When retrospectively thinking of football in the 2000s, it’s this period of titan-like, world-class superstars who had the ability to heroically drag their club or national team to league titles and major tournament triumphs. In the modern era, fans have perhaps been conditioned by the clear superiority and have had over their peers, and so fail to celebrate the other world-class players who have still left a significant stamp on the history of the beautiful game. Nonetheless, debates in the United Kingdom persist with a level of prevalence about , while in Spain it is probable that similar debates exist when attempting to rank the glistening, trophy-filled careers of Sergio Busquets, Xavi, and Iniesta.
In honesty, it can be somewhat challenging to rank or differentiate between the successes of midfielders in the 2000s; the decade saw a drastic shift in the ways in which we view midfielders. At the start of the 2000s, box-to-box midfielders, with an abundance of strength, resilience, and ball-striking ability, appeared as the managers' preferred option in the middle of the pitch, but by the end of the decade, and partly due to the revolutionary tika-taka style of a then fresh-faced , the best midfielders in the world were increasingly displaying unprecedented levels of balance, control, and elegance. So, when looking to rank the ten best midfielders of the 2000s, it is important to define the key factors as such: While the 5ft 7in silky Spanish midfielder will undoubtedly g.
