World Football: 50 Players to Watch in 2011

It's a well-known fact that the best players ply their trade in the best leagues. Some can finish, some can provide, others can make good stops and key saves.

From veteran leadership, to promising youth, we got you covered.

Here, Bleacher Report presents to you—in no particular order—50 players to keep an eye out for in 2011.

At the forefront of Chelsea successful 2010-11 campaign thus far is striker Didier Drogba, who has eight goals and six assists to his credit.

In the Dec. 21 edition of the EA Sports Player Performance Index, Drogba is first. However, he will need a little help from his friends if he expects to add to his total and factor in the outcome of the UEFA Champions League and Premier League race.

Chelsea are currently fourth on the table with 31 points and take on FC København in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16.

There are other players that Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has at his disposal besides Drogba. This is one of them.

Midfielder Florent Malouda, ranked second in the Dec. 21 edition of the EA Sports Player Performance Index, is one of the best midfielders in the Premier League, with seven goals to his credit this season. Watch for him and Nicolas Anelka to fuel the Blues chances starting January.

One of the best players to come out of Australia, Everton's Tim Cahill is ranked ninth in the EA Sports Player Performance Index and has scored nine goals this season for the Toffees.

They will need the Boxing Kangaroo to produce, and how! Currently, Everton are 14th on the table with 21 points and could be staring at relegation if things don't improve in a hurry. Watch for Cahill to help spark a comeback to keep the Toffees up.

Here's one of the younger players you should keep an eye out for. We always like to throw in young, promising talent every now and then because it's our duty. Gareth Bale is currently the top-rated defender in the Premier League's EA Sports Player Performance Index, and sixth overall.

Bale's ability to make stops and dispossess opposing attackers with ease has helped the Spurs sail to fifth on the Premier League table with 27 points. Watch for this young man to keep things going, and who knows? Perhaps Chelsea and Manchester City would be wise to look past the shoulder; Bale and Tottenham are coming!

He's young, he's got blonde hair, and he can make stops in goal...it's Manchester City's Joe Hart!

Hart is currently the top-ranked goalkeeper on the EA Sports Player Performance Index, and 15th overall. His ability to deliver in the clutch on a consistent basis has been key to Manchester City rising to third on the table with 32 points.

Now, if only the Blues are able to challenge their Trafford rivals...

One of Scotland's best strikers can be seen in Rangers FC's very own Kenny Miller, who has 19 goals to his credit so far. (Take note, Premier League, Ligue 1, Bundesliga, La Liga scouts, etc....This ace can finish.)

Currently, Rangers sit first on the table with 38 points to their credit. Miller will need to keep up his scoring form if the Gers look to hold off rivals Celtic.

Can't forget about Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo. One of the glamour boys of football, Cristiano Ronaldo co-leads La Liga in scoring with 17 along with FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi.

However, Real Madrid are second on the table with a 13-2-1 record (41 points), two behind Barça, so look for Cristiano Ronaldo to be the sparkplug to propel them back to the top. And there's the continental championship business to take care of. In the UEFA Champions League, Los Blancos take Olympique Lyonnais in the Round of 16.

With 17 goals and 10 assists to his credit so far, FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi has paced the Blaugrana to the top of the table in La Liga with a 14-1-1 record (43 points).

The way that Messi finishes the deliveries he receives is nothing short of spectacular, and in this league may as well be rivaled by that of Cristiano Ronaldo. In fact, comparing Messi vs. Ronaldo could be akin to comparing Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson in the NBA.

Barça take on Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16. Messi is tied for second in goals scored in Champions League play with six.

Lionel Messi isn't the only player you want to watch out for on FC Barcelona's side.

David Villa is also on a tear and will be a player to watch next year, with 11 goals to his credit. Messi and Villa could go down as one of the powerful one-two combinations you will see from a club in the 2010-11 season. Together, they both account for 28 of Barça's 51 goals scored. Astounding.

One of Brazil's best you need to keep an eye out for next year is Nilmar, who has helped Villareal keep steady behind Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Nilmar currently has 10 goals to his credit while helping Villareal to a 10-3-3 record (33 points). While Los Blancos and L'equipe blaugrana have set a blistering pace to reduce the La Liga hunt to a two-team race, watch for Nilmar to help El Submarino Amarillo improve from last year's finish and secure a UEFA Champions League berth.

Athletic Bilbao's Llorente could be heading to England, providing a boost to the title hopes of Premier League contenders like Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.

He scored 10 goals this season for Bilbao, but with their current standing of eighth, it's no surprise that a change is due for this striker. Watch for Llorente, coming to either an Anfield or a White Hart Lane near you.

