ESPN picks the top three players of the century – third place surprises everyone
ESPN has ranked the 20 best players of the 21st century, placing Lionel Messi above Cristiano Ronaldo. However, the biggest surprise comes from the player who is ranked third on this list.
Shortly after releasing the top 100 athletes of the 21st century, ESPN has now released the list of the top 20 players since 2000, based on thousands of votes.
The Argentine star is once again ranked higher than the Portuguese striker, but the biggest surprise comes in third place, as neither Neymar nor Mbappe made it to the podium.
Instead, ESPN has chosen Thierry Henry as the third best player of the century behind Messi and Ronaldo. The Frenchman was successful both at the club level and with the national team, leaving big marks at Arsenal, while at the same time he was key at the Roosters.
The article explains how Henry has ‘revolutionised the role of the number 9 in football’, something which may explain why he took the place of some other big names.
ESPN explains why neither Neymar nor Mbappe managed to finish on the podium with Messi and Ronaldo.
Although he still has to prove himself, Mbappe is being seen as the new face of European football after the Messi-Ronaldo era. Now that he has joined Real Madrid, all eyes are on the French star, who helped his country win the World Cup at the age of 19.”
Surprisingly, Neymar did not make this ESPN ranking, coming in at 20th on the list.
“The prince never grew up to be the king of the game. The player of the year award was always seen as a target, but he fell short and never won a major trophy with his country,” ESPN explained.
