Lionel Messi was named the player of the decade by the International Football History and Statistics Federation (IFFHS), beating rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Argentine and the current Juventus star have dominated individual football accolades for years.
But Messi’s exploits at Barcelona in the past decade were considered superior.
The 33-year-old remains a club man and has won two more Champions League titles for the Catalan club.
Under a series of different coaches, Messi continued to produce and won six more La Liga titles and five Copa del Reys titles.
He is still waiting for his first major international success, but has failed in several Copa America finals.
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Ronaldo achieved success with Portugal at Euro 2016 and also won four European titles with Real Madrid.
He was beaten by his rival to first place, however on this particular occasion.
Andres Iniesta, another Barcelona star, was named third for his role in the period of dominance.
Neymar, who also played for the Catalan club, is fourth on the list.
The Brazilian continued to win trophies at PSG after setting a world record for France in 2017.
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Sergio Ramos, who alongside Ronaldo won four European titles with Los Blancos, is the fifth defender on the list.
Bayern Munich duo Manuel Neuer and Robert Lewandowski were elected sixth and seventh after winning the treble with the Germans last season.
Gianluigi Buffon is the second goalkeeper on the list, in eighth, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic in ninth.
The Swede, at 39, continues to produce the goods, having played for four of Europe’s top clubs this decade.
Luka Modric, the man who prevented Messi and Ronaldo from dominating the Golden Ball, completes the top ten list when they reach the World Cup final with Croatia.