A Blast from the Past: FourFourTwo’s 2001 List of the 100 Best Young Players in the World
It’s hard to believe it’s been over two decades since the dawn of the millennium. The year 2000 had seen the crowning of Luis Figo as the Ballon d’Or winner, while the likes of Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham, and Thierry Henry were some of the other stars of world football. Little did we know that a new generation of talent was just around the corner, ready to make their mark on the sport.
FourFourTwo’s 2001 list of the 100 best young players in the world has re-emerged, and it’s fascinating to see how many familiar names feature on the list. Of course, neither Cristiano Ronaldo nor Lionel Messi were on the scene yet, but there are still plenty of recognizable faces to get excited about.
At number 95, we find Kaka, then plying his trade at Sao Paulo. Bayer Leverkusen’s Dimitar Berbatov is in 82nd position, while Millwall wonderkid Cherno Samba takes the 71st spot. Arsenal’s Jeremie Aliadiere and Landon Donovan, who would go on to have a successful career in the US, both feature in the top 50.
The top 10 is where things get really interesting. Liverpool striker Anthony Le Tallec takes ninth place, just behind his team-mate and cousin Florent Sinama-Pongolle and Ajax starlet Rafael van der Vaart. These players were the future of football, and it’s amazing to see how their careers turned out.
So, who else made the cut? Here’s the full list:
- Djibril Cisse (AJ Auxerre)
- Andres D’Alessandro (River Plate)
- Leandro Bonfim (Vitoria/PSV Eindhoven)
- Fernando Torres (Atletico Madrid)
- Jermaine Pennant (Arsenal)
- Rafael van der Vaart (Ajax)
- Florent Sinama-Pongolle (Le Havre/Liverpool)
- Piotr Trochowski (Bayern Munich)
- Anthony Le Tallec (Le Havre/Liverpool)
- Mourad Meghni (Bologna)
And so on, all the way down to number 100, Alexander Hleb of VfB Stuttgart.
This list is a fascinating snapshot of the state of football in 2001. It’s amazing to see how many players have gone on to have successful careers, and how many others have faded into obscurity. Either way, it’s a great reminder of the excitement and uncertainty that comes with discovering new talent.
So, what do you think? Are there any players on this list that you remember watching or following back in the day? Let us know in the comments!
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