Ten players who have been better than Zinedine Zidane in the last year (in no particular order):
Deco, Shevchenko, Henry, Ronaldinho, Nedved, Carvalho, Robinho, Adriano, Gerrard, Rooney.
I could probably take it up to twenty without too much trouble. Zidane coming fourth highlights why the FIFA poll is such a load of shit; managers are too easily seduced by the big names and faded glamour of Real Madrid.
I also think it's totally feasible that a lot of managers are too wrapped up their domestic affairs to take much heed of football in other countries, and their knowledge of who is playing well and where is certainly going to be inferior to a lot of (good) football writers, for instance.