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: Croatian (184 caps, 27 goals)
Main clubs: Tottenham Hotspur, Real Madrid
Major trophies won: LaLiga (x4), Champions League (x6), UEFA Supercup (x5), Club World Cup (x5)
Major individual awards: Ballon d’Or (x1), FIFA Footballer of the Year (x1), UEFA Footballer of the Year (x1)
Highest ranking by voters: 1st (one voter)
Luka Modrić is quite simply one of the most elegant players to ever step on a football field.
The Croatian was a symbol of his generation, leading his country to an incredible World Cup final in 2018. With Real Madrid, he won everything and did it several times.
In 2018, a Ballon d’Or win capped off a glorious career and today, at 39, he is still in top form, proving that class is permanent.
📸 Angel Martinez – 2024 Getty Images
Spanish newspaper MARCA named Modrić as the worst La Liga signing in 2012, ahead of Alex Song, who failed at FC Barcelona. He received 32% of the votes.
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.
📸 Justin Setterfield – 2024 Getty Images
