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: German (124 caps)
Main clubs: Schalke, Bayern Munich
Major trophies won: Bundesliga (x11), Champions League (x2), UEFA Super Cup (x2), Club World Cup (x2), World Cup (x1)
Major individual awards: German Footballer of the Year (x2), FIFA World XI (x4), World Cup Golden Glove (x1)
Highest ranking by voters: 3rd (one voter)
Justifiably the highest-rated goalkeeper on our list, Neuer has been a world class goalkeeper for over 15 years to the present day.
Neuer revolutionised his position with his playing style and raised the entire game of a goalkeeper to a new level and at his peak, possessed a fear factor for opposing attackers.
This was particularly evident at the 2014 World Cup, where Germany would never have won their fourth star without his heroics.
📸 Ronny Hartmann – 2014 Getty Images
During his time in Munich, Pep Guardiola had an idea that was pretty wild even by the standard of some of the more adventurous tactics enthusiasts.
The then Bayern coach wanted to use Neuer as a midfielder in a competitive match because he thought the goalkeeper was so capable of playing with his feet. However, chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge ultimately managed to talk the Spaniard out of this idea.
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.
📸 Alexander Hassenstein – 2024 Getty Images
