25. Neymar
The boy from Santos who would succeed Pele has had mixed fortunes. He's carried Brazilian hopes, Catalan dreams; but perhaps when he retires, fans will recognise the heights he scaled were stratospheric.
Neymar's goal and assist record across his youth was enough to put him in a bracket with Leo Messi himself. But the stats only tell half the story of a mercurial talent, with skills to dazzle and a bewitching combination of ferocious finishing and otherworldly creative ability. It's not about what he wasn't: Neymar was one of the most exquisite footballers of the modern age.
24. Gerard Pique
Gerard Pique didn't just come to define Barcelona during the outstanding peak that Pep Guardiola's side surfed in the late 2000s: he came to become the very definition of everything a modern defender should be.
Pace, passing, physicality and leadership, Pique has been a rock for the Catalans ever since rejoining from Manchester United. The no.3 won everything in the sport in a decade and a half and his consistency, through the good times, great times and worrying moments has been a pillar of strength for Cules.
23. Ashley Cole
Of England’s ‘golden generation’, perhaps only Cole was the world’s best in his position for an extended period. His partnership with Robert Pires on the left flank was an integral part of Arsenal’s attack up until 2006, when Cole swapped Highbury for Stamford Bridge amid much controversy.
The flying full-back became a better defender under Jose Mourinho’s tutelage, regularly getting the better of Cristiano Ronaldo whenever Chelsea faced Manchester United.
Cole won three Premier League titles in total, and a record seven FA Cups. “He’s the kind of player you’re always wishing can be your player again,” said Mourinho in 2013.
22. Arjen Robben
“Forewarned is forearmed,” wrote the 18th-century philosopher Abraham Tucker, who had clearly never tried to stop Robben cutting onto his left foot and shooting at goal.
Opposing full-backs knew exactly what the Dutchman was going to do when he collected possession on the right flank. Stopping him was another matter altogether. Too often this was dismissed as defensive ineptitude. In fact, it was Robben’s balance, footwork and intelligence that saw him score his trademark goal so often.
The winger won silverware with PSV, Chelsea and Real Madrid, but he will be best remembered for a decade-long spell at Bayern Munich which yielded eight Bundesliga crowns and a Champions League.
21. Steven Gerrard
Few players have been as adept as Gerrard at locating the scruff of a game’s neck. Liverpool’s very own Roy of the Rovers was an inspirational footballer. Olympiacos, Istanbul, Cardiff: numerous matches were bent to his will.
Without Gerrard, it’s impossible to imagine Liverpool triumphing in the 2005 Champions League in 2005 or the 2006 FA Cup. Sure, there’s no Premier League winner’s medal in his collection, but the all-action midfielder was a better footballer than many who own one.
Gerrard was named in the PFA Team of the Year eight times, more than any other player in English football history.
20. Thomas Muller
Muller has often been described as the best player in the world without the ball. He’s not bad with it either: the attacking midfielder has had more than 20 goal involvements in 12 of his 13 full seasons with Bayern Munich. Known as the Raumdeuter (‘interpreter of space’) in Germany, Muller is a unique footballer.
His awkward gait means he’s not as easy on the eye as other players in his position, but few others have been as devastatingly effective for such a long period of time. A World Cup winner in 2014, Muller has also lifted the Champions League trophy twice and the Bundesliga title on 10 occasions.
19. Sergio Ramos
A pantomime villain who revels in the role, Ramos has been one of the most successful footballers of the 21st century. After a season with Sevilla he was snapped up by Real Madrid, who must consider the €27m they paid for the Spaniard in 2005 among their best ever deals.
Ramos spent his early years at the Bernabeu at right-back, but he’s always looked more at home in the heart of the backline, a position which better serves his tenacity, aggression and leadership.
Ramos scored several vital goals during his Madrid career, including in two Champions League finals. He won that competition four times, as well as the World Cup and two Euros with Spain.
18. Philipp Lahm
Once labeled “the most intelligent player I’ve ever coached” by Pep Guardiola, Lahm was a model of consistency throughout his career.
A smart, technically gifted full-back, Lahm could play on either the right or the left side of defence. Guardiola later moved him into central midfield, where he immediately looked as if he’d been playing the position for years.
An eight-time Bundesliga champion, Lahm also won the Champions League with Bayern Munich and the 2014 World Cup with Germany. He retired aged 33 when he was still one of the best players in the world.
