Bayern and Dortmund have 13 players on our list of the planet's finest for 2012-13, compared to seven played from last term's La Liga. A significant shift in supremacy?
ANALYSISBy Ben Hayward
The tide turned in 2012-13. While Spanish sides Barcelona and Real Madrid set out as the two favourites for the Champions League, the final of Europe's elite club competition was an all-German affair: Bayern Munich against Borussia Dortmund. Bayern won it all in the end, beating BVB in the Wembley showpiece to complete an historic treble while Barca and Madrid licked their wounds.
Germans were on top last term and, although Barca's brilliant Lionel Messi walked off with our Goal 50prize for the finest footballer over the course of the season, Bundesliga presence on the list grew greatly compared to last year's selection.
Only five German-based players made the Goal 50 list in 2012, with BVB's Marco Reus the highest of them all in 22nd place and Mario Gomez (28th) the sole Bayern player incuded, while 17 Spain-based stars made the final 50 and six finished in the top 10: Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid, 10th), Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi (all Barcelona; seventh, fourth and third respectively), Iker Casillas (Madrid, second) and winner Cristiano Ronaldo (also Real).
This time, however, the swing has proved dramatic. There is no Xavi, no Ramos, nor Casillas on the latest list at all, while Iniesta is down in 19th and one of just two Barca players to make the cut along with winner Messi (Neymar is also included in 14th but has only just joined the Catalan club). Likewise Isco at Madrid, whose only representatives are Ronaldo (in third this time) and French defender Raphael Varane (37th). Including Isco, who played at Malaga last term, seven of this year's selection played their football in Spain during 2012-13.
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