Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and the 25 best La Liga players of the 21st century – ranked

Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo? How do you really answer that? It’s one of sport’s great debates, with two of perhaps the best five players in football history battling it out in La Liga for so many years.

But they haven’t been the only top-tier talents to grace the Spanish top flight over the course of the 21st century. While other leagues may have been more competitive, there is no question that La Liga consistently hosted the best players. Whether it be legendary defenders or graceful midfielders, some of the best to ever do it have plied their trade in Spain over the last 25 years.

But how can they be ranked? How do you compare Andres Iniesta and David Villa? Do you take Luka Modric or Toni Kroos? Below, GOAL tries it’s best to rank the 25 best La Liga players of the 21st century…

• Getty Images

  25Marcelo

  It’s ridiculous that a player this talented barely cracks the top 25. But that’s less of a slant on Marcelo, and more indicative of just how good some of the talent has been in La Liga in recent years.

  Either way, Marcelo’s resume makes for impressive reading. The Brazilian won six La Liga titles and five Champions Leagues with Madrid, while captaining the side for the last few years of his tenure. He may have been phased out of the side in his latter years – and his levels certainly dropped. But simply watching a left-back ping passes, take on a man, and also do the defensive work was absolutely wonderful. One of the all-time greats.

  • Getty Images

    24Luis Figo

    A massive traitor for swapping Barcelona for Real Madrid? Sure. But Figo was equally effective for both sides. At the time when he moved – in July 2000 – Figo was the most expensive player of all time. And he lived up to that status, winning first the Ballon d’Or and later FIFA World Player of the Year.

    By the 2001-2002 campaign, he was dominating midfields alongside Zinedine Zidane – perhaps one of the most decorated duos in the history of the game. His Madrid career rather fizzled out by the mid-noughties, but he still ended his time there with two La Liga titles and a Champions League. Not bad for a man who had a pig’s head hurled at him by an angry rival fan.

  • Getty

    23Thibaut Courtois

    Goalkeepers can seldom be considered Galacticos, but it is worth remembering just how good Thibaut Courtois was when he arrived from Chelsea. His move was vastly unpopular at the time, of course, the Belgian having played for Atletico Madrid in his early days.

    But controversial or not, Courtois has been immense for Los Blancos. Excellent in one-on-ones and a real commanding presence between the sticks, the 32-year-old consistently ranks among the best goalies in world football. Perhaps his most famous performance was in the 2022 Champions League final, where an impressive array of saves helped seal a 1-0 victory over Liverpool. He still has plenty of football left in him, too – having rebounded admirably from a knee injury that kept him out for most of the 2023-24 season.

  • 

    22Diego Godin

    Another foreigner who made an immense impact on La Liga, Godin was the backbone of the Atletico Madrid sides that battled their way through the league in Diego Simeone’s early years at the helm. He was a bargain buy from Villarreal in 2010 and soon established himself as one of the best defenders in Spain.

    Not particularly athletic or quick, Godin instead made his mark for being a fearsome defender. He won La Liga in 2014, the Copa Del Rey in 2013, and made La Liga’s team of the season twice. In an era dominated by names such as Sergio Ramos, Pepe and Gerard Pique, Godin still managed to stand out – a real feat.

  • Getty Images

    21Gareth Bale

    It is a complete myth that Gareth Bale didn’t really care about football. The winger clearly did – and quite a lot. You only have to look at his first two campaigns in Madrid, when he helped form a fearsome trio with Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema in Los Blancos’ frontline.

    And even after that, as injuries rattled his Real career, the Welshman continued to play a key role. His bicycle kick in the 2018 Champions League final is among the best goals the competition has ever seen. An iconic sprint and finish against Barcelona to win the Copa del Rey is also a seminal moment in Los Blancos history. Piece it all together, and Bale finished his Madrid career with three La Liga titles and five Champions Leagues. He is certainly the best Welsh footballer ever, and there’s a fair argument to be made that he’s the best Brit to ever play in the Spanish top flight.

    Golf, Wales, Madrid, in that order? If Los Blancos came third, then he was still doing something right.

  • Getty Images

    20Vinicius Jr

    The question for Vinicius really isn’t how high he is on this list now, rather exactly how far he could climb. The Brazilian has gone from maligned to adored, a failure to the world’s best. His numbers look good: three straight seasons of 20-plus goal contributions, three league titles, two Champions Leagues.

    But to understand Vincius, you need to watch him. Quick, skillful and smart, the left-winger has torn up La Liga for the past three seasons, and is showing no signs of slowing down. He is almost certain to be handed the Ballon d’Or next week, and there could be many, many more to come.