AC Milan are currently at the top of the Serie A table (11-3-3, 36 points) for a reason: players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

The Swedish striker currently has nine goals and seven assists to his credit and is one of the most consistent players in the league. He can score and he can provide. Look for Ibrahimovic to be the driving force behind Milan's Serie A and UEFA Champions League campaigns. Ibrahimovic has scored four goals so far for I Rossoneri.

AC Milan take on Tottenham Hotspur in the Round of 16.

Valencia may be looking at finishing fourth in La Liga, but the reason why they are still alive in the UEFA Champions League is because of this man, Roberto Soldado.

Soldado leads the team in Champions League scoring with five goals and has also chipped in with another five in La Liga play. This forward will need to step up his game when Los Che take on Schalke 04 in the Round of 16.

Napoli's Edinson Cavani is one of the rising stars of Serie A to come out of Uruguay. Cavani is currently tied with Zlatan Ibrahimovic for the top spot in the goals category with 10 to his credit. An expert finisher with superb pace, Cavani will help the Partenopei put the pressure on AC Milan for league leader, along with SS Lazio.

1. FSV Mainz 05 currently sits second in the Fußball-Bundesliga to league leaders Borussia Dortmund for a reason: providers like Andre Schürrle.

Only 20, Schürrle is a player with potential, recording nine goals to his credit. Mainz may not be able to catch Borussia, but with talent like this, Bayern Munich may be have to take a back seat.

SC Freiburg's Papiss Cissé is another player you have to keep an eye out for in 2011, especially with other clubs looking to utilize his services.

The Senegalese international has scored 13 goals this season for Freiburg, but with the Breisgau-Brasilianer lingering in sixth on the Bundesliga table, greener pastures may be on the horizon.

Bayern Munich's Mario Gomez will need to produce more in 2011 if they expect to challenge Borussia Dortmund for the Bundesliga crown. In UEFA Champions League play, Gomez currently has six goals to his credit while adding another 12 in league competition.

Bayern takes on defending Champions League holders Inter Milan in the Round of 16 and currently sit fifth on the league table with 29 points.

Shinji Kagawa might be Japan's best player to come out of the Land of the Rising Sun in 2011.

Kagawa currently has eight goals to his credit playing for Bundesliga top dogs Borussia Dortmund. The 21-year old and Lucas Barrios form a potent 1-2 scoring punch, with Nuri Sahin and Mario Götze providing the delivery. And there is sure to be more in store from this young product next year.

Here is another young player to watch out for next year. Slovenian international Tim Matavz is FC Groningen's leading scorer, with 10 goals to his name. Matavz has helped Slovenia put up a spirited showing at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and has all the makings of a household name.

Groningen currently sit third on the Dutch Eredivisie table with a 11-4-4 record (37 points), behind PSV Eindhoven and FC Twente.

Moussa Sow is currently the leading scorer in Ligue 1 with 14 goals to his credit. The French-born Senegalese international has helped Lille OSC rise to the top of Ligue 1 with an 8-8-2 record (32 points). With Paris St. Germain, Olympique Lyonnais and Stade Rennais in pursuit of Les Dogues, Sow will need to continue his torrid form to give Lille the bite it needs to fend off its challengers.

The Eredivisie is loaded with talented strikers, players that can finish and electrify its crowds. One of those players is Belgian international Björn Vleminckx.

The NEC Nijmegen trigger man leads the Eredivisie with 13 goals this season and will need to amp up his production and get help if the club expect to challenge for the crown. Currently, NEC Nijmegen sit 11th on the league table with 23 points.

"My Name Is Jonas." It had to be said.

But this Jonas has been scoring goals left and right in Brazil's Serie A for Grêmio, scoring 23 thus far for the Porto Alegre side. A versatile striker, winger and attacking midfielder, you begin to wonder when a club in Europe will help carry the wheel for him and utilize his services in 2011.

Sure, Neymar is going to stay with Santos FC for the near future, but that doesn't mean this young man shouldn't keep his options open.

Neymar leads Santos with 18 goals, good for second overall in Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. Could he be the next great player to come out of Brazil? After all, a man by the name of Pelé came from the same club as Neymar, so, yeah, it can happen.

PSV Eindhoven's Balázs Dzsudzsák has been a solid scoring enforcer alongside Ola Toivonen for the Eredivisie league leaders. Currently, Dzsudzsák has 10 goals to his credit, and he can finish. Watch for this Hungarian international to step up the production next year.

