It was perfect and so so poetic too that Andrea Pirlo should mark his 100th international appearance for Italy with a free-kick goal in the Maracanã of all venues, a stage on which Zico had sent many a set-piece beyond flailing goalkeepers.

Set underneath Corcovado, La Gazzetta dello Sport's Luigi Garlando remarked that, it was as though the statue of Christ the Redeemer, sculpted with his arms wide open, was about to applaud the strike. The crowd, though, didn't wait for his cue. "Pirlo, Pirlo, Pirlo," they chanted.

After the game, in which Italy overcame Mexico 2-1, the playmaker revealed

This summer Eurosport is counting down the world's greatest footballers, as voted by our international network of journalists. We will reveal one player per day, culminating in the election of the first Ballon d'Eurosport on July 19.

The Ballon d'Eurosport explained.

- - -

Mata is loved in England, widely regarded as one of the most exciting players in the Premier League, and humble with it.

Technically brilliant, Mata makes up for his lack of physical attributes with an intelligence that he applies equally to his life off the pitch – a fluent English speaker on arrival in London, he already

This summer Eurosport is counting down the world's greatest footballers, as voted by our international network of journalists. We will reveal one player per day, culminating in the election of the first Ballon d'Eurosport on July 19.

The Ballon d'Eurosport explained.

- - -

Super Mario is about as divisive as you can get, and this is reflected in the voting. Widely considered a talented but amusing disaster in the Premier League, he has been magnificent since joining Milan, and straddles both extremes for the Italy national team.

Most favoured by our German office – probably on account of his

Everyone knows about Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, but Uruguay's Confederations Cup opener with Spain gives them a chance to increase their value in the transfer window.

Both Suarez and Cavani are angling for big-money transfers this summer.

Liverpool’s Suarez has endured a mixed time in England, with his on-pitch brilliance marred by some outrageous behaviour and even more bizarre refusals to accept responsibility for his actions.

The former Ajax forward has been linked with Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, but his preference is for a move to Spain, particularly Real Madrid.

Cavani,

This summer Eurosport is counting down the world's greatest footballers, as voted by our international network of journalists. We will reveal one player per day, culminating in the election of the first Ballon d'Eurosport on July 19.

The Ballon d'Eurosport explained.

- - -

Part of the appeal of spindly wingers is that you never know what you’re going to get. When the flamboyant Dutchman is hot, he practically self-combusts. When he is cold, he looks half-baked.

When it mattered this season, Robben was positively sizzling, no more so than in the Champions League final victory over Borussia

It is one of football's great hypothetical questions: how much would Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi be worth on the open market?

Could you put a price on a player who has been named the world's best for the past four seasons, scored a ridiculous 92 goals in 2012 and is already Barcelona's all-time record goalscorer at the age of just 25?

The CIES Football Observatory's Annual Review for 2013 has attempted to answer that question, producing its list of the 60 most valuable players as part of its yearly, authoritative look at European football.

It's no surprise to see Messi take top spot, but

This summer Eurosport is counting down the world's greatest footballers, as voted by our international network of journalists. We will reveal one player per day, culminating in the election of the first Ballon d'Eurosport on July 19.

The Ballon d'Eurosport explained.

- - -

Last season Toure was arguably the most imposing midfielder in the Premier League, and one of the best in Europe in his box-to-box role.

Like his club Manchester City, Toure has been hit-and-miss this time out, going missing for parts of the season and looking slightly distracted, possibly by contract negotiations and the

Manchester United have been strongly linked with moves for Barcelona midfielders Cesc Fabregas and Thiago Alcantara under their new manager David Moyes, but who would be a better fit for the Premier League champions if Barca make either of these two gilded figures available for transfer this summer? We profile both in the first of our summer transfer battle series.

CESC FABREGAS

Date of birth: May 4, 1987
Place of birth: Vilessoc de Mar, Spain
Nationality: Spanish
Height: 1.75m
Position: Midfielder
Current club: Barcelona
Former clubs: Mataro, Barcelona, Arsenal
Caps: 80
Value: £25m

Barcelona