  • Getty

    19David Villa

    For five seasons, you could make a legitimate case that David Villa was the best striker in La Liga. Messi and Ronaldo may have been a force off either wing, but Villa was devastating through the middle. Quick, agile and deadly in front of goal, he scored in bunches for Valencia, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.

    But perhaps more than anything, Villa established himself as a serial winner. He won La Liga three times, the Champions League once, and was a crucial part of the Spain side that was the envy of world football from 2008-2012. Had he not played at the same time as Messi and Ronaldo, Villa would perhaps be regarded as one of the best to ever do it. Instead, he remains somehow slightly underrated – despite being Spain’s all-time top goal-scorer.

  • Getty Images

    18Jordi Alba

    If Marcelo showed just how effective a technically-gifted full-back can be in an attacking setup, Alba expressed how a relentless engine could perhaps be even more useful. Constantly scampering up and down the wing, Alba gave Barcelona an extra attacking dimension from 2012-2023 that proved crucial in a number of successful campaigns.

    After moving from Valencia, he was an almost immediate mainstay for a number of Blaugrana setups, doing it all on the left side of the pitch. Scrappy and quick, Alba became the archetypal left-back, the kind of player that many have tried to mimic since. Perhaps his best quality, though, was a crucial understanding with Messi, who he assisted 23 times in a Barca shirt – the most of any player.

  • Getty Images

    17Pepe

    What happened to the good old defensive enforcer, eh? Pepe was very much a dying breed when he formed a dominant centre-back partnership with Sergio Ramos for Real Madrid. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a fantastic watch. The Portuguese did a pretty good job of scaring attackers sh*t-less with his aggressive defending and penchant for a hard tackle.

    Sometimes, it led to some disciplinary issues – he picked up some truly ridiculous red cards over the course of his Madrid tenure. But most of the time, Pepe embodied a perfect sort of controlled aggression, a perfect partner to Ramos for almost a decade in the Spanish capital. It all led to a glittering trophy cabinet, as he left Madrid with eight major honours. Throw in some important goals, and you have an excellent centre-back, who perhaps deserved more praise than he got.

  • Getty Images

    16Carles Puyol

    Carles Puyol was the archetypal one-club man. A lifelong Barca fan, born in Catalonia, he embodied the club for all 15 years of his professional career. Puyol captained the side from 2004-2014, won 18 major honours, and finished his Barca tenure with 593 appearances.

    And that’s his legacy. Puyol was the ultimate leader, the sort of never-say-die defender who lifted Barca to success based on character alone. It helped, of course, that he was also an elite centre-back. Good in the air and physically strong, he had all of the traits of a rugged sort of player – and a perfect compliment to Gerard Pique at the back.

  • Getty

    15Karim Benzema

    It took a while for the world to realise just how good Karim Benzema really was. A willing runner and selfless contributor during the ‘BBC’ era at Madrid, the Frenchman was often found covering for Ronaldo and Bale when he really could have been bagging goals of his own.

    But once Ronaldo left and Bale started to struggle with injuries, Benzema became the main man. And he was devastating as a result. His 2021-22 campaign remains one of the great individual seasons in football history. The goals – 44 in all competitions – flowed. But it was the timeliness that really mattered. The Frenchman kept Madrid alive in the Champions League with a number of key strikes – firing Los Blancos to a European Cup win. He finished his Madrid career with 25 trophies, becoming one of the most successful individuals in the club’s history.

  • LaLiga

    14Iker Casillas

    Is Casillas the best La Liga goalie of all time? There’s certainly an argument to be made. An academy kid who made his senior debut in 1999, ‘San Iker’ went on to make 725 appearances for Los Blancos, and become one of the most decorated goalies to ever play the game. He won 12 major honors, finished fourth in the Ballon d’Or voting in 2007, and captained Madrid from 2008-2015.

    There are all of the standard traits of a great to be found here: leadership, quality on the ball, shot-stopping ability. Casillas had it all. But most importantly, the great Gianluigi Buffon dubbed him the best goalkeeper of the 21st century – a wonderful show of support from one legend to another.

  • Getty Images Sport

    13Toni Kroos

    Kroos helped form perhaps the best midfield trio in La Liga for a number of years – working metronomically alongside Luka Modric and Casemiro for Los Blancos. Each of them played a key role, but Kroos was the pass master. The German had everything in his locker – from the quick interchanges to the long raking balls. He could also smash them in from distance, something he showed for both club and country.

