The best XI from the last 10 years of football obviously includes Ronaldo and Messi, but there's no room for Neymar

Goalkeeper: Marc Andre ter Stegen

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Teams: Borussia Monchengladbach and FC Barcelona.

Why he's been the best this decade: Selecting one stand-out goalkeeper from the past 10 years is difficult because David de Gea, Gianluigi Buffon, Manuel Neuer, and Jan Oblak have been terrific.

But they all endured dips in form while ter Stegen has been consistently brilliant.

The German began his professional career in the 2010 to 2011 season with Borussia Monchengladbach, and quickly established himself as one of the Bundesliga's top shot-stoppers. Three years later, Barca came calling, and since displacing Claudio Bravo as the club's number one in 2016, he's gone from strength to strength.

His shot-stopping abilities and calming presence have seen him become Barca's first choice keeper, as well as his country's, replacing the heralded Manuel Neuer.

Right back: Dani Alves

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Teams: FC Barcelona, Juventus, Paris Saint Germain, and Sao Paolo.

Why he's been the best this decade: At 36 years old, Dani Alves would still walk into the starting XI of most top European clubs. And, up until August 2019, that is precisely what the Brazilian was doing.

After leaving Barcelona in 2016 following a trophy-laden eight seasons in which he won six La Liga titles (five this decade), he moved to the Italian champion Juventus. In his only season in Italy, he made 33 appearances and was named in the division's Team of the Season, helping Massimiliano Allegri's side lift the domestic double.

From Turin, Alves moved to Paris, where with PSG he won back-to-back Ligue 1 titles.

Offers came in during the summer for a move to England, according to Mundo Deportivo, but instead he moved back to Brazil with Sao Paolo.

Center back: Giorgio Chiellini

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Team: Juventus.

Why he's been the best this decade: Attacking trios are the ones that usually grab the headlines. Think MSN (Messi, Suarez, Neymar), BBC (Benzema, Bale, Cristiano), and Triple R (Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho).

The exception to that rule is Juventus' centre-back triumvirate of Leonardo Bonucci, Andrea Barzagli, and Giorgio Chiellini, also known as BBC (or BBBC if you include keeper Gianluigi Buffon).

The three colossal defenders have been integral to Juve's success over the past decade, helping the club win eight consecutive Serie A titles.

The stand-out from the pack is captain Chiellini. Solid yet smart, bold but bright, and naughty but nice the man with a masters degree is the perfect mix of brains and brawn.

Center back: Diego Godin

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Teams: Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan.

Why he's been the best this decade: It would be easy to pick Sergio Ramos as La Liga's best centre back over the last decade. After all, four Champions League trophies, two La Liga titles, and 11 other domestic honors isn't bad going.

It's also easy to forget however that Ramos has enjoyed the fortune of having had world class players around him the whole time a luxury former Atletico Madrid star Diego Godin did not have.

A stalwart in an ever-changing environment between 2010-2019 (Atletico bought and sold 11 different centre-backs during that period), Godin, the embodiment of Diego Simeone's disciplined yet tenacious team, guided his former side to the 2013-2014 La Liga title, two Europa League triumphs, and five other honours.

After leaving Atletico in the summer for Inter Milan, FC Barcelona's Gerard Pique, another of his great centre back rivals over the past 10 years, said farewell by describing him on Twitter as "the centre-back of a generation."

Left back: Marcelo

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Team: Real Madrid.

Why he's been the best this decade: "I think I am the best left-back in the world," Marcelo told ESPNFC in 2012, according to Bleacher Report.

The Brazilian, then 24, was not shy of confidence, and although his powers have faded over the past two seasons, for most of the decade, Marcelo has proven his self-belief to be well-placed.

The most technically-gifted full-back of his generation, the Rio de Janeiro-born star has terrorized opposition defenses and frustrated its attacks in equal measure for Real Madrid over the past 10 years, making over 400 appearances, scoring an impressive 31 goals, and winning 17 major honors, including four Champions League trophies.

Defensive midfield: NGolo Kante

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Teams: Boulogne, Caen, Leicester City, and Chelsea.

