Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi & Thomas Muller: Which Football Star Is The Best In The World?

When it comes to debating which football player is the best in the world, you could be there all day. When looking to pick one as better than his rivals, one can wonder, what were you valuing, personal awards, trophies or goals? When it comes to all four, Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Thomas Muller, despite being very different players, are without a doubt four of the best stars in the world, but which one is the best? After Bale's stunning year or two, can he really be considered as apart of this elite class?

Muller, Messi and Ronaldo have been busy tearing it up for years, but for the last two to three seasons, Bale started to suggest he should be in that category, given his magnificent on-pitch performances. In light of this, Real Madrid soon signed him, adding him alongside rival and friend, Ronaldo. However, many have still tried to dampen claims that he's one of the very best players in the world, but has Bale finally managed to silence these critics?

Bale's heroics have been for clubs Tottenham and Madrid, while Muller has done it for club (Bayern Munich and country (Germany), so could you fairly draw comparison between the two? It appears as if Bale's Wales will never reach a major tournament during his career, meaning one of the better players will never get to test himself on the biggest stage of them all. Many believe you must play in, and win a World Cup, to be considered elite, but how can Bale do that if his country is simply not up to it?

Which one of these players do you think is the best in the world, and what should it come down to, trophies, goals or personal glory? For now Bale is chasing Messi, but he's not too far behind on current form.