Ronaldo Is Goal.com's Player Of The Decade

• Ronaldo

Welcome to 2010! It's the start of a new decade, but Goal.com must first take a glance back to the first ten years of the 2000s.

To close off the decade we asked you, the readers, to vote for the top player of the past ten years. The shortlist below was drawn from a series of polls asking you to pick the best in each position - this accounts for the absence of, among others, Ronaldinho.

That's how the final nine were chosen - but what about the top one?

The results are in, and the winner is Ronaldo.

The Brazilian legend had a close challenger in the form of Zinedine Zidane, but in the end prevailed with almost half the vote.

Bringing up the rear were a host of players ranging from Sami Hyypia to Gigi Buffon, but none could top the former Inter, Real Madrid, and AC Milan man.

The Pantheon


1st - Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima - 'Ronaldo'


2nd - Zinedine Zidane


3rd - Lionel Messi