    It was maybe the end of his career that impressed the most, though; Kroos looked finished at the end of the 2022-23 campaign – arguably his worst in a Madrid shirt. But he turned it around the year after, and produced his best, before retiring with a domestic-European double.

  • Getty Images

    12Sergio Busquets

    Sergio Busquets didn’t invent the No.6 position. It was, in fact, his ex-manager Pep Guardiola who can be credited with its popularity. But Busquets mastered and redefined it. The lanky defensive midfielder became the ultimate pivot for the Blaugrana, expertly occupying space in deep areas, and progressing the ball with ease. He could do a bit of everything in the position: move the ball, evade pressure, put in a crunching tackle and get away with a smart foul or two.

    Such is his quality that every team in Europe since has tried to find a similar archetype. From Fabinho to Rodri, there has been a continent-wide hunt for the next pivot. The truth is, though, there will never be anyone quite like Busquets, who anchored everything for Barca for years.

  • Getty Images

    11Sergio Ramos

    Google ‘Rolls-Royce defender’ and Sergio Ramos might just come up. The centre-back did everything for Real Madrid, first playing on the right before tucking into a central role – and establishing himself as the best in the world at his position for years.

    There really wasn’t much missing from Ramos’ game during his Madrid days. He may have made headlines for his sh*thousery and exploitation of the rules, but he was, in the most part, an excellent and versatile. Faster than most wingers and stronger than many strikers, Ramos was a fearsome one-on-one opponent. His passing, although not expansive, was always reliable. But perhaps the most important element to Ramos’ game was his eye for goal – he scored more than 100 for Los Blancos. 15 major honours doesn’t look bad on his resume, either.

  • Getty Images

    10Neymar

    Had Neymar stayed at Barcelona, he would almost definitely be higher on this list. It’s easy to forget that his Balugrana career didn’t get off to the smoothest start, as the former Santos man was rather bullied when he first arrived in Catalonia. But in his second season, alongside Luis Suarez and Messi, Neymar became one of the best in the world.

    At the centre of it all was the style. Here was the ultimate Samba winger, Ronaldinho reincarnate. Rapid, fun, clever and deadly, he formed one of the best attacking trios in football history – and facilitated an unprecedented treble win. It all came to an end rather poorly, though. After playing hero in the famous Remontada in 2017, Neymar made it clear that he wanted to be the star man elsewhere. Paris Saint-Germain offered the opportunity, and the Brazilian jumped. Suarez would later comment that Neymar had a Ballon d’Or locked up if he stayed. Instead, there is still something tragically unfulfilled about his Barca career. At least we will always have the elasticos…

  • Getty Images Sport

    9Antoine Griezmann

    Those who watch La Liga will say that Griezmann might be higher. He certainly would be had it not been for a few puzzling years at Camp Nou. The Frenchman has been an excellent servant for Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid over the years, playing in pretty much every position asked of him and rarely missing a game.

    He can do a bit of everything: score, assist, take on a man, press. But for Atleti and France, it’s his adaptability that has been crucial. Used as a striker, No.10, winger and even centre-midfielder, Griezmann is the ultimate utility man – with a serious amount of attacking flair thrown in. That he may never win La Liga is a real shame. He deserves one.

  • Getty Images

    8Luka Modric

    We all thought Luka Modric, not Toni Kroos, should have retired at the end of the 2023-24 campaign. After all, Modric, who had made it very clear that he still wanted to play, was made to accept a bit-part role for Los Blancos. But this season, he has recovered, and rediscovered some of the electric form that made him perhaps Madrid’s greatest midfielder.

    Modric rarely scores goals. He doesn’t shoot from distance, or arrive late in the box. Rather, he’s all about control, with a bit of flair thrown in. His game is in the clever passes and quick feet, the ability to see those cute angles that no one else can ever really pick up. His specialty, though? The perfectly-whipped trivela pass – a ball that has made highlight reels time and time again. He’s almost 40, and the football still hasn’t left him yet. And why would it, when there’s a fifth La Liga title to be won?

  • Getty Images

    7Andres Iniesta

    Xavi or Iniesta? Masterful passing, or clever dribbling? Scanning or a croqueta? Iniesta and Xavi really should be on the same level. Separating the two of them is immensely difficult, not least because they were such an effective due for Barcelona for so long.

