, Cafu and Roberto Carlos among their illustrious list of former players, Borja has scored 4 goals in 6 games.
4. Sebastian Giovinco
Just how good is Sebastian Giovinco? The Atomic Ant, as he is known, has been an absolute sensation since arriving in the MLS with Toronto FC in 2015. Given that most European stars don’t arrive in the MLS until they are in the dying embers of their careers, Giovinco – who arrived at 28 – is arguably the greatest player to have graced the league.
However, he appeared to be a rather more modest performer in Serie A with Juventus, where he flattered to deceive and often seemed to have confidence struggles. He was a hit in his two seasons on-loan at Parma though, and having scored 57 goals in 89 games for Toronto and being named MVP in 2015, it’s probably fair to say Giovinco could hack it in Europe with a team just below the standard of Juventus.
3. Hulk
Brazilian soccer players Lucas Lima, Oscar and Hulk attend a training session in Sao Paulo
Into the top three and we return to China. Brazilian international Hulk is a player who has arguably been a touch overrated at times during his career. His goal scoring tally of 239 goals in 443 games is mightily impressive for a man who has spent most of his days on the wing, but those goals are split almost exactly into thirds between his time in Japan, Portugal and Russia, none of which are ranked among the top five leagues in the world.
And now he is in China, a fast emerging nation, but far from the competitive stage to truly prove himself as a world great. The powerful Brazilian whose cumulative transfer fees equal almost £100 million is now 30, and starring for Shanghai SIPG in the Chinese Super League alongside fellow Brazilians Oscar and Elkeson.
2. Alex Teixeira
When Liverpool fans learnt of their clubs £24.6 million bid for Shakhtar Donetsk playmaker Alex Teixiera, they probably didn’t expect to lose the race for his signature to a Chinese team that only turned professional in 1994. Teixeira wasn’t the first player to make a big money move to China, but he was the first to do so whilst actively being pursued by a major Premier League team, and his move suggested a potential power shift in world football.
Teixeira himself is a tenacious, tricky and intelligent attacking midfielder who is also capable of playing as a second striker. He scored 89 goals in 222 games for Shakhtar before joining Jiangsu Suning for a then record fee for an Asian club, and he has since scored 15 goals in 34 games for the side who currently sit bottom of the Chinese Super League.
1. Carlos Tevez
Carlos Tevez during his time in the Premier League with Manchester United
He may be 33 now, but Carlos Tevez still deserves to top this list, even if he is yet to set the world alight in China. The tireless Argentine made waves in the Premier League with West Ham, Manchester United and Manchester City, winning three Premier League titles and the Champions League, before adding a couple of Serie A titles with Juventus. Having achieved all he could hope to in the European game, Tevez returned to his boyhood club Boca Juniors.
Having won a league and cup double with Boca, Tevez headed to China for one last huge pay cheque. A hard-working forward with good technique and an eye for goal, Tevez has scored 274 goals over the course of his career, but has only managed 2 goals and 4 assists in his first 8 games for Shanghai Shenhua.
Honourable Mentions
Ezequiel Lavezzi, Giovani dos Santos, Ramires, Xavi, Axel Witsel, Lucas Pratto, Everton Ribeiro, Lucas Alario, Demba Ba and veteran New York City striker David Villa.
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