Essien and Pirlo during the 2006 World Cup
In a lighthearted social media trend, football stars Merih Demiral and Riyad Mahrez shared their rankings of some of footballโs greatest footballers.
Mahrez, known for his time in the Premier League with Leicester City and Manchester City, now shares a dressing room with Demiral at Al Ahli in the Saudi Pro League.
During a recent trip, the pair took the opportunity to rank some of footballโs biggest legends.
They placed Ghanaian and Chelsea icon Michael Essien in seventh place, while Italian great Roberto Baggio secured fourth.
Surprisingly, Barcelonaโs Frenkie de Jong found himself in eighth place, ahead of legendary Brazilian playmaker Zico, who was ranked sixth.
Their decision to place Italian defensive stalwart Alessandro Nesta in ninth also sparked debate among fans.
Mahrezโs former Manchester City teammate John Stones was placed at the bottom in tenth place, while Liverpoolโs Mohamed Salah took third.
Italian maestro Andrea Pirlo, widely regarded as one of the finest midfielders in football history, claimed second place. In a surprising twist, the duo ranked Barcelonaโs Ferran Torres as their number one pick.
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