The 21st century has born witness to some of the greatest players in football history.
As the millennium turned, legends like Diego Maradona, Pele and Johan Cruff moved aside to usher in a new wave of icons.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the top two highest goalscorers of all time and have written their names alongside the superstars of yesteryear, surpassing them in the eyes of many.
Individually, those two famous rivals have separated themselves from the rest, sharing 13 of the 21st century’s Ballon d’Ors between them.
But who else makes our list of the top 25 greatest players of this millennium as we race towards the New Year?
25. Karim Benzema – France
Position: Striker
Club(s): Lyon, Real Madrid, Al Ittihad
Honours: 1x Ballon d’Or, 5x Champions League titles, 4x Ligue 1, 1x Coupe de France, 2x Trophee des Champions, 4x LaLiga, 3x Copa del Rey, 4x Supercopa de Espana, 4x UEFA Super Cup, 5x FIFA Club World Cup
Benzema joined Real Madrid in the same year as Ronaldo in 2009 and played second fiddle for nine years.
It was only when the Portugal superstar left that everybody truly realised Benzema’s place among the legends of football.
He finished a 14-year spell at the Bernabeu as the club’s second-highest scorer in history, only behind Ronaldo.
The 36-year-old was finally given his flowers in 2022 with his one and only Ballon d’Or award.
24. John Terry – England
Position: Defender
Club(s): Chelsea, Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa
Honours: 5x Premier League, 5x FA Cup, 3x Football League Cup, 2x FA Community Shield, 1x UEFA Champions League, 1x UEFA Europa League.
Captain. Leader. Legend – Terry was so much more than a gifted defender.
He captained Chelsea for 13 years, overseeing the most successful spell in the club’s history, across a Stamford Bridge career spanning more than two decades.
Besides his reputation as one of football’s toughest centre-backs, the former England captain was graceful on the ball, capable of spraying 70-yard passes with both feet.
Terry was also a threat in the opposition’s box and remains the highest-scoring defender in Premier League history with 41 goals.
23. Kylian Mbappe – France
Position: Forward
Club(s): Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid
Honours: 6x Ligue 1, 3x Coupe de France, 2x Coupe de la Ligue, 3x Trophee des Champions, 1x World Cup.
At the tender age of 25, Mbappe’s trophy cabinet is already bigger than many legends of the game.
The France superstar has claimed six league titles and starred in a World Cup winning team.
With electrifying pace and an astonishing goal record, Mbappe appears certain to climb up this list throughout his career.
Champions League and Ballon d’Or glory have so far eluded him, although his transfer to Real Madrid could put an end to that in the near future.
22. Neymar – Brazil
Position: Forward
Club(s): Santos, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Al Hilal
Honours: 1x Copa do Brasil, 3x Campeonato Paulista, 1x Copa Libertadores, 1x Recopa Sudamericana, 3x LaLiga, 3x Copa del Rey, 1x Supercopa de Espana, 1x UEFA Champions League, 1x FIFA Club World Cup, 5x Ligue 1, 3x Coupe de France, 2x Coupe de la Ligue, 3x Trophee des Champions, 1x Confederations Cup.
Neymar should be higher up this list given the expectation and potential of his early days.
After emerging as football’s brightest young talent, he starred alongside Messi and Luis Suarez in one of the game’s greatest-ever attacks at Barcelona.
That was enough to earn legendary status on his own, but many had hoped Neymar’s record-breaking move to PSG would end their long wait for a Champions League title.
Despite being joined by Messi and Mbappe, it did not work out for Neymar, and he now plies his trade in Saudi Arabia.
21. Luis Figo – Portugal
Position: Winger
Club(s): Sporting Lisbon, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter Milan
Honours: 1x Ballon d’Or, 1x Taca de Portugal, 4x La Liga, 2x Copa del Rey, 3x Supercopa de Espana, 1x UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, 12 UEFA Super Cup, 1x UEFA Champions League, 1x Intercontinental Cup, 4x Serie A, 1x Coppa Italia, 2x Supercoppa Italiana.
You do not get to play for Barcelona and Real Madrid unless you are one of the best players in the world.
Figo was one of the original ‘Galacticos’, starring alongside Brazilian Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane and Roberto Carlos in one of the most iconic Madrid teams in history.
