Top 10 Greatest Soccer Players of 2000-2010

Honoring the greatest soccer players of the 2000s decade.
The Top Ten
1 Zinedine Zidane Zinedine Yazid Zidane, nicknamed "Zizou", (born 23 June 1972) is a is a French former professional football player who played as an attacking midfielder. He received many individual accolades as a player, including being named FIFA World Player of the Year in 1998, 2000 and 2003, and winning the 1998... read more

Zidane was the maestro of the last decade. Perhaps the best midfielder in history. He had incredible ball control, amzing balance, technique, leadership, unbelieveble passing skills and he could read the game better than any other player. Zidane was simply on a different level to any other player
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The best modern footballer. Great vision, understanding, passes, dribbling, finishing, headers, good at set pieces and long range shots. Fairly quick and agile. Just the best.

A fantastic player for club and national team. He is the most complete footballer I've ever seen!

2 Ronaldo Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima, commonly known as Ronaldo, is a Brazilian business owner, president of La Liga club Real Valladolid, and a retired professional footballer who played as a striker. Popularly dubbed in Portuguese O Fenômeno ("The Phenomenon"), he is widely considered one of the greatest... read more

Ronaldo was the world player in 2002, Zidane retired in 2006, Ronaldo still play's, and is important in the brazilian league. Plus Ronaldo in 99, won world player of the year, so there you go.

I think he's the best player in football history, he has speed, agility, skill, finishing touch, everything you can dream off in a striker.

Greatest striker I've ever watched, he has come back twice after very serious injuries, what he did in 2002 World Cup is unbelievable.

3 Lionel Messi Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi (born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish club Barcelona. He is also known as one of the greatest football players of all time. He was born in Rosario, Argentina on June 24th, 1987.

If the Messi we were talking about was from 2011-onwards then I would rate him first but in the 2000s, Messi was only the best in the last year, so it would be too early to consider him greater than the likes of Zidane, Ronaldo (9), and Ronaldinho in my opinion.

Super quick, scores loads of goals and pretty unstoppable. Another reason is because he's won best player in the world in 2008 and 2009 and came second twice before. HE'S THE BEST EVER!

Theere is no one quite like Messi, amazing player to watch, and he is still young, and will get even better as he continues to play and eventually will be the greatest! Vamos messi!

4 Ronaldinho Ronaldo de Assis Moreira (born 21 March 1980), commonly known as Ronaldinho Gaúcho or simply Ronaldinho, is a Brazilian former professional footballer and current ambassador for Barcelona. He played mostly as an attacking midfielder, but was also deployed as a winger. Often considered one of the best... read more

One of a kind. Probably the most creative player to ever play the game, his otherworldly impressive skill helped him to lead Barça to numerous championships and earned him some of the most prostigous individual awards. Watching him play is a mixture of amazement and pure entertainment. You can see the love he has for the game in every single match. If only he had been able to keep performing the way he had when he was at his peak, but he sure has been making a comeback this past season! The King could be returning!

5 Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro (born 5 February 1985) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Serie A club Juventus and captains the Portugal national team.

Not only has he shown his qualities on club level, Christiano has done the best he can for his country. I consider him one of the best if not in top % because he has proved his good not only in Madrid but in Lisbon and also in Manchester

He is abviously the best player in the world
He can almost do everything heading, scoring with both the feets, crossing, freekicks.
He constantly scores goals for madrid and saves their face against barcelona...
Young stars like hazard, gotze, bale have regarded him as the best player

6 Steven Gerrard Steven George Gerrard (born 30 May 1980) is an English professional football manager and former Liverpool player who currently manages Scottish Premiership club Rangers.

He spent his career in a one-man-band, keeping an largely average team competitive through his own brilliance. He could tackle, pass and score all types of goals whilst also being an inspiration for his team. Tremendous leader who during this decade would have got into any team in the world.

Won the 2004-2005 CL campaign almost single handedly with numerous vital goals. Followed it up with a class match in the following seasons FA cup final with two beautiful goals. Has been the best midfielder in the world for a decade. In my opinion he's up there with Zidane, and he is better than Kaka! Liverpool legend who is still going strong!

7 Raul

Best scorring attacker of Champions League - Man who always knew where the ball will be - and so he was there to punch it into the net.

8 Thierry Henry Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional football coach and former player. He is the second assistant coach of the Belgium national team.

Henry is the best striker. Not because he scored 227 goals for Arsenal, or won Footballer of the year on three separate occasions, the golden boot on six different occasions (4 for the premiership, 1 conferderations cup, and 1 Euro 2000), was the go to guy for the undefeated 03-04 'Invincibles', as well as the leading scorer for the 08-09 Barcelona who won an unprecedented sextuple. That's not it at all! It's the fact that every single goal Henry scores seems to always be in the clutch, for the win, breaking a record. To put a cherry on top each goal is beautiful. An example, the bicycle kick he performed in May for the Red Bulls for the win. No statistic can describe such brilliance!

9 Pavel Nedved

Absolute legend. Epitome of a midfielder. He could pass, he could score goals, he could get past players and he had the strength.

Why he's so low in this list I'll never know.

Footballing god, could play anywhere in midfield and to come from a small-ish country like the Czech Republic (Czechoslovakia) be known as one of the best ever is truly an accomplishment!

