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Football, as it is known, changed quite radically in 2000s following the emergence of a group of greatly talented players all over the world. Clubs began their golden eras as players shattered records that stood for decades.
Clubs such as Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and Bayern Munich have dominated the club football scene in the 2000s. In the same vein, Spain and Portugal emerged as powerhouses on the international scene, claiming multiple titles.
Arguably the two greatest players to play the game, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi made their professional bows after 2000. They vastly increased the significance of the 2000s in the sport.
As compiled by Transfermarkt, here is a list of football stars who have won the most matches since 2000.
#10 Pepe Reina
Spanish goalkeeper Pepe Reina has had a long and eventful career since making his professional debut in December 2000. The 39-year-old Spain ex-international started his career at FC Barcelona as a teenager. He made a handful of appearances before moving to Villarreal in 2002.
Reina joined Liverpool in the summer of 2005 and immediately established himself as the first-choice goalkeeper for the side. After eight seasons on Merseyside, Reina moved abroad and played for Napoli, Bayern Munich and AC Milan. He was sent on loan to Aston Villa in 2020 and then moved to Lazio in the summer of 2020.
Now at Lazio, Reina has played 852 matches in his career and won 450 of those, a 52.8% win ratio. He won the FIFA World Cup with Spain in 2010 and the UEFA Euro 2008 and Euro 2012, as well.
#9 Sergio Busquets
33-year-old midfielder Sergio Busquets has come a long way from the fresh-faced youngster who was handed his first-team debut at Barcelona. He was given the opportunity in 2008 by Pep Guardiola. The defensive midfielder is widely regarded as the best-ever in his position.
Busquets has played for only one club throughout his senior career. He was part of the FC Barcelona side that won the treble in 2008-09 and 2014-15, playing a key role in both seasons. Busquets helped Spain win the 2010 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2012. He also captained Spain to second-place at Euro 2020.
Now captain of club and country, Busquets has played 650 matches in his career, winning 453 times, a 69.7% win ratio.
#8 Xavi Hernandez
FC Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez enjoyed a long and successful career at the club as a player. He held the record for the most appearances (767) in the club's history until Lionel Messi broke his record in March 2021.
The Spaniard made his professional bow for FC Barcelona in 1998. However, he fully established himself as a first-team star in 1999-2000 after Pep Guardiola picked up an injury. Xavi played 767 times for FC Barcelona before moving to Al Sadd, and won 32 major honors throughout his career.
Xavi played in and won the 2010 FIFA World Cup with Spain as well as Euro 2008 and 2012. The midfield maestro, identified as one of the greatest midfielders ever, was part of the FC Barcelona side that won two trebles in 2009 and 2015. He won 454 of the 729 matches he played in between 2000 and 2019, when he retired, a win ratio of 62%.
#7 Sergio Ramos
Spanish defender Sergio Ramos is widely regarded as one of the greatest and one of the best goalscoring defenders of all-time. Initially a right-back, Ramos was converted into a top-notch central defender at Real Madrid.
Ramos came through the academy setup at Sevilla before joining Real Madrid for a then-record €27 million for a Spanish defender in 2005. Ramos helped Real Madrid win the UEFA Champions League four times, three of them consecutively. He left the club for PSG in the summer of 2021.
The defender is the most-capped player in Spanish national team history and the joint eighth-highest scorer of all time for La Roja. The 35-year-old was part of the victorious Spanish sides to the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2008 and 2012 European Championships.
Ramos has played 717 matches in his career since 2000 with 455 wins, a win ratio of 63.4%.
#6 Iker Casillas
Iker Casillas is another legendary Spaniard on this list. The goalkeeper made his professional debut for Real Madrid in 1999 and left the club 16 years later after a trophy-laden career.
Casillas holds the record for most clean sheets in UEFA Champions League history (59) and most consecutive seasons in the competition. The retired goalkeeper is widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers ever for his shot-stopping ability, quick reflexes and agility.
