The 25 Greatest Players of the last 25 Years – Ranked

As 2024 ends, in the past 25 years, several top-tier footballers have ruled the sport like no other athlete. From the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo to Lionel Messi, there have been some top-notch underrated talents in between who have cemented their legacies as one of the greatest ever to play the beautiful game of football.

Well, Sportsdunia has your elite ranking list set for some of the greatest players in the 21st century. So join us as we take a look at some of the greatest players of the last 25 Years who have genuinely left a huge print on everyone’s minds with their immaculate presence and larger-than-life dedication to the game.

Ranking factors

What makes a footballer to be called the Greatest Player of all time? Well, the amount of dedication and praise he has collected throughout his career might make him a real standout amongst others. His involvement in the game and how well he controls the game at crucial moments is also another criterion to rate a player. As for defenders, their well-timed tackles and counter-attacking play heavily impact the performance.

List of 25 Greatest Players of the Last 25 Years

25) Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium)

Known for his excellent game understanding and ball control, Kevin De Bruyne is undoubtedly one of the most skilled midfielders in the game. His innovative and attacking prowess can be seen each season making him Premier League’s Playmaker of the Year thrice.

De Bruyne continues to shine at Manchester City and has led the team to several notable titles over the years. The creative midfielder has the most number of assists by a Belgian in the English Premier League with 118 contributions to his name.

24) Karim Benzema (France)

Real Madrid gave the world one of the best attackers of all time, Karim Benzema. He scored some banger goals for over a decade, framing his name as one of the best strikers for the club. His goal-scoring abilities were awarded with the Ballon d’Or in 2022. Being one of the most prolific strikers of this generation.

Benzema is far from over and still leads his tremendous form in Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League, the former France International is only the second French player to win the Ballon d’Or award after Zidane. He is the second highest goal getter for Los Blancos in history.

23) Francesco Totti (Italy)

The legendary striker Francesco Totti has been one of the greatest players of the last 25 years to ever exist and for AS Roma. His impeccable presence and fluent goal-scoring abilities have been the talk of the town for over a decade.

The immortal striker was known for his calculated runs and was always in the transfer news as several huge clubs wanted the star player throughout his career. In fact, Totti is the leading goal scorer of AS Roma having scored 307 goals for the club.

22) Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)

If we talk about underrated strikers in the 21st century, Samuel Eto’o is up there on the list. The former Barcelona striker is undoubtedly one of the best finishers in footballing history and has several notable accolades under his name making him one of the best strikers of all time.

The Cameroonian icon, Eto’o won the treble twice with Barcelona and Inter Milan, not only that, the Iconic centre forward is also the all-time leading scorer in the history of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with 18 goals.

21) Iker Casillas (Spain)

Iker Casillas was one of the best goalkeepers of all time and continues to be one of the most skillful players of all time. His goalkeeping skills and prowess proved to be legendary as the player won the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA World Cup, and the UEFA Euros.

The Real Madrid icon is renowned as the greatest goalkeeper to have played for the club. Also, Casillas has the most number of clean sheets and appearances for the Spanish national team.

20) Kylian Mbappe (France)

As Kylian Mbappe continues his dream at Real Madrid, he aims to become the world’s best. The Frenchman is known for his crucial finishes and goal-scoring abilities. PSG’s leading goal-scorer has already garnered a huge fan following worldwide and might become one of the best players of all time in the upcoming years.

At just 25, the France International has already established his name as one of the best players of this generation. He is having an incredible debut season at Los Blancos after joining them in the summer of 2024.

19) Andrea Pirlo (Italy)

Known as one of the finest midfielders of all time, Andrea Pirlo has made a name for himself by playing for clubs like Inter Milan, Juventus, and AC Milan. Pirlo was known for his excellent composure, technique, balance, elegance, and exquisite ball control.

One of the greatest midfielders in the game, the Italian was best passer during his playing days while playing for some of the biggest teams in the world. Pirlo has the most direct freekick goals in the Serie A.