Besides a Ballon d’Or and numerous titles, the Portugal star finished his career with the second-most assists in LaLiga history, only behind Messi.
20. Wayne Rooney – England
Position: Striker
Club(s): Everton, Manchester United, DC United, Derby County
Honours: 5x Premier League, 1x FA Cup, 3x League Cup, 4x Community Shield, 1x UEFA Champions League, 1x Europa League, 1x FIFA Club World Cup.
Manchester United legend Gary Neville recently said Rooney is strangely ignored in these debates – and he is right.
Rooney is the all-time leading goalscorer for one of football’s biggest clubs, winning everything in sight during his time at Old Trafford – and scoring some of the most memorable goals in Premier League history.
Arriving on the international stage in between England’s two ‘Golden Generations’, Rooney was often let down by his teammates on Three Lions duty.
Nevertheless, he was the nation’s all-time leading goalscorer until Harry Kane recently overtook him.
19. Mohamed Salah – Egypt
Position: Winger
Clubs(s): Al Mokawloon Al Arab, Basel, Chelsea, Fiorentina, Roma, Liverpool
Honours: 2x Swiss Super League, 1x Premier League, 1x FA Cup, 1x EFL Cup, 1x Community Shield, 1x Champions League, 1x UEFA Super Cup, 1x FIFA Club World Cup.
Steven Gerrard was an astonishing player, we know. But objectively, Salah has achieved more at Liverpool in the 21st century.
The Egyptian King has overtaken the former captain in Liverpool’s all-time goalscorer ranks, reaching fifth, and inspired the Reds to that elusive Premier League title.
With every other domestic trophy under his belt and three Golden Boots to his name, Salah has established himself as Liverpool’s greatest player of the modern era.
18. Zlatan Ibrahimovic – Sweden
Position: Striker
Club(s): Malmo, Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, LA Galaxy
Honours: 2x Eredivisie, 1x KNVB Cup, 1x Johan Cruyff Shield, 5x Serie A, 3x Supercopa Italiana, 1x LaLiga, 2x Supercope de Espana, 1x UEFA Super Cup, 1x FIFA Club World Cup, 4x Ligue 1, 2x Coupe de France, 3x Coupe de la Ligue, 3x Trophee des Champions, 1x League Cup, 1x Community Shield, 1x Europa League
By the end of his career, Ibrahimovic became more well-known for outlandish expressions about his own perceived greatness.
It became easy to forget how good the Sweden legend actually was during his prime.
Playing for a staggering amount of Europe’s biggest clubs, Ibrahimovic enjoyed success wherever he went, winning league titles in four different countries.
His unique playing style and incredible technique saw him bag some truly spectacular goals, he sits among the leading goalscorers in football history – and almost all of them were scored at the elite level (i.e not in Saudi Arabia).
17. Ronaldo – Brazil
Position: Striker
Club(s): Cruzeiro, PSV, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Corinthians
Honours: 2x Ballon d’Or, 2x World Cup, 2x Copa America, 1x Confederations Cup, 1x KNVB Cup, 1x Copa del Rey, 1x Supercopa de Espana, 1x UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, 1x UEFA Cup, 1x LaLiga, 1x Supercopa de Espana, 1x Intercontinental Cup, 1x Copa do Brasil.
The original Ronaldo – and still the most loved in the eyes of many.
While much of his success was before the turn of the century, winning two Ballon d’Ors before the year 2000, Ronaldo’s performance at the 2002 World Cup alone earns him a place on this list.
He was a symbol for the ‘Joga Bonito’ style of football which Brazil made famous during the early noughties, capable of skill that often defied logic.
And Ronaldo’s illustrious club career, which extended well into the 2000s, helped cement him as one of the greatest strikers of all-time.
16. Gianluigi Buffon – Italy
Position: Goalkeeper
Club(s): Parma, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain
Honours: 6x Coppa Italia, 7x Supercoppa Italiana, 1x UEFA Cup, 10x Serie A, 1x Ligue 1, 1x Trophee des Champions, 1x World Cup
If longevity is the key to becoming a legend, then look no further than Buffon.
The Italy icon is the most capped goalkeeper in the history of football – and that is not the only record he holds.