Casillas joined FC Porto in 2015 before calling time on an illustrious career in 2020 after a training heart attack kept him out for about a year.
Casillas played in 716 matches between 2000 and 2019 when he retired, winning 457 of them with a win ratio of 63.8%.
#5 Andres Iniesta
Andres Iniesta remains one of the greatest midfielders of 2000s. The Spaniard is fondly remembered for scoring the only goal in the 2010 FIFA World Cup final against the Netherlands.
Iniesta made his professional debut in 2004 for FC Barcelona. He eventually went on to captain the club before leaving for Japanese side Vissel Kobe in 2019. Iniesta was part of the two-time treble-winning FC Barcelona squad alongside six others.
The midfielder was part of the Spanish squad that won Euro 2008 and Euro 2012, as well. 37-year-old Iniesta has racked up 457 wins in 674 matches in the 2000s, a win ratio of 67.8%.
#4 Dani Alves
Brazilian right-back Dani Alves is without a doubt one of the greatest footballers in his position ever. The 38-year-old is the most decorated footballer in history, having won 42 major honors throughout his career.
Alves made his name at Sevilla before a move to FC Barcelona in 2008 cemented his place at the very top of world football. The defender was part of two treble-winning FC Barcelona sides of 2009 and 2015, and played key roles both times.
Alves made his professional debut in 2001 and recently re-signed for a second spell at FC Barcelona from 2022. Dani Alves has won 479 of his 729 matches since his debut with a win ratio of 65.7%.
#3 Karim Benzema
Real Madrid captain Karim Benzema has distinguished himself as one of the finest strikers of his generation. The experienced Frenchman made his name as a youngster in the French Ligue 1 with a dominant Olympique Lyonnais team. He earned a big money move to Real Madrid in 2009 for €35 million + add ons.
Since his move to Real Madrid, Benzema has delivered a great number of goals and assists for the side. The 34-year-old Frenchman was part of the dominant Real Madrid side that won the Champions League four times in five seasons.
Benzema also won his first international title with France, the UEFA Nations League, in 2021. This came after he returned to the national team following a six-year absence due to issues off the field.
Currently enjoying his best form, Benzema was voted by fans as the seventh best player in the world for 2021. Benzema has claimed 480 wins in 727 appearances in the 2000s, giving him a 66% win ratio.
#2 Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi is a player who requires no introduction anywhere. The Argentina captain has written his name into the history books forever with his performances at international and club level.
Messi made his professional bow in 2004 for FC Barcelona before leaving the club 17 years later for PSG in 2021. The diminutive forward is the greatest goalscorer for his country (80), as well as FC Barcelona (672). He has also made the most appearances for both sides in their history.
Messi has won the Ballon d'Or a record seven times this year. He was also part of FC Barcelona's two-time treble-winning squad. The Argentine forward enjoyed a glamorous and successful career at the Nou Camp before his departure for the French capital.
Messi has set a number of records, that may never be broken, in the past 17 years. He is the player with the second-most trophies in history.
Messi has won 545 of his 792 official matches since his debut, giving him a win ratio of 68.8%.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo has been one of the all-time football greats for his feats over the last two decades. Ronaldo’s achievements and records speak for themselves everywhere he goes.
After making his debut for Sporting Lisbon, he moved to Manchester United in 2003. From there, he made his name and earned a world-record transfer of £80 million to Real Madrid in 2009. Ronaldo has scored 801 career goals, making him the highest-scoring active player.
The forward has also won the Ballon d'Or five times and is the record goalscorer in UEFA Champions League history (140). Ronaldo played an important role in all of Real Madrid's four Champions League titles while he was at the club. He also led Portugal to the first two titles in their history in EURO 2016 and UEFA Nations League 2019 as captain, making him an outright national hero.
Now 36 and at Manchester United, Ronaldo has won 596 of his 881 matches so far, recording a win ratio of 67.6%. This makes him the player with the most wins since 2000.