18) Toni Kroos (German)

German talent Toni Kroos impacted a whole generation of midfielders with his impeccable play and ball control. His decisive and calculative movements on the pitch proved to be crucial for Real Madrid. His brilliance was second to none and his stint at Real Madrid proved to be unforgettable for the fans.

Kroos is amongst the top ten most capped German players and he was the top assist provider in the 2010 FIFA World Cup and helped Germany to lift the world championship

17) Wayne Rooney (England)

When we speak of Manchester United, Wayne Rooney has to be in the conversation. Known for his goal-scoring abilities and excellent goals at Old Trafford. Being the all-time leading goal scorer for the club,

Rooney’s presence and skills were top-notch. After winning 16 trophies for the club, Rooney is still celebrated heavily by the United fans and players. The England legend was the youngest goal scorer in the Premier League, at 16, while playing for Everton.

16) Kaka (Brazil)

Brazilian Kaka might be the one who made you fall in love with football given his impressive skills and finesse. His stints at AC Milan and Real Madrid proved to be one of the best for any midfielder.

He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, he has won the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Champions League, and the Ballon d’Or. The Brazilian made a miraculous recovery from career-ending injury at the age of 18.

15) Paolo Maldini (Italy)

If we had been making a list of some of the best defenders of all time, Paolo Maldini might be right on the top. His defensive skills were the talk of the town during his time at AC Milan.

The Italian Hall of Famer has won several awards and trophies which include the UEFA Champions League five times, the Serie A seven titles, and one FIFA Club World Cup. The defender is joint most UEFA Champions League appearance maker (8) along side Paco Gento.

14) Sergio Ramos (Spain)

Sergio Ramos is undoubtedly one of the most brutal and lethal defenders of all time and is known for his aggressive nature on the field. Also known for scoring crucial last-minute goals, spot kicks and goal scoring ability.

Ramos ruled the pitch with his defensive skills throughout his stint at Real Madrid. The central defender has the highest appeareces for Spain national team with 131 Internatonal caps winning Euro and FIFA World Cup respectively.

13) Robert Lewandowski (Poland)

Robert Lewandowski might be the perfect striker for your team if you want successive goals. His goal-scoring skills have been evident during his time in Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich in Bundesliga was class apart.

As he continues to showcase his excellence at FC Barcelona, Lewandowski is still leading the goal-scoring race at the age of 36. The prolific goal scorers continues to score goals for fun even though he has accomplished uncountable records to his name.

12) Luis Suarez (Uruguay)

Barcelona had a legendary trio with Neymar, Lionel Messi, and Luis Suarez at the front. Being simply unstoppable in front of goal, Suarez claimed to be one of the best strikers of all time during his stint at Barcelona.

Being one of the most lethal strikers of all time, Suarez has won numerous titles with his tenures at Barcelona and Liverpool. The Uruguayan had won the Golden Boot for top scorers in three different leagues, the Eredivisie, Premier League and La Liga.

11) Manuel Neuer (Germany)

The standing wall for Bayern Munich and Germany continues to showcase his brilliance on the pitch as a legendary goalkeeper. Being awarded the Best European Goalkeeper award a record five times, Manuel Neuer has broken several records in the Bundesliga as well as nationally.

In 2013, Neuer helped Bayern Munich to a treble winning season, with the German league title, the Champions League, and the DFB Pokal. Next year, his brilliance led Germany to World Cup glory.

10) Thierry Henry (France)

One of the best players of his generation, Thierry Henry was magical on the pitch with the ball on his feet. His unforgettable spells in Barcelona and Arsenal were embarrassing for several defenders given his spectacular goal-scoring abilities.

To prove how lethal Henry was in his prime, the Frenchman is the only player ever to score at least 20 goals and 20 assists in the same Premier League season. He is Arsenal’s all-time top goal scorer with 228 goals.

