Xabi Alonso

Xabi Alonso was the quintessential deep-lying playmaker - a midfielder of exceptional range, composure and leadership who could dictate matches at the highest level. Across spells at Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich he was consistently among the best midfielders in the world. With Spain, he won Euro 2008, the 2010 World Cup, and Euro 2012, and his partnership with Xavi and Iniesta in midfield made Spain virtually impenetrable. He completed 89% of his passes in the 2010 World Cup, a rate 5% higher than the typical rival in his position.