No doubt at all they're excellent athletes. Can't complain about how much they're getting paid either when there's enough people willing to spend their spare cash to watch and support them, no matter how expensive it gets - that's called market forces. It's a bit rich that some moan that the national team aren't good enough when they support teams that have a squad of almost enitrely overseas players.
However, I won't watch simply because the game is crooked. Like a dead fish, it stinks from the head down. FIFA and Sepp Blatter are like the Mafia. Pro players at the highest level cheat by diving and faking fouls and injuries, and they get away with it, and they also berate and bully officials, encouraging the youth of the world to do so as well at the local level. Corporate sponsorship has priced what is the simplest, cheapest (1 ball) and most egalitarian sport on the planet out of reach and use it to try to get you and I to buy their products. It's not the beautiful game any longer, and I've better and more fair sports to enjoy watching. Don't wish the players or the game ill, but let me know when it's clean and fair.
/apologies to anyone offended