Nobody has played more Serie A games than Buffon and that is despite him following Juventus down to Serie B after the Calciopoli scandal.
Anybody who watched Buffon will be able to tell you why he stuck around for so long: he was simply incredible.
15. Fabio Cannavaro – Italy
Position: Defender
Club(s): Napoli, Parma, Inter Milan, Juventus, Real Madrid, Juventus, Al-Ahli
Honours: 1x Ballon d’Or, 2x Coppa Italia, 1x Supercoppa Italiana, 1x UEFA Cup, 2x Serie A, 2x LaLiga, 1x Supercopa de Espana, 1x World Cup
To this date, only one defender in the 21st century has won the Ballon d’Or – and that is Cannavaro.
He was dubbed ‘The Berlin Wall’ during Italy’s 2006 World Cup triumph which saw them keep five clean sheets and concede only two goals, neither of which came from open play.
Italy is famous for its centre-backs, from Franco Baresi and Paolo Maldini to Alessandro Nesta and Giorgio Chiellini.
But Cannavaro has been the biggest symbol of Italian defending in the 21st century.
14. Luka Modric – Croatia
Position: Midfielder
Club(s): Dinamo Zagreb, Zrinjski Mostar, Inter Zapresic, Tottenham Hotspur, Real Madrid
Honours: 1x Ballon d’Or, 3x Prva HNL, 2x Croatian Cup, 1x Croatian Super Cup, 3x LaLiga, 2x Copa del Rey, 5x Supercopa de Espana, 5x Champions League, 4x UEFA Super Cup, 5x FIFA Club World Cup
It took something special to break Messi and Ronaldo’s stronghold on the Ballon d’Or – and it came courtesy of Modric.
Besides helping Madrid to five Champions League titles, Modric’s influence became increasingly clear when Croatia punched above their weight at the 2018 World Cup.
Almost single-handedly, the midfield maestro guided his nation to the final, where they were beaten by France, and then helped his nation finish third in 2022.
Even at 38, Modric is a regular starter for club and country, showing his everlasting class.
13. Sergio Ramos – Spain
Position: Defender
Club(s): Sevilla Atletico, Sevilla, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Sevilla
Honours: 5x La Liga, 2x Copa del Rey, 4x Supercopa de España, 4x UEFA Champions League, 3x UEFA Super Cup, 4x FIFA Club World Cup, 2x Ligue 1, 1x Trophee des Champions, 1x World Cup, 2x European Championship.
Ramos’ reputation as a first-class s***house often detracts from his generational career.
He spent an incredible 16 years at Real Madrid, captaining them to four Champions League titles.
Ramos was named in the FIFPro World11 eleven times, a record for a defender, while also setting the record for most Spain caps in history.
With more than 100 career goals, Ramos is without doubt the most prolific defender of the 21st century, too.
12. Philipp Lahm – Germany
Position: Defender
Club(s): Bayern Munich II, Bayern Munich, VfB Stuttgart
Honours: 8x Bundesliga, 6x DFB-Pokal, 3x DFL-Supercup, 1x UEFA Champions League, 1x UEFA Super Cup, 1x FIFA Club World Cup, 1x World Cup.
Lahm was so good at right-back that Bayern Munich had to put him in midfield from time to time.
He captained Bayern Munich to unimaginable success during the 21st century and also lifted the World Cup with Germany.
Pep Guardiola described Lahm as one of the most intelligent players he has ever coached – and that is saying something.
11. Andrea Pirlo – Italy
Position: Midfielder
Club(s): Brescia, Inter Milan, Reggina, Brescia, AC Milan, Juventus, New York City FC
Honours: 6x Serie A, 2x Coppa Italia, 2x Supercoppa Italiana, 2x UEFA Champions League, 1x UEFA Super Cup, 1x FIFA Club World Cup, 1x World Cup
Like a fine wine, and like many players on this list, Pirlo got better with age.
Having initially started as an attacking midfielder, the Italy maestro dropped into a deeper role later in his career and dictated football matches with ease.
He was named man-of-the-match in the 2006 World Cup final and always showed up on the big occasions, winning the Champions League twice and bagging six Serie A titles.
Pirlo wasn’t fast, but nobody could get near him.