10 Francesco Totti Francesco Totti is a former Italian professional footballer who plays for Serie A club Roma and Italian national team.

Not only a great forward able to score many goals in a season, the majority of these of a sublime class, but a great offensive midfielder with more vision than Xavi, in my opinion. A very underrated player. Just look at his goals against Sampdoria and Inter. Excellents freekicks too. A legend

The one and only same team from day one didn't care about the money didn't care about glory or trophies, loyal... golden foot, golden shoe oldest to score in champions ligue world champion 2006... no one will ever be as good in the heart and in the foot like him... he is a legend...

The Contenders
11 Didier Drogba Didier Yves Drogba Tébily is an Ivorian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Canadian Major League Soccer club Montreal Impact.

Biggest crime: Drogba not winning a Ballon D'Or. Part of the Untouchables at Chelsea, carried Ivory Coast, magnificent career team-achievements.

As clutch as they come. No one dominated the air like drogba.

How come Drogba is not above fernando toress and many others in this list. easily fits in top 10

12 Andriy Shevchenko Andriy Mykolayovych Shevchenko is a Ukrainian retired footballer who played for Dynamo Kyiv, Milan, Chelsea, as well as the Ukrainian national team as a striker.

He was one of the most spectacular players I ever seen when he was playing in AC Milan

13 Fabio Cannavaro

Cannavaro in my opinion is the third greatest footballer in history, the best tactical defender, best leadership I've seen, superb positioning, timing, ball dribble, and much more. He is the peak of defenders and captains, and an almost impossible player to equal.

He is the best defender of all time with his great positioning and sliding tackle

14 Rivaldo

Should be much higher on the list!

15 Cafu

Cafu definitely the best Right Back of this decade, name anyone who was better then this fenominal player. Attack and defense are great and he was part of the best AC Milan defense of all time: Maldini - Nesta - Stam - Cafu

16 Edwin Van Der Sar
17 Kaka Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, commonly known as Kaká or Ricardo Kaká, is a retired Brazilian professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder for Orlando City SC in Major League Soccer and the Brazil national team .

Best of the decade. When in Milan at 100% he was way better than Messi and Ronaldo. Fastest player of his generation. Only player I would pay money to watch. Watch his games when in Milan at 100% and see how incomparable he is to Ronaldo and messi.

I think he was the best soccer player in the first decate of this century, if watch his career you see everything, he was fast, strong, smart, intelegance and tallented, when he played you would just enjoy.

Not the best player but definitely higher than Cannavaro or Pirlo if we're going to compare playmakers. Now he's back at Milan and once again rocking

18 Paolo Maldini Paolo Cesare Maldini is a former Italian professional footballer who played as a left back and central defender. Maldini captained Italy for 8 years and AC Milan for 12, and was renowned for his leadership skills, earning him the nickname “Il Capitano”, or ‘The Captain’.

He is inestimable amiable adorable I love his amazing tackles he crazed rivals striker. he is best defender in soccer history he is unrivaled ALL OF AC MILAN

19 Fernando Torres

Brought glory to Spain in 2008 Euro. Besides one of the most brightest player in football history. A brilliant goalscorer and undoubtedly the best striker of Spain in history. A handsome and kind player still trying to win Champions league

He should be on top ten..he is nightmare to gk and one and only competitor for messi and ronaldo..still remember his Liverpool days he is far better than ronaldo

20 Frank Lampard

Between 2000-2010 its frank lampard, he brought glory to stamford bridge unlike all others who played in big clubs. Lampard made them big

Only behind Messi, CR7, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Zidane despite being only on of two BX's in the list which is arguably a more demanding role.

Top player, 200 goals as a midfielder in Chelsea, the most scorer midfielder in EPL history.

21 Nicklas Bendtner

Better than Messi, Zidane, even Michael Jordan!
When he is on the run, rest of them just watch to fun!
The Bend, biatch!

22 Gianluigi Buffon Gianluigi "Gigi" Buffon (born 28 January 1978) is an Italian professional goalkeeper who plays for Serie B club Parma. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, and by some as the greatest ever.

I love, love love to watch Buffon in goal. There is something very magical about him. Although Mr De Gea is fast approaching that number 1 spot for me.

23 David Beckham David Robert Joseph Beckham is (born 2 May 1975) is an English former professional footballer, the current president & co-owner of Inter Miami CF and co-owner of Salford City.. He played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, Milan, LA Galaxy, Paris Saint-Germain and the England national... read more

Maybe not as complete and good as zidane, Ronaldo, ronaldinho, cr7, messi, henry, pele, puskas, bergkamp, van basten and many others but surely top 3 of all time when it comes to free kicks, crosses and long passes.

Sure, beckham definitely wasn't as good on the wing as figo, ronaldinho, cr7, nedved, Giggs or even pires, but he should be top 100..

Unparalleled set pieces, inspirational captain, legend.

24 Alessandro Del Piero Alessandro Del Piero Ufficiale is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a deep-lying forward.

Great Leadership, he is simply one of the most loyal players in the world, took with Juventus down to Serie B. Has been captain forever and he won VM with Italy in a secoundary role but he was there. He nearly won the CL in 2003 a penalty shoot out was the difference between silver and gold. Del Piero is and has been one of the most important Juve players in this century.

25 Arjen Robben

He is one of the greatest players of all time.. Its always good to see his attack technique and his athleticism..

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