53. Javier Mascherano

After helping steer Barcelona to yet another trophy under Luis Enrique last season, there were whispers during the summer transfer window that Mascherano might be ready to move on.

Rumours can be misleading, however, and Mascherano put pen to paper on a new contract extension at Camp Nou in October, which will see the Argentine through until June 2019. The ex-Liverpool midfielder has been a big-game player for Luis Enrique and his Barça predecessors, missing just one competitive final since joining the club in 2009.

International glory continues to evade the midfielder, however, after Argentina lost out on penalties to Chile in the Copa America Centenario final (again). Mascherano at least netted a high-pressure spot-kick after Lionel Messi missed la Celeste’s first, and he still provides a warrior-like fighting spirit in the engine room which enables him to drag his compatriots towards the finish line despite his advancing years. – SH

52. Angel Di Maria

While Di Maria's early PSG career must have felt like a dream, 2016 has been a strange nightmare. The Argentine lifted the Ligue 1 title, Coupe de la Ligue, Coupe de France and set up Zlatan Ibrahimovic to knock Chelsea out of the Champions League in his first season in France, but he's only scored five times in the league since the turn of the year and has struggled under new boss Unai Emery.

The former Real Madrid forward has still racked up assists and shown plenty of quality, but his influence in the final third has undoubtedly decreased. Without their Swedish talisman Ibrahimovic, PSG need Di Maria to rediscover his best form sooner rather than later. – AG

51. Philippe Coutinho

In a year in which Liverpool have progressed from also-rans to title contenders under Jurgen Klopp, their most influential player has been Coutinho. The Brazilian has long been a fans’ favourite at Anfield, but at 24 he's started to develop a consistency to his game that had sometimes been lacking in the past. He’s also benefited from the form of compatriot Roberto Firmino, with the pair forming a fine double act in a rampant Reds attack.

Coutinho scored seven goals and provided four assists in the second half of last season, while also netting in the final of the League Cup and helping Liverpool to the Europa League final. By mid-November he’d already racked up six goals and six assists in 2016/17, as Klopp's charges topped the Premier League table.

The ex-Inter man's performances at Anfield also earned him a call-up to the Brazil squad for the Copa America Centenario, where he bagged a hat-trick against Haiti. – CF