Journalists Rank 25 Best Men’s Footballers of 21st Century

In the world of football, major honours mean the most. Be it lifting league titles, Champions League trophies, or the covered World Cup, players strive for such achievements as a way of cementing their legacy within the game.

However, ego counts for a lot in the sport and beyond team success, players also want to be well-regarded for their individual qualities. Fans and pundits alike also enjoy this side of the game, which is why debates such as Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo have raged on for years.

Inserting themselves into the world of player rankings, a number of journalists at ESPN have come together to name their top 25 men’s footballers of the 21st century. Here’s who they picked.

10 Ronaldinho

Career Span: 1998 – 2015

Ronaldinho’s career actually started before the 21st century, with Brazilian club Gremio, but his arrival in Europe at PSG in 2001 quickly saw him establish a reputation as one of the most exciting players in the world.

In 2002 he formed that unforgettable offensive trident with Ronaldo and Rivaldo, dubbed the “Three Rs”, winning the World Cup, and then sealed a move to Barcelona a year later. In Spain he would flourish as a true superstar, winning the Ballon d’Or in 2005 and La Liga twice before moving to AC Milan and winding his career down after that with a return to Brazil.

9 Ronaldo Nazario

Career Span: 1993 – 2011

Another Brazilian who began his career in the 90s before lifting the 2002 World Cup (having already won it in 1994), Ronaldo Nazario, is the original Ronaldo – and for many the best Ronaldo.

The iconic number nine achieved so much in football, lighting up La Liga at both Barcelona and Real Madrid, while also starring for the two Milan clubs in Serie A. A two-time Ballon d’Or winner (in 1997 and 2002), he perhaps would have ranked higher here had he been at his peak for a little longer during the 2000s.

8 Xavi Hernandez

Career Span: 1998 – 2019

Xavi Hernandez was part of a Barcelona team that has come to define the modern era of football. Playing under Pep Guardiola, alongside Messi, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets, the La Masia graduates won the Champions League in 2009 and 2011 as perhaps the greatest club team the world has ever seen.

Xavi was the brains of the operating, pulling the strings and dictating the tempo with his unmatched blend of technique and footballing IQ. He would win a total of four Champions League trophies in his time at Barca, while also getting his hands on eight La Liga titles.

7 Andres Iniesta

Career Span: 2002 – Present

All that was mentioned above for Xavi can essentially be said of Andres Iniesta. The key difference is that the Spanish midfielder was a slightly more attack-minded player, getting into the final third with a little more regularity – which would explain why he popped up with the winner in the 2010 World Cup final.

Iniesta also has two European Championship honours to his name (like Xavi) and won La Liga a total of nine times. He would likely have a Ballon d’Or to his name (again, like Xavi) were it not for Messi.

6 Kylian Mbappe

Career Span: 2015 – Present

The first player in the top 10 to still be active in one of Europe’s top leagues, there is no doubting Kylian Mbappe’s quality but it is a bit of a surprise to see him rank so high. That said, he does have a fair few achievements to back up his lofty position.

Indeed, having burst onto the scene as a scintillating teenager, he won the World Cup at just 18 and then followed that up with his hat-trick in the final of Qatar 2022 (although losing to Argentina). Still only 25, the new Real Madrid man has plenty of time to justify his ranking here and perhaps make it even better.

5 Luka Modric

Career Span: 2003 – Present

When you think of midfield elegance, many greats come to mind but Luka Modric may trump them all. With his trademark outside-of-the-boot flicks, the long-haired Croatian Swapped Dinamo Zagreb for Tottenham Hotspur before truly establishing himself as a legend of the game in Madrid.

He has won a record six Champions League trophies during his time at the Santiago Bernabeu, while also picking up a Ballon d’Or. That was able to lead Croatia to a World Cup final, shows just how influential he has been as a footballer in every context.

4 Zinedine Zidane

Career Span: 1989 – 2006

When it comes to Zinedine Zidane, many would have him, after Messi and Ronaldo, as the greatest footballer of the past three decades. This is why it may surprise some to see him rank at fourth.

As with some on this list, this may be because so much of his finest moments came in the 20th century. For instance, he bagged two goals in the 1998 World Cup final, cementing his Ballon d’Or win in the same year. However, his wonder volley against Bayer Leverkusen did come in the 2002 Champions League final, not to mention countless other dazzling displays in the 21st century for club and country.

3 Thierry Henry

Career Span: 1994 – 2014

Thierry Henry may well be the finest football to never win a Ballon d’Or and he is the highest ranking on that collective on this list. Quite probably the best Premier League player of all time, the Arsenal star is truly an all-time great. Former boss Arsene Wenger felt so too, saying:

“I believe Thierry was on the same level as Pele and Maradona, definitely. He was an exceptional football player, but as well a combination of a modern player, huge physical talent, technical talent, but as well special intelligence. He was one of the greatest players I’ve ever seen.”

2 Cristiano Ronaldo

Career Span 2002- Present

Cristiano Ronaldo has won the Ballon d’Or on five occasions. He’s also lifted five Champions League titles, three in the Premier League, two in La Liga and two in Serie A. His credentials are plain to see and his ranking by ESPN is unsurprising.

No player has scored more international goals (130) than the Portugal forward – who also won Euro 2016 – and he will be remembered as one of the greats when he finally hangs up his boots. If it was not for one man, he would comfortably be the best player of the 21st century.

1 Lionel Messi

Career Span: 2004 – Present

Forget this century, Lionel Messi is the greatest footballer of all time. He has more Ballon d’Or wins (eight) than anyone else, led his nation to victory at the 2022 World Cup, and has lifted numerous club honours from league titles to Champions League triumphs.

It’s not just that, though, it’s what you get when you watch Messi in full flow. Beyond his goals and assists, he tends to deliver a handful of moments in every game that make viewers gasp. There will never be a player as good as him and, for anyone who understands the game, that is not a controversial thing to suggest.