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A plethora of world-class players across positions have graced the game since the turn of the century, winning big titles for club and country.
While most have etched their names as some of the finest in their respective positions, few have displayed impressive consistency for a sustained period as well.
Some notable examples in this regard would be Gianluigi Buffon, Carles Puyol, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Luis Figo, and more recently Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Robert Lewandowski, to name a few.
So, without further ado, here's a look at the best XI of the 21st century.
Goalkeeper: Iker Casillas
Iker Casillas has arguably been the best goalkeeper since the turn of the century, as he won several big titles for club and country to narrowly edge out Italy's Gianluigi Buffon.
Though both men starred in FIFA World Cup triumphs for their respective teams and won multiple league titles, Casillas gets the nod, as he also won two European Championships and three UEFA Champions League titles.
A shot-stopper par excellence, Casillas kept an impressive century of clean sheets in 168 appearances for Spain and 264 in over 700 appearances for his boyhood club Real Madrid. He was Spain's captain as they won the European Championships in 2008 and 2012 and also played a starring role for La Roja in their FIFA World Cup triumph in 2010.
Casillas retired after winding down his illustrious career at Portuguese giants Porto in the 2018-19 season.
Left-back: Roberto Carlos
Roberto Carlos is arguably the best left-back to have graced the sport. During an illustrious two-decade-long playing career, Carlos enjoyed the most success with Real Madrid, with whom he won three Champions League titles and four La Liga crowns.
The left-back also enjoyed success with Brazil, winning two Copa America titles in the 90s and the FIFA World Cup in 2002. A tireless runner down the flanks, Carlos was also equally adept going forward.
In fact, he is the highest-scoring defender in UEFA Champions League history, famously providing the assist to Zinedine Zidane for Real Madrid's winner in the 2002 final against Bayer Leverkusen in Glasgow.
Carlos, who was also renowned for his long-range shots and jaw-dropping free-kicks, ended his nine-season-long stint with Real Madrid with an impressive haul of 70 goals and 90 assists in over 500 appearances. He also made over a century of appearances for Brazil, scoring 11 times and assisting 12.
Center-back: Sergio Ramos
Sergio Ramos has etched his name in football history as one of the highest-scoring defenders and has an illustrious trophy cabinet. He won five La Liga titles and four Champions League titles with Real Madrid, while he also won the FIFA World Cup once and the European Championships twice with Spain.
Initially starting out as a right-back, Ramos made his name as a no-nonsense, hard-tackling center-back. Although his disciplinary record is questionable - Ramos has seen more red cards than any player in La Liga or the Champions League - there is no denying the 35-year-old's potency at both ends of the field, especially his aerial prowess.
After the departure of Real Madrid's all-time top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer of 2018, Ramos also assumed penalty-taking responsibilities at his club. Now at PSG, after missing Euro 2020, the veteran defender will look to prove that he is far from being finished at the top level.
Center-back: Giorgio Chiellini
Like Ramos, Giorgio Chiellini is also renowned for his aerial prowess and has been a standout performer for club and country since the turn of the century.
Though he is not a prolific goalscorer like his Spanish counterpart, Chiellini more than does his job at the back. Although he is not the fastest mover on the field, Italy's Euro 2020-winning captain more than makes up for that with his impeccable positional awareness and ball-winning prowess.
During Italy's triumphant Euro 2020 campaign, Chiellini, along with his defensive partner Leonardo Bonucci, wasn't dribbled past once.
Chiellini is the only player to feature in each of the Bianconeri's nine consecutive Serie A winning seasons between 2012 and 2020. Now 37, he will look to lead Juventus back to title-winning ways after Inter Milan ended their near-decade-long Serie A stranglehold last season.
Right-back: Dani Alves
Dani Alves, much like his compatriot Roberto Carlos on the other flank, redefined the way modern full-backs play the game.
One of the best right-backs in football history, Alves has won the most titles (40) of any player and has won league titles in three different countries - Spain, Italy and France. Of course, it was at Barcelona, where he made his name as a world-class full-back, winning 25 titles at the club including two continental trebles.
In 940 career appearances for club and country, Alves has tallied close to 200 assists, an impressive number for a defensive player, while also scoring 67 times.
