Within the noughties, we have been handled to 2 World Cups (2002 and 2006) and three European Championships (2000, 2004 and 2008).
A variety of the perfect gamers of the world, corresponding to World Cup winners Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo, picked up the place they left off within the earlier decade.
You’ll discover such legends of the sport in each this record and our number of the perfect worldwide gamers of the 90s.
Within the record under are a number of new faces that made their mark on the worldwide stage through the 2000s – and what nice gamers they have been.
32. GIANLUIGI BUFFON
You would put the nice Italian down in lots of a ‘better of all time’ record, however he was at his peak within the 2000s. Juventus made him the costliest goalkeeper ever in 2001, and he performed a key function in his nation’s success on the World Cup 5 years later, protecting 5 clear sheets in Germany.
31. ROBERTO CARLOS
With legs as thick as tree trunks, nobody hit the ball as exhausting because the Brazilian, one of many sport’s biggest ever full-backs. It made the previous Actual Madrid man a hazard from anyplace as much as 40 yards, though plenty of his greatest work was achieved up and down the flanks.
30. PAVEL NEDVED
Pavel Nedved was the primary title on the Juventus team-sheet for a lot of the 2000s and though he didn’t win any silverware at worldwide degree, he was the star of the present through the Czech Republic’s run to the semi-finals of the 2004 European Championship. A real all-rounder, there wasn’t a lot he couldn’t do with the ball at his toes.
29. XABI ALONSO
Spain has produced a few of the greatest passers of the ball the sport has ever seen. Former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso may unlock any defence, however he was additionally robust within the sort out and really harmful from simply outdoors the field. He was an integral a part of the Spain group that dominated the late 00s and early 2010s.
28. CAFU
Cafu did what each younger participant desires of doing in Brazil – he hoisted the well-known Jules Rimet trophy aloft, when captaining his aspect to glory on the 2002 World Cup. The stylish defender, who learn the sport higher than most, performed each minute of each sport in Japan and South Korea.
27. OLIVER KAHN
There have been occasions when the German shot-stopper was merely impenetrable. He was a rock throughout his nation’s run to the World Cup closing in 2002, and he completed within the Ballon d’Or prime three twice in a row firstly of the last decade. Loud and alert from minute one, his record of world-class saves is limitless.
26. DIDIER DROGBA
The Ivorian was unplayable for lengthy durations of his embellished Chelsea profession, a menace within the air and a goal-scoring machine. The battling striker scored 164 objectives in 381 video games for the London membership, the place he achieved legendary standing. He represented the Ivory Coast between 2002 and 2014, scoring 65 occasions.
25. WAYNE ROONEY
When Wayne Rooney burst onto the worldwide scene on the 2004 European Championship, he had the world at his toes. His trophy-laden profession at Manchester United was not mirrored on the worldwide stage, however the English striker would usually be the person to get his nation out of a gap, and he scored 53 occasions for the Three Lions.
24. FABIO CANNAVARO
The Italians went into the 2006 World Cup with no actual stars. That Gli Azzurri went all the way in which was down in no small half to their dependable captain, who organised and ordered his group to glory. The previous Juventus centre-back earned 136 caps for his nation, making him certainly one of Italy’s most-capped gamers.
23. DAVID VILLA
David Villa was ruthless in entrance of purpose, and Spain’s top-scorer at Euro 2008, which set La Roja on their technique to world domination. The speedy striker was most dangerous at Valencia, the place he was a relentless menace on the final line of the defender and a grasp of one-on-ones.
22. PAOLO MALDINI
Paolo Maldini was a Rolls-Royce of a defender, the kind of which come alongside simply as soon as in a era, at most. He made his debut in 1985 and was nonetheless bossing video games on the finish of the 2000s. The fashionable defender dominated the world with Italy in 2006 and, fairly frankly, for a lot of his profession.
21. LUIS FIGO
Luis Figo’s taking part in profession had completed lengthy earlier than Portugal received the European Championship in 2016, however on the few events his nation did go deep in worldwide tournaments, it was the previous Barcelona and Actual Madrid man doing the injury, usually down the wings. They didn’t come a lot simpler on the attention than the unique Galactico.
20. JOHN TERRY
Regardless of being certainly one of England’s “Golden Technology” who didn’t win a trophy on the worldwide stage, Chelsea legend John Terry can most likely be excused from the record of gamers who didn’t fulfil their potential throughout that interval. He was a defensive rock and a frontrunner, a good-old-fashioned centre-half who left every little thing out on the pitch.
19. CARLES PUYOL
The no-nonsense Spaniard was the rock on the coronary heart of the nice Barcelona sides of the 2000s. A one-club man, the highly effective centre-back was equally dependable for his nationwide aspect, serving to Spain to finish their lengthy anticipate silverware at Euro 2008, after which they entered a interval of dominance.
18. THIERRY HENRY
If there was an inventory for the ‘most sleek ever footballers’, Thierry Henry, who earned legendary standing at Arsenal, must be on it. He would glide previous defenders as in the event that they weren’t there, and his ending capacity was second to none. He made effectively over 100 caps for France and scored 51 objectives for Les Bleus.
17. RIVALDO
There’s a case to be made that nobody has ever struck the ball extra sweetly with their left foot than Rivaldo – it was a really harmful weapon. Mixed with a spread of mesmerising abilities, it made the previous Barcelona striker some of the feared gamers on the planet.
