The Noughties – Soccer Hall of Fame: Six of the Best Players of the 2001-2010 Decade

With Barcelona, Henry has also scored further goals in Spain’s La Liga. Henry also won the European Championship and reached the World Cup final when playing for France. Thierry Henry had great speed, excellent dribbling, and could easily beat defenders to score goals with his trickery. He was too hot to handle for most defences in the Premier League, La Liga, and European soccer more widely.

Zinedine Zidane

Henry’s compatriot, Zidane, was equally influential for France. In the 2006 World Cup, Zidane played some great games and was considered one of the best players of the World Cup before retiring from the national team. At the club level, Zidane also played for Real Madrid, where he won the La Liga title and the Champions League. Overall, Zidane was twice FIFA Player of the Year in the 2000s.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Portugal’s Ronaldo starred at Manchester Utd and Real Madrid. With Utd, the pacey winger scored 145 goals, helping the club win the Premier League and Champions League. He was twice PFA Player of the Year and also World Player of the Year during the period he played for Manchester Utd. Manchester Utd sold Ronaldo to Real Madrid in 2009 for a then-world record transfer of €94m at that time.

Ronaldo raised his game even further for Real Madrid, where he became a La Liga legend as a more complete center forward. He scored an astonishing 311 goals in 292 La Liga games for Madrid. Although Messi scored a higher total, Ronaldo’s minutes per goal ratio was better.

Wayne Rooney

England’s Rooney came to prominence with Everton after some fine displays for the club. Rooney soon became an England player and scored many goals for them at the European Championship, with a total of 53 overall. A move to Manchester Utd followed, where Rooney led Manchester Utd’s front line. With Utd, he won five league titles and the Champions League in 2008. In addition to this, Rooney has also won numerous PFA awards for his form in the Premier League.

Lionel Messi

Messi broke into the Barcelona team in 2004, and he soon became an integral player for the Catalan giants. By the end of the decade (2009), he was the FIFA World Player of the Year (and was also runner-up for that accolade in 2008 and 2007. That was a fantastic season for Messi during which he won La Liga, Copa del Rey, and the Champions League as Barcelona completed the treble. With his sensational dribbling, creative playmaking, and goal-scoring prowess, Messi was very much the best player in the world by the end of the 2001-2010 decade.

These are just a few of the best players of the 2001-2010 decade. The likes of Ronaldo, Messi, Henry, Rooney, and Zidane were influential players for their clubs and countries. Those players were six of the best in soccer history who excelled during the 2001-2010 decade.