Top 10 best friends in world football

Friendship Day has been celebrated throughout the world since its inception in 1958, with people never missing the chance to dedicate a day in honour of their friends. Football, like any other sport, has seen its fair share of footballing pairs who have gone on to become best friends.

Here are top ten best friends in world football:

                                                         

10. David Alaba and Franck Ribery

        

9. Olivier Giroud and Laurent Koscielny

Now that Giroud is a firm fixture at the Emirates, he will surely be catching up on some quality time with his best pal Koscielney. They had similar pasts within the lower French leagues before developing into higher tier players and it was probably Kocielney who twisted Giroud’s arm into coming to Arsenal in the first place. PREVIEW FOR #8: The two Spanish international world cup winners are the best of pals having known each other from the youth program at the Camp Nou. Pique almost ended up alongside Cesc at Arsenal but as fate would have it he ended up going to Old Trafford before returning to Barcelona a few years late.

8. Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Maxwell

   

7. Mousa Dembele and Jan Vertonghe

6. Lionel Messi and Jose Manuel Pinto

The Goalkeeper may have left Barcelona but that hasn’t caused his relationship with his best friend to be affected. Messi and Pinto have been frequently spotted in each other’s company at various sporting events as well as nightclubs. Ever since Pinto arrived in 2008 he has had a positive relationship with Messi. PREVIEW FOR #9: Now that Giroud is a firm fixture at the Emirates, he will surely be catching up on some quality time with his best pal Koscielney. 

5. Cesc Fabregas and Gerard Pique

The two Spanish international world cup winners are the best of pals having known each other from the youth program at the Camp Nou. Pique almost ended up alongside Cesc at Arsenal but as fate would have it he ended up going to Old Trafford before returning to Barcelona a few years later. PREVIEW FOR #7: ‘Best friends forever’ reads underneath one instagram tweet showing the two Real Madrid superstars together. Their years within the defense of the Spanish giants has not soured their relationship even though they are rumored to be very unhappy within the current squad under Rafael Benitez. However, at the time of writing they are still there.

4. Sergio Ramos and Mesut Ozil

3. Marco Reus and Mario Gotze

Apart from Lewandowski, Marco Reus was also the best of pals with Mario Gotze before he decided to transfer to Bayern Munich. It seems like he is left by himself at Borussia Dortmund now after Lewandowski followed suit. He must certainly be tempted to join his friends under Guardiola having already rejected Bayern Munich in the past. PREVIEW FOR #1: Cristiano and his team mate have had their ups and downs namely in 2012 when Marcelo was quoted via social media as saying that ‘Messi is the best in the world’. You can imagine what this may have caused between Cristiano and the Real Madrid centre back who immediately began to accuse people of taking his words out of contact and tweeted that he thought Ronaldo was numero uno. Nevertheless, they still remain the best of friends.

2. Cristiano Ronaldo and Marcelo

Cristiano and his team mate have had their ups and downs namely in 2012 when Marcelo was quoted via social media as saying that ‘Messi is the best in the world’. You can imagine what this may have caused between Cristiano and the Real Madrid centre back who immediately began to accuse people of taking his words out of contact and tweeted that he thought Ronaldo was numero uno. Nevertheless, they still remain the best of friends.

1. Xabi Alonso and Steven Gerrard