Real Madrid's starting goalkeeper is still a fixture, and is a key man to watch out for in 2011.

Named best goalkeeper in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Casillas has allowed just 12 goals in 16 league matches and only two goals in six UEFA Champions League matches. Now that's clutch. Watch for Casillas to make his presence felt in net once again next year.

Victor Valdes has been equally impressive as FC Barcelona's starting goalkeeper, with nine goals allowed in 16 league matches and just three allowed in six UEFA Champions League matches.

Whether or not this will translate to some impressive hardware coming down the Blaugrana's way remains to be seen, but Valdes's play in goal has made the outlook that much better. This is a player to watch out for.

On we go with the keepers to watch out for on this list. You know, there are so many famous faces to keep an eye out, and we can only flag down so many. This is one of those that made the cut.

Chelsea's Petr Cech is 23rd overall in the Dec. 21 EA Sports Player Performance Index, and he has allowed only 12 goals in 17 league matches as well as four goals in six UEFA Champions League contests.

Cech will need to keep the opposition in check if Chelsea are to defend their Premier League/FA Cup double this year.

The ageless Edwin Van Der Sar has been instrumental to Manchester United topping the Premier League at 34 points. Van Der Sar has allowed just one goal per league match and one goal in six UEFA Champions League matches.

This is a goalkeeper that never ceases to be in elite company, and it will be interesting to see if he can keep this up.

Ranked 11th in the Dec. 21 edition of the EA Sports Player Performance Index, Arsenal midfielder Andrei Arshavin has the Gunners in prime position heading into the 2011 portion of the season.

Arshavin has been solid as the club's main provider, leading the Premier League in assists with eight, along with West Bromwich Albion's Chris Brunt. His ability to deliver the balls to scoring catalysts Marouane Chamakh and Samir Nasri makes him a player to watch next year.

Arsenal take on FC Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16.

Ranked 24th in the EA Sports Player Performance Index, Nani has blossomed as a winger for Manchester United this season. Currently, the Portuguese international has five goals and eight assists to his name and is a footballer on the rise. Nani is in the prime of his career and his best days may just be in front of him. Look out for this star in 2011.

Here is a young lad that helped England with the UEFA Under-17 Championship earlier this year...it's Ipswich Town's Connor Wickham.

While he will be with Ipswich until the end of the season, his potential to deliver in the top flight of English football cannot go unnoticed. Some have considered him to be the next Wayne Rooney.

Whether or not that is going to be a fact is up to the fates to determine, but regardless, this is a person to watch out for not only in 2011, but perhaps in the near future.

Atletico Madrid may be hanging around the La Liga table in sixth place, but it has one player of the future in goalkeeper David De Gea.

In 24 appearances with Atletico this year, De Gea has recorded nine clean sheets. Uh oh. Iker Casillas and Victor Valdes, better look past your shoulder; this is a young man that is breaking the mold between the pipes and will be a player to watch in 2011.

Olympique Lyonnais goalkeeper Hugo Lloris is also making a name for himself in Ligue 1.

Only 23-years-old, Lloris has a goals against average of 1.10 in league play and will only get better with time. Lyon may be fourth on the table, but with Lloris as your keeper, the only way from here is up. Stay tuned to see how Lyon's No. 1 will do in 2011.

Oh yes. Samuel Eto'o had to be on this.

Even with Inter Milan going through a managerial change after an unimpressive start to the Serie A season, Eto'o had been instrumental in helping Inter garner the UEFA Champions League crown and the FIFA Club World Cup.

Currently, Eto'o leads the team in Serie A goals with nine and also leads the UEFA Champions League in scoring with seven. But the Cameroon international will need plenty of help if Inter Milan are to challenge for the Serie A crown.

Inter Milan face Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16.

Ranked eighth in the Dec. 21 edition of the EA Sports Player Performance Index, Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidić has been superb in his role as a defender and as the captain of the Red Devils. Look for this Serbian international to shake off the subpar efforts of his national team in Euro 2012 play thus far and steer Man United to the promised land in 2011.

Everton defender Leighton Baines will be under the microscope in 2011. With the club staring down the deep, dark barrel of relegation, Baines—who is ranked 14th overall in the EA Sports Player Performance Index—will need to be relied on more than ever to make some key stop and take added pressure off goalkeeper Tim Howard and the rest of the Toffees back line.

And you guys thought this man was going to be off the list. The hero of the 2010 FIFA World Cup (or villain for you Dutchies), Andres Iniesta, is once again a player to look out for.

