The Offside 100: 2000-09, THE RESULTS!

By: Rob | November 7th, 2009

Last week, I asked you to vote for you favourite 20 players of the decade, here in this very post, are the Top 100 players of the last 10 years, voted for by you, the readers and bloggers of the offside.

First thing I want to say is thank you, everyone for the absolutely amazing response to this. It’s been absolutely overwhelming. Over 50 votes in the thread and then probably double that sent to my inbox. The response has been brilliant.

And, I’ve enjoyed very much the reminders of the great players across the decade, the outrage at the forgotten, and the insight into what you guys think makes a great player. It has been an absolute pleasure to compile.

A final thank you to the players themselves, it has been a wonderful decade for football, and this my celebration of you.

On with the list then, and after the jump you get the full 100, in reverse order. Not a huge surprise about the winner, but some nice quirks and things elsewhere.

100 Anelka
99 Forlan
98 Ayala
97 Gattuso
96 Zambrotta
95 Desailly
94 Given
93 Senna
92 Chiesa
91 Jääskeläinen
90 Overmars
89 Stoichkov
88 Gourcuff
87 Sneijder
86 Deschamps
85 Giuly
84 Stam
83 Julio Cesar
82 Ceni
81 Riquelme
80 Carvalho
79 Batistuta
78 Zaki
77 Okocha
76 Xabi Alonso
75 Kanu
74 Owen
73 Litmanen
72 Mido
71 Pires
70 Hazam Emam
69 Zola
68 Mutu
67 Klose
66 Drogba
65 Vieri
64 Ljungburg
63 Romario
62 Vidic
61 Robben
60 Ribery
59 Peter Schmeichel
58 Trezeguet
57 Marta
56 Weah
55 Van der Saar
54 Terry
53 Juninho
52 Rio Ferdinand
51 Henrik Larsson
50 Shearer
49 Thuram
48 Roberto Baggio
47 Hidetoshi Nakata
46 Fabregas
45 Deco
44 Puyol
43 Inzaghi
42 David Villa
41 Scholes
40 Ballack
39 Seedorf
38 Fernando Torres
37 Iniesta
36 Cafu
35 Rooney
34 Roy Keane
33 Ibrahimovic
32 Nesta
31 Casillas
30 Nedved
29 Kahn
28 Del PIero
27 Beckham
26 Lampard
25 Eto’o
24 Pirlo
23 Rivaldo
22 Bergkamp
21 Van Nistolrooy

20 Makélélé
19 Giggs
18 Viera
17 Xavi
16 Shevchenko
15 Roberto Carlos
14 Totti
13 Raul
12 Cannavaro
11 Gerrard
10 Figo
09 Buffon
08 Maldini
07 Kaká
06 Messi
05 Cristiano Ronaldo
04 Ronaldo
03 Ronaldinho
02 Henry