LONDON (AP) - The Associated Press has released its inaugural AP Global Soccer 10 rankings, with Lionel Messi voted the best soccer player in the world and his Barcelona team the top-rated club.
The international panel of soccer writers on Tuesday chose Messi as the clear leader in a top 10 list of players for his performance in the week ending Oct. 29.
Messi received 140 points out of a possible 180. He was 29 points ahead of Real Madrid rival Cristiano Ronaldo with 111. Atletico Madrid striker Radamel Falcao was third with 79 points.
The 18-member panel also selected Barcelona as the team of the week. Barca was 21 points ahead of Spanish rival Atletico Madrid. Manchester United was in third place after beating Chelsea 3-2 on Sunday in the Premier League.
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