16. MIROSLAV KLOSE
Regardless of being a goalscoring legend for membership and nation, Miroslav Klose typically doesn’t get the popularity he deserves. Maybe it’s as a result of he was extra of a no-frills quantity 11. The stats don’t lie, nonetheless. He scored an unbelievable 16 objectives throughout 4 World Cups, netting 71 occasions in 137 appearances for Germany.
15. ALESSANDRO NESTA
Alessandro Nesta has to go down as some of the naturally gifted defenders of all time. Anybody who performed alongside this Rolls-Royce of a centre-back should have been higher for it. He received nearly every little thing, together with two Champions Leagues with AC Milan and the most important prize of all, the World Cup, in 2006.
14. ANDRIY SHEVCHENKO
Andriy Shevchenko is considered the best participant to have performed for Ukraine since independence from the Soviet Union. His goal-scoring capacity made him a prime goal all through Europe, however it was at AC Milan through the early 2000s the place he established himself as top-of-the-line strikers of his era.
13. ASHLEY COLE
Not many gamers can declare to have stored Cristiano Ronaldo of their pocket throughout their profession, however the Arsenal and Chelsea left-back did a job on the Portuguese on a couple of event. His mixture of pace and a improbable studying of the sport made him top-of-the-line full-backs on the planet for lengthy durations of the 2000s.
12. SAMUEL ETO’O
Broadly considered top-of-the-line African gamers of all time, Samuel Eto’o received two Africa Cup of Nations titles with Cameroon in 2000 and 2002, and located the web 56 occasions for his nation. Watching the Barcelona ahead bear down on purpose on the Camp Nou was a terrific sight – and there was usually just one final result.
11. ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC
Zlatan Ibrahimovic was a participant you merely couldn’t take your eyes off. Scrapping and puffing his chest out one minute, smashing a volley into the highest nook the following, the Swede was pure field workplace. He couldn’t fairly encourage his nation to glory, however he was adored by the yellow military all the identical.
10. LIONEL MESSI
Lionel Messi was a good footballer within the 2000s, after all, however he was tremendous human within the 2010s. Earlier than lastly tasting World Cup glory, as was his future, he was made to endure some irritating durations for his nation. It by no means appeared to have an effect on his performances for Barcelona, the place he received every little thing and scored towards everybody.
9. ANDREA PIRLO
Andrea Pirlo may break a group’s coronary heart in a fraction of a second with certainly one of his trademark defence-splitting passes. The Italian playmaker wasn’t fairly in the identical class as Zinedine Zidane, however he wasn’t far off it, with that very same unerring capacity to search out time and area. His passing usually bordered on outrageous.
8. RIO FERDINAND
England’s Rio Ferdinand was the proper centre-back – he was fast, he was aggressive, and he learn the sport fantastically, so effectively that he hardly ever appeared troubled. A frontrunner for membership and nation, the Manchester United star represented his nation for 15 years, taking part in in three World Cups and profitable 81 caps.
7. RONALDO
R9 ended the Nineteen Nineties shrouded in thriller over what actually occurred that night time in Saint-Denis, France. 4 years later, he scored each objectives within the Brazil’s 2-0 victory over Germany. He ended up with 15 World Cup objectives to his title. On his day, harm free, the explosive striker was merely unstoppable.
6. CRISTIANO RONALDO
For a lot of, the Portuguese showman was probably the most full striker of all time. The person from Madeira was simply warming up along with his step-overs at Manchester United within the 2000s, however even earlier than writing himself into the historical past books at Actual Madrid within the 2010s, he was unbelievable. A real genius and goal-scoring machine.
5. XAVI
Xavi was one of many orchestrators of Barcelona’s cross and transfer sport, and a mode of play that wore many a prime aspect down. The Spaniard’s metronomic retention abilities shaped the bedrock for Barcelona’s successes below Frank Rijkaard and Pep Guardiola. The schemer was equally damaging for his nation, particularly at Euro 2008 when Spain tiki-taka’d their technique to glory.
4. ANDRES INIESTA
The silky Spaniard was just too intelligent and too slippery in his pomp – groups simply couldn’t maintain him quiet. Simply whenever you thought it was unimaginable to like the sport any extra, Andres Iniesta, a Barcelona nice, would produce a deft cross, a second of magic that nobody else may.
3. KAKA
The Brazilian was blessed with the proper mixture of steadiness, pace and energy, belongings that made him the world’s biggest participant between 2005 and 2007. Soccer was straightforward for the boy from Gama, particularly passing; he may break up a defence within the blink of a watch, as he did for the opening purpose within the 2005 Champions League closing.
2. ZINEDINE ZIDANE
The Frenchman’s worldwide profession got here to a tragic ending in 2006, when he planted his head into the chest of Marco Materazzi’s within the World Cup closing. Did it have an effect on his legacy? It’s an incident nobody will ever overlook, however he’ll even be remembered for being one of many sport’s greatest, and most profitable, ever gamers.
1. RONALDINHO
For some gamers, the flowery tips and outrageous abilities didn’t all the time come off, however for the World Cup-winning Brazilian they so usually did – and on the most important phases. He’d do his ball-juggling, nut-megging and no-look passes with the most important of grins, and embodied every little thing Brazilian soccer needs to be. David Seaman was not a fan.