10 Footballers Who Defined the Decade: 2000-2009

End of decade lists are a tricky business. I mostly enjoy them, but am somewhat skeptical of anything that tries to boil a decade down to a list of the ten best. Mostly because someone always gets left out, the one to ten rankings are somewhat arbitrary, and the resulting debate is an apples to oranges “how can Messi be above Maldini” free for all. No thank you.

So, rather than a “10 best players of the decade” I’d like to offer you a slightly different end of an era list: 10 Players Who Defined the Decade. The following ten players (actually eleven, just because) are either the most high profile representative of some aspect of the years 2000-2009, or did something to directly define it. Like headbutt an Italian defender.

David Beckham

Why: Not for his qualities as a footballer. If this was a list of the most talented players of the decade, old Goldenballs wouldn’t get anywhere near. But in terms of media coverage, replica shirt sales, commercial activities, fainting females and just all round superstar celebrity, no other footballer has dominated the years 2000-2009 like David Beckham has. He even found time to invent the concept of WAGs. Plus he used to be good at free kicks.

Samuel Eto’o

Why: There was a trickle of African talent to big European teams in the 1990s, but 2000-2009 was the decade that African players hit the mainstream in a big way. Hard to say exactly when it happened, but the big European clubs are now pretty much 100% free of any of the old prejudice or wariness of talent from the African continent, and players like Eto’o and Didier Drogba are bona fide superstars. After winning two Champions Leagues this decade, Eto’o is here to represent that trend.

Luis Figo

Why: Apart from being a magnificent footballer, Figo makes the list as a representative of controversial transfers. You know the one I mean. In 2000, right at the start of the decade, Figo crossed the Clasico and left Barcelona for Real Madrid for a then world record fee of around £37 million. Cue drama, and hero worship being replaced by hatred. And a pig’s head being thrown at Figo when he played at the Camp Nou over two years later.

Thierry Henry

Why: Va-va-Voom, that’s why. Not really. Henry is on the list because he played in two of the greatest club teams of the decade (Arsenal’s Invincibles and the 2008/9 edition of Barcelona). He’s also on the list because his handball against Ireland was probably the second most controversial moment of the decade after Zidane’s headbutt. Finally, Henry is on the list because he represents the ever increasing connection and mutual respect between professional soccer players and the NBA, which in turn is proof of top-level footballer’s ascendancy to the realm of mega-wealthy athletes. You didn’t see Michael Jordan hanging around with Roberto Baggio in 1993.

Paolo Maldini

Why: Because he played for one club for a full 25 years (quarter of a century!) and played in Serie A until he was 40. They don’t let you do that unless you’re ridiculously good. But Paolo Maldini isn’t just a classy defender and the consumate captain. His name is now synonymous with longevity, loyalty and all round legendness. It’s a word. (Also, special loyalty mention to all the Juve players that didn’t jump ship after relegation in 2006).

Leo Messi

Why: As the decade draws to a close, Messiah is the man. Your current Ballon d’Or holder and FIFA World Player of the Year. Recent treble winner, and already two times Champions League winner at the age of just 22. But Messi doesn’t just make this list for being his current greatness. For one thing he’s a fine example of a modest and sensible young superstar. But also, as a young Argentine scouted and recruited by Barcelona aged just 13 or so, Messi represents the huge trend we saw this decade of big clubs signing talented players at younger and younger ages.

Ronaldinho

Why: For three seasons in the middle of the decade there, Ronaldinho was unstoppable. His golden patch was 2003/4, 04/05 and 05/06 with Barcelona. Three years of effortless unexpectedness, including that outside inside move that defied the basic laws of physics. His tricks were all over the internet as video sharing grew in the middle of the decade, and so for that reason Ronaldinho is here to represent the multitude of fan-made footballer highlight videos set to music on YouTube. Like this one:

Ronaldo (the original)

Why: Because on top of everything else he’s the comeback story of the decade. Probably a better player in the nineties than in the noughties, but 1999 ended with a serious knee injury and the early 2000s were all about rehabilitation. The unexpected comeback of 2002 that ended with Ronaldo lifting the World Cup was probably his finest hour. But he also became the World Cup’s all time highest scorer in 2006. Just to make sure.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Why: Unlike most on this list, C-Ron inspires equal parts hero worship and hatred. He’s also currently the most expensive player of all time, and ridiculously well paid. So Ronaldo is on this list to represent the insane wealth of the modern footballer, the arrogance that goes with it, and the love him or loathe him reaction that provokes. Plus he’s not bad at stepovers.

Zinedine Zidane

Why: Zizou’s best years were arguably in the previous decade. Certainly his finest hour – the 1998 World Cup with France -happened before the turn of the millennium. But the midfielder with the monk haircut and the magic feet won Euro 2000 in (you guessed it) 2000, plus one La Liga title and one Champions League as one of the key “Galacticos” at Real Madrid. Last but certainly not least, his final bow at World Cup 2006 was nothing short of spectacular. One of the all time greats exited the game forever by butting Marco Materazzi in the chest in a World Cup final. The most famous football moment of the decade.

So there you have it. Ten (but actually eleven) players that defined the decade 2000-2009. Please feel free to add any other players representing themes or events from the past ten years in the comments.

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Category: World Football