Spain won their first World Cup in 2010, and David Villa scored the goals that got them there. Five of them, at that tournament alone.
The striker from Asturias was a scoring machine for Valencia, Barcelona and Spain, with a left foot accurate enough to find the net from almost anywhere on the pitch.
Spain's record scorer
- 59 goals in 98 appearances, the best return in the national team's history
- Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup
- Five goals at the 2010 tournament, firing Spain to their first world title
At Valencia he scored goals by the season and became a local legend before his move to Barcelona. In his first season there he won La Liga and the Champions League, and that 2011 title completed a set of trophies few strikers can match.
He was clinical and very good from tight angles, the sort of finisher who needed one look at goal rather than three. His goals won Spain a World Cup, which alone would earn him a place among the best strikers. Being the country's all-time top scorer makes the decision easy.
Tomorrow: number 27.
