It’s the kind of discussion we have more often than we might want to admit, whether it be in pubs and clubs, or more likely WhatsApp groups and X (formerly Twitter) but who really are the five best players of the 21st century?
FourFourTwo wants to know from those who might just know best: the fans.
To almost everyone, two of the slots are taken by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo but it’s after that where things get interesting with so many fantastic players to pick from.
The 21st century has been graced by an incredible array of footballing talent
There’s just just so many standout names from 2000 to 2025
The new millennium started where the last ended, with Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo (R9) at the top of the mountain, and the modern game, led most notably by Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe.
In between there’s been the Brazilian genius of Ronaldinho and Kaka – the last players to win the Ballon d’Or before the Messi-Ronaldo duopoly began – and the midfield maestro that is Luka Modric, who broke their dominance and continues to defy father time.
Elsewhere, take your pick from Xavi and Andres Iniesta, Luis Suarez and Karim Benzema, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Robert Lewandowski.
Not to forget Neymar.
Not easy is it? And that’s before we get goalkeepers and defenders. How good were Gianluigi Buffon and Iker Casillas? Manuel Neuer is still going. Sergio Ramos won it all, while scoring clutch goals a striker would be proud of.
The Premier League is often labelled “the best league in the world” but where do their best players fit in this discussion? From foreign superstars like Thierry Henry and Sergio Aguero to the best of Britain in Wayne Rooney, Harry Kane, Steven Gerrard and Gareth Bale.
We’ve only scratched the surface with so many other incredible players having graced us over the last 25 years. So, who really are the five best players of the 21st century? Let us know!
