Messi, Ronaldo, Bolt, Schumacher, Federer: Top 25 athletes of the 2000s ranked

Trying to decide who is the best athlete of all time is an incredibly difficult task, especially when you have to compare different eras as well as disciplines.

To make the assignment a little easier, the top athletes of the 2000s have been voted on, with all competing in the same era.

Fans have been voting on The Top Tens’ website for who they believe to be the greatest athlete of the 2000s, and the results are in…

25. Ronaldinho

24. Manny Pacquiao

23. Lorenzo Bernardi

22. Tamas Kasas

21. Cristiano Ronaldo

20. Tim Duncan

19. Serena Williams

18. Valentino Rossi

17. Ian Thorpe

16. Albert Pujols

15. Sebastien Loeb

14. Yelena Isinbaeva

13. Drew Brees

12. Ryoko Tani

11. Kenenisa Bekele

10. Michael Schumacher

Michael Schumacher is one of the greatest Formula One drivers of all time, winning seven world titles which included five consecutive triumphs from 2000-2004 so seeing him in the top 10 of this list won’t raise any eyebrows.

9. Lauren Jackson

One of the greatest female basketball players of all time, Lauren Jackson is a national treasure to the Aussies. She has just been named in the World Cup squad after a 12-year absence.

8. Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi, where do you start with him? Widely regarded as the greatest footballer to ever play the game, he has to feature. He dominated La Liga for the best part of two decades with Barcelona, breaking records at a canter.

7. Roger Federer

The Swiss racket man is aging like fine wine and is the greatest tennis player of all time for many. With 20 Grand Slam titles to his name including a dominant spell at the prestigious Wimbledon in the 2000s, he commands a spot on this list.

6. Peyton Manning

Regardless of whether you like NFL or not, Peyton Manning is a name you’ll know. The