Football fans have ranked the 25 best players of the 2000s - Lionel Messi only third

There were so many brilliant players in the 2000s.

Ronaldinho, Zinedine Zidane, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronaldo Nazario, Lionel Messi, Paolo Maldini… the list is endless.

But who is the best of the lot?

Football fans have voted for the 25 best players of the 2000s on Ranker.

You can view how they have voted below…

25. Clarence Seedorf

The Dutch legend played a big role in an AC Milan side that won two Champions League’s in the 2000s (2003, 2007).

24. Alessandro Del Piero

Del Piero scored 290 times for Juventus and helped Italy to a World Cup triumph in 2006.

23. Samuel Eto’o

Eto’o established himself as one of the greatest African footballers of all-time during stints with Barcelona and Inter Milan. He won the Champions League three times.

22. Patrick Vieira

One of the greatest captains of the Premier League era, Vieira led Arsenal to an invincible season and also enjoyed successful spells with Juventus and Inter Milan.

21. Carles Puyol

Puyol possessed a competitive spirit like no other. He enjoyed great success with both Barcelona and Spain.

20. Andrea Pirlo

An elegant midfielder, Pirlo dictated the tempo of a game whenever he stepped on a football field.

19. Kaka

Kaka played at an extraordinarily high level for AC Milan before making a €67 million move to Real Madrid in 2009.

18. Roberto Carlos

Carlos is regarded as one of the best left-backs of all-time. He starred for Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Brazil during a terrific football career.

17. Edgar Davids

A fearsome midfielder, Davids’ best spell arguably came at Juventus, where he won three Serie A titles.

16. Arjen Robben

Robben’s left-foot was pure magic. The amount of times he cut inside and bent in a curler with his left-foot was astonishing. Defenders knew what he