17. Ronaldo
Ronaldo began the 21st century on the treatment table. The Inter striker’s ruptured knee was described by his physiotherapist as “the worst football injury I’ve ever seen”.
That could easily have ended the Brazilian’s career, but he battled his way back and inspired his country to World Cup glory in 2002. Eight goals, including a brace against Germany in the final , brought Ronaldo the Golden Boot.
Next came a move to Real Madrid, for whom he scored 104 goals in 177 games as one of Florentino Perez’s galacticos. The post-injury Ronaldo was a different player - less explosive, more penalty box-based - but a world-class one nonetheless.
16. Wayne Rooney
Even Roy Keane would agree that Rooney burst onto the scene. Clive Tyldesley’s prompting wasn’t really necessary: it was clear from a young age that Rooney’s name was going to be remembered for a long time.
His scintillating showings at Euro 2004 confirmed him as a special talent; not since Pele in 1958 had a teenager made such an impact at an international tournament.
Rooney would go on to become England and Manchester United’s all-time record goalscorers. He played a variety of roles under Alex Ferguson, displaying an oft-overlooked intelligence as he switched between No.9, No.10 and occasional stints out wide. A force of nature in his pomp, Rooney was one of the most viscerally exciting footballers of his generation.
15. Samuel Eto'o
At the start of the millennium Eto’o was contracted to Real Madrid, but it was with their arch-rivals that he enjoyed the best period of his career.
Barcelona bought the striker from Mallorca in 2004 and Eto’o repaid their faith (and the €24m transfer fee) by scoring 29 goals in his debut campaign. In all he found the net 130 times in five seasons at Barcelona, during which time he won two Champions Leagues and three La Liga titles.
Another European crown followed at Inter, where Jose Mourinho at times deployed him out wide. His goalscoring instincts were as sharp as ever, though, with Eto’o averaging better than a goal every other game for the Nerazzurri. He’s arguably the greatest African player of all time.
14. Luka Modric
When Luka Modric joined Tottenham in 2008, many felt he was too lightweight for the Premier League. A decade and a half later, the Croatian is regarded as one of the finest midfielders of all time.
After a slow start at Spurs, Modric went on to become the heartbeat of the team under Harry Redknapp. Real Madrid bought him in 2012 and have thanked themselves ever since.
A terrific technician who can take opponents out of the game with passes or dribbles, Modric was integral to Madrid’s four Champions League triumphs between 2014 and 2018. In the latter year he led Croatia to the World Cup final and was deservedly named Player of the Tournament in Russia.
13. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
An iconic footballer, Ibrahimovic has been described as “the world’s best”, a “king” and a “living legend”. And that’s just by himself.
The outspoken Swede has never been one to let his feet do the talking, but those size 12s have produced countless moments of magic down the years. A great goalscorer and a scorer of great goals, Ibrahimovic has a highlights reel to rival that of any other player this century.
Still going strong at 40, Ibrahimovic has played for many of Europe’s biggest clubs: Ajax, Juventus, Inter, Barcelona, AC Milan, PSG and Manchester United. Thankfully his shy and retiring self has managed to cope with the pressure.
12. Dani Alves
Dani Alves was by no means the first attacking right-back we’ve seen, but he was the first who routinely ran games from that position.
Chelsea almost signed him from Sevilla in 2007, but the Brazilian spent one more season at the Pizjuan before joining Barcelona a year later. He immediately struck up an excellent partnership with Lionel Messi on the right. As the seasons went by the duo’s understanding became telepathic.
A creative force, Dani Alves could get to the byline and fire in crosses, or sit a little deeper and slide cute passes into the path of his team-mates. The man himself put it best: "When we retire, people will ask: ‘Who was the greatest?' Messi. And who gave him the passes?”
11. Karim Benzema
There was a time when Karim Benzema was seen as the weak link in the Real Madrid team. How foolish that seems now.
Even when Cristiano Ronaldo was hogging the limelight at the Bernabeu, Benzema was a vital cog in the Champions League-conquering machine. Then out of Ronaldo’s shadow, the Frenchman has stepped up to become Madrid’s talisman.
Benzema scored more than a goal every other game during a trophy-laden spell in the Spanish capital. He’s not just a fox in the box, though: Benzema’s velvet touch, appreciation of space and fierce work ethic make him a fantastic all-round centre-forward.