10. Dani Alves – Brazil
Position: Defender
Club(s): Bahia, Sevilla, Barcelona, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain, Sao Paulo, UNAM
Honours: 1x Copa do Nordeste, 5x Copa del Rey, 5x Supercopa de Espana, 2x UEFA Cup, 4x UEFA Super Cup, 3x UEFA Champions League, 3x FIFA Club World Cup, 1x Serie A, 1x Coppa Italia, 2x Ligue 1, 1x Coupe de France, 1x Coupe de la Ligue, 1x Trophee des Champions, 2x Copa America, 2x FIFA Confederations Cup.
Alves is the most decorated player in the history of football with 43 major titles.
He was also the secret to Messi’s success at Barcelona.
The Brazilian was the man working behind Messi for eight years as they formed arguably the greatest right-flank of the 21st century.
9. Luis Suarez – Uruguay
Position: Striker
Club(s): Nacional, Groningen, Ajax, Liverpool, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Gremio, Inter Miami
Honours: 2x Uruguayan Primera Division, 2x Torneo Clausura, 1x KNVB Cup, 1x Eredivisie, 1x League Cup, 5x LaLiga, 4x Copa del Rey, 2x Supercopa de Espana, 1x UEFA Champions League, 1x UEFA Super Cup, 1x FIFA Club World Cup, 1x Copa America.
Suarez only had one trophy to show for his incredible time at Anfield, winning the League Cup in 2012.
But while the streets of Liverpool will never forget how incredible Suarez was, Barcelona fans got the silverware and the individual accolades to show for it.
For a while, Suarez kept pace with Messi’s outrageous goal tally, winning the European Golden Shoe twice.
Like Benzema and Ronaldo, it is often forgotten how legendary Suarez is at Barcelona because his time at the club coincided with Messi, but the Uruguayan left the Nou Camp as the Catalans’ third-leading goalscorer of all-time.
8. Kaka – Brazil
Position: Midfielder
Club(s): Sao Paulo, AC Milan, Real Madrid, Orlando City
Honours: 1x Ballon d’Or, 1x Serie A, 1x Supercoppa Italiana, 1x UEFA Champions League, 1x UEFA Super Cup, 1x FIFA Club World Cup, 1x La Liga, 1x Copa del Rey, 1x World Cup, 2x FIFA Confederations Cup
Unlike Pirlo and Modric, Kaka’s career was ultimately short-lived, and by the age of 27, he was on the decline.
But Kaka in his prime was among the greatest things seen in the 21st century.
He won the Ballon d’Or in 2007 after guiding AC Milan to Champions League glory and it remains one of the best individual campaigns ever.
Injuries ultimately denied Real Madrid from witnessing Kaka’s true talent, but nobody in Milan will forget.
7. Thierry Henry – France
Position: Forward
Club(s): Monaco B, Monaco, Juventus, Arsenal, Barcelona, New York Red Bulls
Honours: 1x Ligue 1, 2x Premier League, 2x FA Cup, 2x FA Community Shield, 2x La Liga, 1x Copa del Rey, 1x Supercopa de Espana, 1x UEFA Champions League, 1x UEFA Super Cup, 1x FIFA Club World Cup, 2x MLS Eastern Conference.
If anybody ever questions Henry, the response is, ‘You just had to be there’.
It is not enough to say he won two Premier League titles, including an ‘Invincible’ campaign, and became Arsenal’s all-time leading goalscorer.
It was the way he did it. Henry was the complete footballer and nobody in the Premier League could stop him in his prime.
While there was plenty of substance, it was the style that cemented the Frenchman’s place in history.
6. Xavi – Spain
Position: Midfielder
Club(s): Barcelona B, Barcelona, Al Sadd
Honours: 8x La Liga, 3x Copa del Rey, 6x Supercopa de Espana, 4x UEFA Champions League, 2x UEFA Super Cup, 2x FIFA Club World Cup, 1x Qatar Stars League, 1x Qatar Cup, 1x World Cup, 2x European Championship
Guardiola’s Barcelona and Vicente del Bosque’s Spain are arguably the most aesthetically pleasing football teams of the 21st century.
Both of them had two things in common: Xavi and Andres Iniesta.
The two midfielders are modern football’s origin story for the possession-based way of playing.
