Nowadays, it seems most conversations about the beautiful game eventually turn to the eternal question:whos the best?. Me si or Ronaldo?Who could hold their own against the Pelsand Maradonas of the past?Are Thiago Silva or Vincent Kompany in the same league as Suarez and Me si? Ultimately, there is no right answer to these questions but Iwill tryto shed a little more light onto the situationusing mythorough research and deep discu sions. Youll probably disagree so please comment any opinions and insight and hopefully we can get a good old-fashioned football debate going.I have divided the players into 6 different positions and chosen the top ten in each, judging partlyon recent performances (up to the end of the world cup) andpartly on permanent cla s (unlike the Ballon dOr).I hope you agree, disagree and discu s, but most of all enjoy! We start with the 10 best goalkeepers in the world with the other categories to follow.GoalkeepersHonourable mentions:Tim Howard Evertons stalwart American stopper. Has been amongst the best in the Premier league for years now and had an excellent World Cup including a record breaking performance against Belgium. Still going strong at 35.Guillermo Ochoa The goalkeeper of the world cup. Should get his wish of Champions League football next season. One of those you feel will mature at the relatively young age of 26.Victor Valdes As good with his feet as he is with his hands. Jumping ship at Barcelona to revive a stellar career that had fallen flat. Mi sed out on the World Cup but it isnt the end of the road for him at 32.10. David De Gea Manchester United and Spain 23 One of a very few shining lights for Manchester United last season, De Gea is improving season on season. After a worrying start at Old Trafford, he has grown into the goalkeepers jersey producing numerous fantastic displaysand displaying a measure of consistency not seen before in his game. He Reggie White Jersey should be undoubtedNo.1 for club and country for years to come. Such was his importance for Manchester United this season, it prompted one fan to adopt the saying Without De Gea wed be bottom of the league whilst watching his sides torrid season. Fine praise indeed.9. Joe Hart Manchester City and England 27 After an outstanding 2012 that saw him hailed as the greatest keeper in the world by many, Joe Harts 2013 was a downward spiral that ended in him being dropped and replaced by Romanian keeper Costel Pantillimon at City. A series of crucial mistakes lead to huge worries about EnglandsWorld Cup campaign without their trustworthy No.1. However, Hart fought his way back into the Manchester City and was crucial in their fantastic late season charge for the title. Had a mediocre World Cup along with most of his team-mates but is still young enough to rea sert his place among the worlds best. Will facea sterner testshould he lose his place next season with the arrival of Argentine Willy Caballero.8. Petr ech Chelsea and Czech Republic 32 Continues to be consistency defined at Chelsea behind a very solid defence but ech looks unlikely to prolong his 10 year stay in West London with the emergence of Thibaut Courtois likely to scupper his hopes of first team football at Stamford Bridge. The fact that his name has been linked with theFrench nouveau riche PSG and Monaco is testament to his fantastic career. Having achieved his 100th cap in a 3-0 victory over Armenia last year it is shame we have not seen more of this great on the international scene. Was in the best 3keepers in the world for at least 7 years and will go down as one of the great goalkeepers of all time.7. Samir Handanovi Inter Milan and Slovenia 29 Agile and an expert from penalties, Handanovic is for Serie A what Petr ech is for the Premier League; another who is rarely seen on the international stage and yet is fantastic for his club. After a fantastic 8 years at Udinese, he finally earned a big move to Inter where he has continued to flourish, often holding together a rocky defence.At 6ft4 he is imperious ingoaland hasquickly become a fan favourite at theSan Siro. His 16clean sheets helped Inter climb to 5th in Serie A, above rivals AC Milan for the first time since Mourinho won the league with them in 2010.6. Diego Lopez Real Madrid and Spain 32 After 6 succe sful seasons in La Liga away from Real Madrid, Diego Lopez returned to the place where he started his career in 2013 and proceeded to take the place of club legend Iker Casillas. Initially just cover for the injured Casillas, Lopez was so impre sive he retained his spot under Jose Mourinho all season, leading to a huge falling out between the legendarykeeper and the coach, which, it is said, partly led to Mourinhos dismi sal, such is the captains popularity and power. At 6ft 5 Lopez