Why he's been the best this decade: Kante's rise from the lower echelons of French football to one of the world's most celebrated and decorated midfielders is a tale that's been told again and again, however that doesn't make it any less impressive.

After moving from Caen to Leicester City in 2015, The Frenchman won the Premier League in his first and only season with the Foxes. A year later, he did the same with Chelsea, in-turn becoming the only player in the league's history to win back-to-back titles with different clubs.

In 2018, he lifted the World Cup with France, completing his remarkable zero to hero fairy tale.

More importantly however, Kante has redefined what it is to be a defensive midfielder, adopting the "Claude Makelele role" and making it completely his own by adding pace, power, unlimited energy, and, more recently, goals.

Central midfield: Andres Iniesta

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Teams: FC Barcelona and Vissel Kobe.

Why he's been the best this decade: Andres Iniesta never winning the Ballon d'Or is one of football's greatest crimes.

Lionel Messi stole the headlines for Barcelona while the pair played together until 2018, but it was the Spanish midfielder who was the facilitator of the Argentine's genius.

Iniesta was the most complete footballer of his generation. He was able to glide past players effortlessly like a prime Zinedine Zidane, pick a pass better than Andrea Pirlo, and dribble just as well as Ronaldo (the Brazilian one).

Even France Football, the organizers of the Ballon d'Or, apologized for never giving him the award, writing a piece in 2018 entitled "Forgive Us Andres", which said his absence from the list of winners was "painful", according to AS.

Central midfield: Cesc Fabregas

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Teams: Arsenal, FC Barcelona, Chelsea, and AS Monaco.

Why he's been the best this decade: Cesc Fabregas was given a hard time by Barcelona after his spell at Camp Nou came to an end in 2014. Upon leaving, the club released a bizarre statement which stated, per The Independent, that the midfielder's impact "gradually decreased as each season drew to a close," and that his "magic tended to fade later on" in each campaign.

Given that Fabregas scored 42 goals in 151 games for the club, as well as produced the most assists of anyone at the club during his three year tenure, such criticism seemed wildly unfair.

But while many would have let it defeat them, the "King of Creation" instead went on to produce some of the best form of his career with Chelsea. In five seasons at Stamford Bridge, the Spaniard scored 22 times and produced 57 assists, which, when combined with his total from former club Arsenal, saw him rise to the division's second best ever goal producer with 111.

He also won two Premier League titles, one FA Cup, one League Cup, and the Europa League. Way to bounce back.

Forward: Cristiano Ronaldo

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Teams: Real Madrid and Juventus.

Why he's been the best this decade: Ronaldo has kept pace, and at times, superseded, the achievements of Lionel Messi over the past decade.

In approximately 488 games for Real Madrid and Juventus, the Portuguese international has scored 476 goals, winning 17 major domestic honours, including four Champions League titles.

He also guided his country to its first ever major trophy, scoring three times to help Fernando Santos' side lift the 2016 UEFA European Championship.

Forward: Lionel Messi

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Team: FC Barcelona.

Why he's been the best this decade: This one requires little explanation.

In 519 games, Messi has 521 goals, seven La Liga titles, two Champions Leagues, five Copa Del Reys, five Spanish Supercups, five Ballon d'Ors, and six European Golden Shoes.

There has been, and there will only be, one Lionel Messi.

The greatest to ever do it.

Striker: Luis Suarez

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Teams: Ajax, Liverpool, and FC Barcelona.

Why has he been picked: Sometimes controversial. Often polarizing. Always sublime.

Of all the strike partners Lionel Messi has had the pleasure of playing with over the years at Barcelona, Luis Suarez is the best.

Since joining the Catalan club in 2014, the Uruguayan hitman has managed 189 goals in 266 games, including a phenomenal return of 59 in just his second season.

Prior to his move to Spain, Suarez enjoyed similar fortunes in front of goal for Liverpool, where in three-and-a-half seasons, he hit 82 goals in 133 games, prompting club icon Steven Gerrard to later describe him as "the best player I have played with," according to Sky Sports.