Welcome to OneFootball’s definitive ranking of the 25 greatest players of the last 25 years.
Over the course of 25 days, we will be counting down our top 25 men’s footballers of the 21st century so far, before revealing the winner on 1st January 2025.
Check out the list so far here
Today, our countdown continues with…
Nationality: Swedish (122 caps, 62 goals)
Main clubs: Juventus, Inter, Barcelona, Milan, PSG, Manchester United
Major trophies won: Serie A (x5), Ligue 1 (x4), LaLiga (x1), Eredivisie (x2), Europa League (x1)
Major individual awards: Serie A Player of the Year (x3), Ligue 1 Player of the Year (x3), Puskás Award (x1), Serie A Top Scorer (x2), Ligue 1 Top Scorer (x3)
Highest ranking by voters: 4th (one voter)
Zlatan Ibrahimović, one of the most iconic strikers of his generation, enjoyed an exceptional career playing for several of Europe’s most prestigious clubs.
Known for his technique, power and spectacular goals, he won 34 major trophies, including the league title in four different countries.
His charismatic personality and incredible individual talent left their mark on world football, making him a timeless legend.
Ibrahimović is a black belt in taekwondo. That probably goes some way to explaining many of the acrobatic goals he pulled off in his career!
Thirty-eight members of OneFootball’s global editorial team ranked their top 25 players of the 21st century so far. Players ranked at #1 earned 25 points, second place earned 24 points, and so on. In the event of a tie, the player with the highest individual ranking was placed higher on the list.
📸 Ian Walton – 2012 Getty Images