FC Barcelona is cruising at the top of La Liga. However, Manchester City wants his services, and they are willing to break the bank just to drag him across the channel. Will he be with the Blaugrana or will it be with the Blues? The stories are out. The press is getting restless. The rumours are flying like hotcakes and crepes by the Nou Camp.

Stay tuned in, my friends...

And this player will need to amp his game up.

While the likes of Dimitar Berbatov and Nani have taken off slack from Mr. Wayne Rooney, he only has five assists to his credit and will need to amp up the production as a provider to help maintain Manchester United's place at the top of the EPL standings. 

Can he do it? Find out...in 2011.

Don't kid yourself, peoples: there are talented players plying their trade in the Australian A-League. One of them is the Melbourne Victory's Robbie Kruse.

Only 22-years-old, the Brisbane native leads the A-League in goals with 10. If he can keep up his scoring form, don't be surprised if a club from overseas gives this young bloke a shot at the big time.

Samir Nasri is in the prime of career. The Arsenal striker has eight goals in league play and will be hungry for more, so long as Andrei Arshavin and Cesc Fabregas provide the deliveries to the French international.

Together with Marouane Chamakh, they have accounted for 15 of Arsenal's 34 league goals this season.

Forward Carlos Tévez is staying at Premier League outfit Manchester City, so it seems, and the Blues are enjoying everything the Argentine international can offer.

Tévez, who is ranked seventh overall in the Dec. 21 EA Sports Player Performance Index, is tied for second in goals scored with 10 and also has four assists to his credit. Watch for Tévez to continue his scoring pace in 2011 for Man City.

21-year-old phenom Andy Carroll is another player to watch out for in 2011. The Newcastle United star, who is ranked fourth overall in the Dec. 21 EA Sports Player Performance Index, is tied for second in Premier League goals scored with 10.

Could greener pastures be calling for Andy? Stay tuned...

Another young player you need to keep an eye out for is KRC Genk's Jelle Vossen.

As of Dec. 21, Vossen leads Belgium's Jupiler League with 16 goals and is a prospect that could be snapped up by clubs with deeper pockets. Vossen has a good first touch and can finish. Watch for Vossen to make a bigger splash next year.

Ajax Amsterdam could be on their way to the UEFA Europa League at the minimum, and one reason why they are where they are is Mounir El Hamdaoui.

The Moroccan international is currently tied with three other players for second in goals scored with 11. If Ajax are to push for a Champions League berth instead of just Europa League, El Hamdaoui will lead the way.

Arsenal's Marouane Chamakh is ranked third by the Dec. 21 EA Sports Player Performance Index, and this striker can finish.

The Moroccan international has chipped in with seven goals to his credit, and will be looking to add more as the season goes along. Keep an eye out for him.

PSV Eindhoven's Ola Toivenen is another young player to watch out for in 2011. Standing at a tall 6-foot-3, the Swedish international is tied with three other players for second-most goals scored in the Eredivisie with 11 and is also the team's leading scorer.

With Balázs Dzsudzsák, the two have combined for 21 of PSV's 53 goals scored this season.

FC Sochaux's Marvin Martin makes this list as another fresh young face to watch out for in 2011.

The French international, who will turn 23 next month, leads Ligue  1 in assists with nine. And with Sochaux sitting smack-dab in the middle of the table at 11th, Martin's best days are right around the corner.

Caen may be on the way towards relegation in Ligue 1, but they do have a player that could make the jump towards greener pastures in Youssef El-Arabi.

El-Arabi is currently third in Ligue 1 goals scored with 10 and has accounted for a majority of Caen's production this season. Whether or not a club with deeper pockets snaps him up remains to be seen, but this 23-year-old has the potential to be a star.

That cool, steely glare meshes with the ice water in his veins. A promising goalkeeper with the potential to make a name for himself on the world stage. It's CSKA Moscow's Igor Akinfeev.

Get this: Akinfeev started with CSKA in 2003—at the age of seventeen! And he has a leadership and maturity beyond his year developed with time in goal. Akinfeev allowed just 22 goals in 30 league matches this year for CSKA.

While it wasn't enough to catch Zenit St. Petersburg in the Russian Premier League, you can be sure that you will hear more from Akinfeev in 2011.

Spartak Moscow may have only finished fourth in the Russian Premier League, but it has the league's top scorer in 24-year-old Welliton.

While Welliton has yet to shine for A Seleção, Welliton has shined for Spartak, scoring 19 goals this season for the Red-Whites. Look for this striker to potentially make a bigger splash in 2011.