GOAL’s 21st century rankings: The best players, managers and teams of the past 25 years
As the curtain comes down on the first quarter of the 21st century, we have been running through the stars who have shone most bright
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A lot has changed over the past 25 years in the world of football. Transfer fees have gone through the roof, stadiums have got bigger and bigger, and never has there been more global superstars than there are right now.
But as we close in on the end of the first quarter of the 21st century, which players, managers and teams have shone the brightest? That’s a question we are aiming to answer at GOAL with our series of top-25 rankings to mark this landmark moment in the history of the game.
Check out our various lists below, and make sure to let us know what we got right and what we got wrong in the comments section at the bottom…
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GOALEvery Ballon d’Or winner of the 21st century – ranked
The 2024 Ballon d’Or race had one of the most memorable endings as Rodri beat Vinicius Jr to the Golden Ball, but how does the Manchester City star rank against the other winners of the past 25 years?
Check out the full list
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GOALTop 25 goalkeepers of the 21st century
Goalkeepers don’t always get the praise they deserve, but there is no doubt that some of the best players of the past 25 years have plied their trade between the sticks – but who were the absolute standouts?
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GOALTop 25 England players of the 21st century
England haven’t been able to end their trophy drought in the 21st century as yet, but the birthplace of football has still produced some of the finest players to have played the game over the past 25 years.
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Top 25 England moments of the 21st century
Football still hasn’t ‘come home’, but that doesn’t mean there hasn’t been plenty for England fans to get excited about during the 21st century, with a number of moments involving the national team living long in the memory of Three Lions supporters.
Check out the full list
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GOALTop 25 South American players of the 21st century
South America continues to be a hotbed for footballing talent, as the top European clubs continue to scour the continent for the next global superstar. But who have been the very best to emerge from the likes of Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay since the turn of the century?
Check out the full list
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GOALTop 25 Premier League players of the 21st century
The richest and most popular league in the world, the Premier League is able to attract more elite talents than any other domestic competition. But who have been the standout performers in the English top-flight over the past 25 years?
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GOALTop 25 Arsenal players of the 21st century
From the Invincibles of 2003 to Mikel Arteta’s resurgent title-challengers, Arsenal have boasted some of the most talented players on the planet over the past 25 years. But who were the best?
Click here to see the full list
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GOALTop 25 Chelsea players of the 21st century
Chelsea have gone from fighting for European qualification to one of the most powerful clubs in world football over the past 25 years, with the Blues now able to boast two Champions League trophies among their collection off the back of assembling squad after squad of quality players.
Check out the full list
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GOALTop 25 Liverpool players of the 21st century
While Liverpool had to wait until 2020 to win their first league title of the 21st century, the Reds did pile up trophies throughout the past 25 years. So how do Jurgen Klopp’s memorable group compare to those who immediately preceded them?
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GOALTop 25 Man Utd players of the 21st century
Manchester United’s last 25 years can be split into two clear periods either side of Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement. So how many of those who arrived at Old Trafford after the Scot’s departure can rival the legendary status of his all-conquering teams?
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GettyTop 25 Man City players of the 21st century
Manchester City are unrecognisable from the club which began the 21st century, as the now eight-time Premier League champions have emerged from the third tier of English football to become one of the dominant forces in European football, with a host of superstars having plied their trade at the Etihad Stadium in recent years.
Check out the full list
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GOALTop 25 Premier League managers of the 21st century
The Premier League has become the place to be for the world’s best coaches over the past 25 years, but who did a better job than anyone else in the English top-flight in that period?
Check out the full list below
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GOALTop 25 La Liga players of the 21st century
La Liga has been home to some of the best players of the past quarter-century, but aside from the obvious two, who else deserves recognition for their contribution to the Spanish top-flight?
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Top 25 Real Madrid players of the 21st century
From the Galactico era to winning four Champions League titles in five seasons through the 2010s, Real Madrid have had a quarter-century to remember, and there’s likely not another club with a 21st century Hall of Fame quite on the level of Los Blancos.
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Getty/GOALTop 25 Bundesliga players of the 21st century
The Bundesliga has built a reputation for developing some of the world’s most talented players over the past 25 years, with plenty of household names having shone in the German top-flight so far this century.
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Getty/GOALTop 25 Bayern Munich players of the 21st century
No club has dominated a top domestic league more in the 21st century than Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, while they have also tasted plenty of European success too. But which superstars played the most important roles?
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GOALTop 25 PSG players of the 21st century
Paris Saint-Germain might still be waiting to lift their first European Cup, but their role call of superstars to have lined-up at Parc des Princes since the turn of the century is absolutely legendary.
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GOALTop 25 best-value transfers of the 21st century
Spending on footballers has reached astronomical levels over the course of the past 25 years, but there are still bargains to be had in the transfer market. So which players have proven to be the best-value signings of the century so far?
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GOALTop 25 women’s managers of the 21st century
Emma Hayes and Sarina Wiegman are held up as two of the best coaches in the modern women’s game, but where do they rank among the elite managers from the past 25 years?
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GOALTop 25 Women’s Super League players of the 21st century
The women’s game has grown to new levels of prominence in England over the course of the 21st century, with the Women’s Super League now regarded as one of, if not the best league in the world. But who have been the stars who have most illuminated it?
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