9) Sergio Busquets (Spain)

With several statements and words of praise for the Spanish midfielder, Sergio Busquets beautifully demonstrated how to control the game without being noticed. He was an integral part of Barcelona’s midfield attack.

Busquests created countless attacking runs for the strikers at Camp Nou. He used to rule the pitch with his involvement and was one of the most underrated players in the history of the game.

8) Luka Modric (Croatia)

Winning a Ballon d’Or at a time when only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo exchanged the awards between each other truly tells how skilful and majestic Luka Modric was. Modric’s dedication and determination towards football have made his country give shocking wins to the world over the years.

He has made Croatia one of the most underrated teams and established them as one of the best teams in the world. As he continues to showcase brilliance on the pitch, fans widely celebrate the Croatian’s involvement in the game.

7) Gianluigi Buffon (Italy)

There might be a lot of difficulty in telling a weakness in the legendary Gianluigi Buffon and his utter brilliance at Goalkeeping. Being strong, athletic, and dedicated to saving the goal, Buffon was truly unbeatable throughout his stint at Juventus.

Considered to be the greatest goalkeeper by many football pundits and fans, Buffon’s unmatched thirst for the game has seen him win several titles and is still celebrated as one of the best goalkeepers ever to grace the game of football.

6) Andres Iniesta (Spain)

Andres Iniesta made countless new fans during his journey at Barcelona, causing every one of them to fall in love with Football. His ball control, balance, and agility were arguably the best, making him one of the all-time greats in footballing history.

Alongside Xavi and Busquets, Iniesta ruled the field and was a sensation to watch. Spending most of his time in FC Barcelona, Iniesta made countless chances and runs for forwards like Messi, Neymar, Eto’o and was one of the masterminds behind Barcelona’s success.

5) Ronaldinho (Brazil)

The Brazilian legend Ronaldinho became famous worldwide after his spells of success with Barcelona and was a terrifying forward during his time. One of the most technically gifted players of all time.

Ronaldinho is known for his goal-scoring abilities and intense skills, making him a standout player for Barcelona. His magical spells at PSG, Barcelona, and AC Milan are still celebrated among the fans and was also named the World Player of the Decade during the 2000s.

4) Zinedine Zidane (Italy)

Real Madrid and Juventus were graced by Zinedine Zidane’s presence during the early 2000s, which saw him scoring instant bangers and creating several chances. Spanish playmaker Zidane is widely regarded for his passing, ball control, and excellent attacking prowess.

Being a UEFA Champions League winner, UEFA Super Cup winner, UEFA Euros winner, and FIFA World Cup winner, Zidane has done it all. Zizou is only one of the nine players to have won the Champions League, the World Cup and the Ballon d’Or.

3) Xavi Hernandez (Spain)

Widely regarded as the best midfielder of all time, Xavi has impacted Barcelona the most and was one of the main reasons for its success. Appearing for over 500 matches for the club, Xavi’s keen vision, ball control, and excellent passing ability edged him over every midfielder in the world.

Xavi formed an impeccable duo with Andres Iniesta ruling the midfield at Barcelona. He is undoubtedly the most skilled, consistence and exceptional midfielder to grace the game.

2) Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)

The immaculate and immortal Cristiano Ronaldo has every right to be on the top of the list given his goal-scoring skills. With countless crucial late-minute winners, Ronaldo has developed to be a complete beast with his successful stints at Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus.

The Portuguese icon is currently showcasing his goal-scoring prowess with Saudi Pro League giants Al Nassr. He has won five Ballon d’Or awards, the second most french accolade after Lionel Messi, and remains in contention for the GOAT debate.

1) Lionel Messi (Argentina)

The greatest player of all time, Lionel Messi has certainly done everything that needs to be done in the world of football and continues to shine by scoring regular goals and magical plays. The Argentine has won the most Ballon d’Or accolades — eight.

His illustrious career at Barcelona might be unmatched and there might be no one to touch the World Cup winner Lionel Messi in terms of accolades and goal-scoring abilities. Messi has won it all every single major title there is to win in the sport.