    Iniesta was the perfect compliment to the rest of the Barca midfield. While opponents tried to squeeze spaces, Iniesta simply just dribbled his way out of them. It wasn’t only his size – Iniesta is a diminutive 5’8 – but also his balance and mental quickness. He always seemed to have shifted away from pressure before it truly arrived. His goal-scoring record for Barca was fairly average – although he could definitely smash one in from distance. Still, it didn’t have to be good, not with Messi also in the side. Nine La Liga titles speak for themselves.

  • Getty Images

    6Xavi

    Perhaps the only thing that truly separates Xavi from Iniesta is longevity. The midfielder cracked Barca’s side early, and pretty much stayed there for 17 years. A Catalan through-and-though, the La Masia grad survived multiple iterations of Barca, playing alongside first Ronaldinho, then Messi, and finally anchoring things for the famous MSN side.

    Xavi’s description of his game was almost too perfect: “I always look for spaces. All day. I’m always looking.” That much was clear. Xavi served as the ultimate deep-lying playmaker, doing all of the clever bits around Sergio Busquets. His leadership skills – first vice-captain then permanent skipper – shouldn’t be overlooked, either. And although his Barca managerial career didn’t go quite as planned, he still brought La Liga back to Catalonia. Job done.
  • Getty Images

    5Luis Suarez

    Everyone knew that Luis Suarez would be good at Barcelona after making a high-profile switch from Liverpool in 2014. But no one could have predicted just how much of a goal-scoring machine he would be at Camp Nou. Suarez had to change his game in Spain, going from the focal point of Liverpool’s attack to a player who worked as part of a devastating trio, all movement, passing and opportunistic finishing.

    And it worked a charm. Suarez tore up Spanish football for three years, culminating with a 59-goal season in Spain alone in 2016 – winning the Pichichi at a time when Messi and Ronaldo were still banging the goals in. Throw in an extra La Liga title for Atleti in 2021, and Suarez is perhaps the best true striker of the modern era.

  • Getty

    4Ronaldinho

    Ronaldinho didn’t necessarily care about football all of the time. He was a bit aloof, too often checked out, and reportedly was a terrible trainer. But none of that really mattered. Instead, he was masterful with the ball at his feet, and consistently among the world’s best for a good chunk of the early 2000s.

    His years at Barca were his best, the Brazilian’s samba flair bringing both individual and team success to Catalonia. The highlight reels are impressive – flicks, tricks, finishes. But perhaps the most telling showing was a masterclass in El Clasico that brought the Bernabeu to its feet. No one has been able to do that since. A moment of respect in such a fierce rivalry – defined by its hatred – is incredibly rare. Ronaldinho, Ballon d’Or winner, made it happen.

  • Getty

    3Zinedine Zidane

    In five years at Real Madrid, Zidane cemented himself as one of the game’s greats. One of the first true Galactico signings when he arrived from Juventus in 2001, Zidane took Los Blancos’ midfield from good to great, pulling the strings and scoring some vital goals. There were some obvious iconic moments – such as his volley to beat Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League final.

    But there was also the consistency of it all, a silky midfielder dancing his way through the league and serving as the singular focus of an often chaotic side built thanks to big investment and the glitz of the Spanish capital. Should the Galacticos have won more, given their talent? Sure, but that was no fault of Zidane’s, who still ended his Madrid career with a La Liga and Champions League – as well as the European Footballer of the Year award in 2002. His five major trophies as Madrid manager in the mid 2010s help his case, too.

  • Getty

    2Cristiano Ronaldo

    Messi or Ronaldo? The perennial question – and one that will surely sustain debate for years. It really depends on what you prefer from a footballer, but if pure, unadulterated goals are the idea of perfection, then there’s no one better than Ronaldo. The Portuguese averaged more goals per 90 minutes than his Argentine counterpart, and helped form one of the better rivalries in football history during his nine years in La Liga.

    There was, of course, some success to be found, too. Ronaldo won La Liga twice, the Champions League three times, and the Ballon d’Or five. More than anything, though, he proved a perfect foil to the guy up next on this list…

  • (C)Getty Images

    1Lionel Messi

    Could it really be anyone else? Yes, Ronaldo was a ruthless goal-scoring machine for Los Blancos. But Messi was on another level. The raw numbers are there: he scored and assisted more than the Portuguese during his time in La Liga. He won more Ballons d’Or. He won more league titles, Copas del Rey and Supercopas.

    More broadly, though, Messi was an alien. The Argentine couldn’t ever really be stopped, and evolved wonderfully with time. First a right winger, then a false nine, and later a No.10 of sorts, Messi fit into every system possible – and adapted under numerous managers. By now, he has cemented it all: Messi is the best to ever play the game.