🏆 The 25 greatest players of the last 25 years: Exquisiteness in 3rd place | OneFootball

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...

3rd: Zinedine Zidane (779 points)

Zinedine Zidane was pure elegance on a football pitch, a maestro with an exceptional touch on the ball, he made many generations dream.

His legendary moves, such as the roulette, have made their mark on the history of sport. Capable of making exceptional moves in the biggest matches, Zizou was a player unlike any other.

A magnetic figure, today he is still remembered as the personification of class and one of the best players the game has ever produced.

Fun fact

📸 PIERRE VERDY

Among his close friends, no one calls him Zinedine. Since he was very young, he asked to be called by his middle name Yazid. "At home, they call me Yazid, in football it's Zizou, and with my wife it's Yaz," he explained to La Chaîne L'Équipe.

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.

📸 Gary M. Prior - 2002 Getty Images