is a man mountain in goal and has shown how solid he can be this season, with consistent performances throughout. A late bloomer, it is just a shame he didnt mature earlier. Another in a long list of great Spanish keepers in the last10 years.5. Iker Casillas Real Madrid and Spain 33 The worlds best for so long, Casillas may not hold that crown any more but theres no doubting his cla s and experience. Despite losing the no.1 jersey to Diego Lopez during the 2012/13 season and having a woeful world cup, conceding 7 goals in two games, Casillas remains (at least for now) captain of one of the greatest international sides ever and one of the greatest clubs in the world; leading them to numerous titles throughout a stellar career. Even with his performances dwindling, his personality, mentalityand experience alone are enough for him to still be among the worlds best, as Carlo Ancellotti showed by playing him in every game of Real Madrids victorious Champions League campaign.4. Gianluigi Buffon Juventus and Italy 36 Continues to be absolutely crucial for Italy and Juventus as they continue to dominate Italian football. Bounced back after injury problems looked to have curtailed his career and has been excellent for club and country in the past two years. The Champions League is almost the only thing mi sing from an impre sive cv and it lookslike it may be too late for the now veteran keeper to achieve that goal. Part of the furniture at Juve, he looks certain to stay on after he chooses to end his illustrious career, at leastin some capacity. The big worry now for both The Old Lady and theAzzurri,is how to replace the eight time Serie A goalkeeper of the year. For the moment however, Buffon is going nowhere.3. Hugo Lloris Tottenham and France 27 A shining light for Tottenham last season, he earned the right to captain France all the way to a respectable 1-0 quarter-final defeat to Germany at the world cup. A goalkeeper who po se ses outstanding reflexes,cat-like agility and a commanding presence in and around his penalty box, Llorishas the skill set to go right to the top. Hes also goodwith his feet andgreat as a sweeper keeper; something utilised byAndre Villas-Boas and his infamoushigh line during his time at WhiteHart Line.After anotherseason of mi sing out on the top 4 forSpurs, therewasfear a player ofLloris staturemay leave, and he would have had plenty of suitors. However, amid all the talk of new signings at White Hart Line, their best one this summer maywell turn out to bethe new 5 year contract their French goalkeeper signed.2. Thibaut Courtois Chelsea (loaned to Atletico Madrid)and Belgium 22 The best young goalkeeper in the world is arguably the fastest rising star in world football.Excelling in the revitalised set-ups of Atletico Madrid and Diego Simeone and the Belgium national team, Courtois has firmly staked his claim as one of the best keepers in the world. At 6ft 6 he is excellent in one on ones and his aerial command is second to none. Set to finally make his return to Chelsea and oust one of the greatest goalkeepers of the modern era in Petr ech, he doesnt lack for confidence either; saying earlier in the yearthat his rivalfor the no.1 jersey forBelgium,SimonMignolet,should stay humble and respectful and he should remember that, despite Mignolets rather ordinary claim that he was going to keep working hard to regain his spot for the national team. Greatgoalkeepers are arare breed and in Courtois were seeing one of the greats for years to come.1. Manuel Neuer Bayern Munich and Germany 28 Playing behind the best international and club sides in the world right now makes Manuel Neuers job a whole lot easier but hes still undoubtedly the best goalkeeper on the planet. New eras for both teams, brought about by Pep Guardiolas Bayern po se sion revolution, has just enhanced Neuers position at the top. With both playing a very high line he sweeps behind and dashes out confidently to see off any dangers in behind the defences excellently. He also has outstanding shot-stopping abilities, is brilliant in one-on-ones and po se sesflawle s distribution. Neuer was every bit a part of Bayerns record breaking domestic season and also had a terrificWorld Cup. He stands in a state ofcalm serenity head and shouldersabove all other keepers, making his saves and going about his busine s on the pitch however difficult it is in undramatic fashion. Almost as good outfield as between the sticks, he often ventures outfield in training to spray pa ses alongside the likes of Toni Kroos and Bastian Schwienstiger. In fact, he started his career outfield at the age of 4 and was only put in goal as his team had no one else willing to. A masterstroke that Bayern and Germany are now reaping therewards from. Zach Ertz Jersey