The names and rankings of the top 25 male football stars of the twenty-first century have been revealed, but one thing has left supporters in shock.
Today’s football fans are extremely fortunate to have access to some of the greatest players in history.
Over the previous 24 years, an astounding array of talented athletes have showcased their skills, even if you ignore the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
But where in the top 25 do they all stand? The top 25 stars of the twenty-first century were determined by tallying thousands of votes cast by ESPN readers.
21st century’s best players
There may be debates over which player should have been ranked first, but Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are without a doubt the two greatest players of the twenty-first century, if not all time.
Former Arsenal and Barcelona forward Thierry Henry finished third, followed by his France teammate Zinedine Zidane and Real Madrid’s Luka Modric.
Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez, the midfield duo for Barcelona, are ranked ahead of Kylian Mbappe, who is ranked sixth.
Toni Kroos, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Kevin De Bruyne are in order of precedence, with Brazilians Ronaldo Nazario and Ronaldinho coming in ninth and tenth, respectively.
The first two defenders on the list are Carles Puyol (15) and Sergio Ramos (14) who both won the 2010 World Cup with Spain.
The French striker Karim Benzema is ranked 16th, followed by former Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets (17th) and Robert Lewandowski (18th), the team’s current striker.
Just ahead of Neymar in 19th place is the 2007 Ballon d’Or winner Kaka.
Players like Andrea Pirlo, Wayne Rooney, Patrick Vieira, Luis Suarez, and Gianluigi Buffon narrowly missed making the top 20.
The ranking sparked a lot of discussion, but many fans took issue with Neymar’s 20th-place finish.
Here is the full list:
1. Lionel Messi
2. Cristiano Ronaldo
3. Thierry Henry
4. Zinedine Zidane
5. Luka Modric
6. Kylian Mbappe
7. Andres Iniesta
8. Xavi Hernandez
9. Ronaldo Nazario
10. Ronaldinho
11. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
12. Kevin De Bruyne
13. Toni Kroos
14. Sergio Ramos
15. Carles Puyol
16. Karim Benzema
17. Sergio Busquets
18. Robert Lewandowski
19. Kaka
20. Neymar
21. Andrea Pirlo
22. Wayne Rooney
23. Patrick Vieira
24. Luis Suarez
25. Gianluigi Buffon