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…
5th: Ronaldo (662 points)
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Nationality: Brazilian (98 caps, 62 goals)
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Main clubs: Cruzeiro, PSV, Barcelona, Inter, Real Madrid, Milan
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Major trophies won: LaLiga (x1), UEFA Cup (x1), UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup (x1), Intercontinental Cup (x1), World Cup (x2), Copa América (x2)
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Major individual awards: Ballon d’Or (x2), FIFA World Player of the Year (x3), European Golden Boot (x1), World Cup Golden Ball (x1), World Cup Golden Shoe (x1)
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Highest ranking among voters: 1st (three voters)
Ronaldo Nazário, o Fenômeno (the Phenomenon), made his professional debut at the age of 16 and had a stunning career. He was world champion at just 18 in 1994, and won the World Cup again in 2002, scoring two decisive goals in the final against Germany.
To this day, he is the youngest player to win FIFA’s The Best award, at the age of 20.
The legendary striker scored 414 goals in 615 games and only failed to add to his incredible record due to two serious knee injuries.
Fun fact
📸 Alex Livesey – 2002 Getty Images
In 1998, after his exploits at the World Cup, Ronaldo was voted the most famous person on the planet. That put ahead of names such as US president Bill Clinton, actor Leonardo DiCaprio, Pope John Paul II and Queen Elizabeth II.
Watch him in action
How we voted
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.
📸 Shaun Botterill – 2023 Hulton Archive