Xavi often ranked top for most successful passes across Europe’s top leagues – he simply never gave the ball away.
His vision was unrivalled and watching him play was one of football’s great privileges.
5. Andres Iniesta – Spain
Position: Midfielder
Club(s): Barcelona B, Barcelona, Vissel Kobe, Emirates
Honours: 9x La Liga, 6x Copa del Rey, 5x Supercopa de Espana, 4x UEFA Champions League, 2x UEFA Super Cup, 3x FIFA Club World Cup, 1x J1 League, 1x Japanese Super Cup, 1x World Cup, 2x European Championship
See above. The only difference being that Iniesta also scored the winner in a World Cup final.
Iniesta edges his partner in crime in titles, too, while also boasting a dribbling ability that Xavi did not have.
But it is probably easier to consider them joint-fifth.
4. Zinedine Zidane
Position: Midfielder
Club(s): Cannes, Bordeaux, Juventus, Real Madrid
Honours: 1x Ballon d’Or, 2x UEFA Intertoto Cup, 2x Serie A, 1x Supercoppa Italiana, 1x UEFA Super Cup, 2x Intercontinental Cup, 1x La Liga, 2x Supercopa de España, 1x UEFA Champions League, 1x UEFA Super Cup.
The debate over the greatest player on earth has rumbled on ever since Messi and Ronaldo burst onto the scene.
But when Zidane was at his best, there was no argument. He was undeniably the most gifted player around.
More still, his best performances came in the biggest moments: think France vs Brazil at the 2006 World Cup, or Real Madrid vs Bayer Leverkusen in the 2002 Champions League final.
Zidane was smooth as butter and it is not a stretch to say he had the best first touch in football.
3. Ronaldinho
Position: Forward
Club(s): Gremio, Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona, AC Milan, Flamengo, Atletico Mineiro, Queretaro, Fluminense
Honours: 1x Ballon d’Or, 1x UEFA Intertoto Cup, 2x La Liga, 2x Supercopa de Espana, 1x UEFA Champions League, 1x Serie A, 1x Copa Libertadores, 1x Copa America, 1x World Cup, 1x FIFA Confederations Cup.
Like Zidane, there was no question about Ronaldinho’s reign as the greatest during the peak of his powers.
In 2005, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard were second and third in the Ballon d’Or rankings – both would admit that Ronaldinho was light years ahead.
The Brazil superstar could do whatever he wanted on a football pitch, leaving iconic defenders in his wake with outrageous moments of pure magic.
Better yet, he did it all with that famous smile on his face, reminding everyone why they love football.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo
Position: Forward
Club(s): Sporting Lisbon B, Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, Al Nassr
Honours: 5x Ballon d’Or, 3x Premier League, 1x FA Cup, 2x League Cup, 2x FA Community Shield, 5x UEFA Champions League, 4x FIFA Club World Cup, 2x UEFA Super Cup, 2x La Liga, 2x Copa del Rey, 2x Supercopa de Espana, 2x Serie A, 1x Coppa Italia, 2x Supercoppa Italiana, 1x European Championship, 1x UEFA Nations League.
Being named the second-greatest player of the 21st century would feel like a victory for most, but not Ronaldo.
The Portugal legend and his army of fans would no doubt consider this a defeat to Messi, but the narrative has shifted against him in recent years.
Nevertheless, Ronaldo is officially the top goalscorer of all-time, putting him above Messi and Pele.
With more than 900 goals – all scored in the 21st century, which is utterly absurd – it does not look like anybody is catching him in the near future.
1. Lionel Messi
Position: Forward
Club(s): Barcelona C, Barcelona B, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Miami
Honours: 8x Ballon d’Or, 10x La Liga, 7x Copa del Rey, 7x Supercopa de Espana, 4x UEFA Champions League, 3x UEFA Super Cup, 3x FIFA Club World Cup, 2x Ligue 1, 1x Trophee des Champions, 1x World Cup, 2x Copa America
There could only be one winner.
Many believed Messi needed to win the World Cup to be considered the greatest player in football history and he finally did it in 2022.
Few who have watched the Argentine play football will ever argue they have seen a better player.
With eight Ballon d’Ors and more than 850 career goals, good luck arguing with this one.
