Before hanging up his boots for good after the 2006 World Cup, two moments, across six years of this particular decade, defined Zinedine Zidane

A celebration of These Football Times’ writers’ favourite stars of the 2000s.
By These Football Times
Before hanging up his boots for good after the 2006 World Cup, two moments, across six years of this particular decade, defined Zinedine Zidane
Is Yeste equal or superior to most of the other players on this list when it comes to sheer talent? Yes. Is he better than all the other Ys? Undoubtedly
Named as one of Fiorentina and the Czech Republic’s greatest defenders, Tomáš Ujfaluši was one of the 2000s most underrated players
The Fernando Torres of the 2000s may not always have been blessed with world-class teammates, but he was a force like no other
Carles Puyol was the architect of an enduring legacy that heralds him one of the best defenders in Barcelona and world football history
You can choose to remember Owen in any way you want, but consider yourself lucky that you weren’t playing against him during his golden years at Liverpool
Unfortunately, Kaká never really belonged to us mere mortal. Nevertheless, so great were his gifts, football could not help but praise him on high
Try as they might, studying his game as fervently as they can, nobody will ever strike a dead ball quite like Juninho Pernambucano. Nobody
To this day “Luís Figo pig head” is the first search suggested by Google when you type his name. It’s a shame. He was greater than that, far greater
The greatest son of his nation and a true African legend, Samuel Eto’o would forge a unique path to immortality at Barcelona in 2000s
“A decade that changed football beyond recognition” Bruno Conti