Yaya Touré names the 5 best players he played with!

As his 42nd birthday approaches, celebrated this Tuesday, May 13, legendary Ivorian maestro Yaya Touré took a trip down memory lane during a recent live session on the official FIFA website.

The former Elephants of Ivory Coast captain revealed the names of the five best players he played alongside throughout his illustrious career.

A four-time African Ballon d'Or winner between 2011 and 2014, Touré reached the pinnacle of the game both at club and international level. Unsurprisingly, his selection is heavily influenced by his stint at FC Barcelona, where he rubbed shoulders with some of the sport's greatest icons.

A Top 5 dominated by Barça

Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez, Thierry Henry, and Samuel Eto’o all feature in this elite list. Each was his teammate at Barça between 2007 and 2010, a golden era for the Catalan giants.

Yaya Touré did, however, admit that this ranking is a personal one, and that several big names had to be left out.

Among the notable omissions is Didier Drogba, his former national teammate. The sometimes strained relationship between the two Ivorian stars may help explain this decision.

Here is Yaya Touré's Top 5:

1. Lionel Messi
2. Andres Iniesta
3. Samuel Eto’o
4. Xavi Hernandez
5. Thierry Henry

Amine Jomni |

Editorfr

African football writer and sports journalist covering football news, stories and insights while sharing his expertise with fans across the continent.