Central midfielder: Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard is one of the best midfielders to have played the game since the turn of the century. The former Chelsea manager narrowly edges out his compatriot and Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard due to his superior goalscoring prowess.
One of the most prolific midfield players in Premier League history, Lampard struck an impressive 177 goals, while also assisting over 100 times in the competition. Most of his Premier League strikes came with Chelsea, with whom he won three league titles. Lampard also featured more than 100 times for England, but a major title eluded him.
Apart from his goal contributions, the 43-year-old was also adept at taking free-kicks and donned various roles in midfield and attack.
Central midfield: Xavi Hernandez
Xavi Hernandez, more commonly known only by his first name, is arguably one of the best midfielders to have graced the beautiful game.
Possessing a keen eye for exploring spaces in the opposition half, Xavi helped create scoring opportunities galore for club and country during an illustrious career.
The 41-year-old was one of the dazzling performers in Barcelona's historic 2008-09 treble-winning campaign, conjuring 40 goal contributions (ten goals and 30 assists) in all competitions.
He orchestrated play in the middle of the park for club and country like very few could and won three major trophies with Spain. Though he was not a prolific scorer - something that probably cost him the Ballon d'Or - his ability to conjure goalscoring chances was worth its weight in gold.
Central midfield: Andres Iniesta
Andres Iniesta, along with Xavi, formed the core of a Barcelona team that won the 2008-09 continental treble and the Spain side that swept consecutive Euro titles either side of a FIFA World Cup triumph.
Iniesta, who operated a little higher up the pitch than Xavi, didn't score too many goals, but when he did, they were usually landmark ones. He famously scored the winner that sealed Spain's only World Cup title in 2010. A nine-time La Liga winner, Iniesta produced a last-gasp stunner against Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals in 2009, a goal that eventually paved the way for the club's treble that season.
Despite his diminutive stature, Iniesta was decent in the air and was a master in retaining possession and finding his teammates with decisive passes to pierce the tightest of gaps in opposition defenses.
Left-winger: Cristiano Ronaldo
Arguably one of the greatest players to have graced the game, Cristiano Ronaldo has scored goals and won trophies galore for club and country.
Starting out as a winger thanks to his blistering pace and trickery on the ball, Ronaldo also found success while operating down the middle, where his aerial prowess has stood him in good stead.
The all-time Real Madrid and UEFA Champions League goalscorer continues to go strong despite turning 36 earlier this year. Although Juventus failed to defend their Serie A title in 2020-21, Ronaldo scored 29 goals to win his first Capocannoniere award.
Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d'Or winner, has won a record five Champions League titles and has also provided the most assists in the competition's history. He recently dazzled at Euro 2020 and finished as the top scorer despite suffering elimination in the Round of 16.
Striker: Luis Suarez
Though there have been many good strikers since the turn of the century like Robert Lewandowski and Karim Benzema, to name a few, none have been as prolific and consistent as Luis Suarez. The Uruguayan has found success in three different leagues in Europe and continues to go strong despite approaching his mid-30s.
During a prolific six-season stint at Barcelona, Suarez scored nearly 200 goals, winning four La Liga titles and a continental treble while also striking up a devastating partnership with Lionel Messi and Neymar. After moving to Atletico Madrid last season, the 34-year-old scored 21 league goals to inspire the Rojiblancos to their first La Liga title in seven years.
Suarez has also been a prolific scorer in international football, scoring a record 62 times for Uruguay in over 120 appearances.
Right-winger: Lionel Messi
Widely regarded as the best player to have played the beautiful game, Lionel Messi has been a standout performer for club and country over the course of his illustrious career.
The 2021 Copa America winner arrived at Ligue 1 giants PSG after a prolific 17-season stint at Barcelona, where he registered a staggering 1077 goal contributions (672 goals, 305 assists). Messi, who has won a record six Ballon d'Or and eight Pichichi awards, is a magician with the ball at his feet.
A set-piece specialist, the 34-year-old has won ten La Liga titles and two continental trebles. He has also scored goals galore in the biggest of competitions, something he'll look to do with his current employers this season.
