The greatest starting XI of the 2000s, chosen from every club of the era by iKnoBall's era-adjusted engine — and the record they'd run over a full 38-game season.
Petr Cech headlines the 2000s at a 96 overall. The engine assembles a complete XI — goalkeeper, back four, midfield, and a front line — from across the era's clubs, then plays out all 38 matches. Their 35–3 projection captures an era-defining core, measured on the same era-adjusted scale as every other decade so the comparison is fair.
| Player | Position | Era | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petr Cech | Goalkeeper | 2000s | 96 |
| John Terry | Defender | 2000s | 95 |
| Rio Ferdinand | Defender | 2000s | 95 |
| Ashley Cole | Defender | 2000s | 93 |
| Nemanja Vidic | Defender | 2000s | 93 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Midfielder | 2000s | 98 |
| Steven Gerrard | Midfielder | 2000s | 98 |
| Frank Lampard | Midfielder | 2000s | 97 |
| Thierry Henry | Forward | 2000s | 99 |
| Wayne Rooney | Forward | 2000s | 96 |
| Dennis Bergkamp | Forward | 2000s | 95 |
| Patrick Vieira | Midfielder | 2000s | 95 |
| Didier Drogba | Forward | 2000s | 95 |
| Paul Scholes | Midfielder | 2000s | 95 |
| Fernando Torres | Forward | 2000s | 94 |
| Ruud van Nistelrooy | Forward | 2000s | 94 |
| Alan Shearer | Forward | 2000s | 94 |
| Robert Pires | Midfielder | 2000s | 93 |
| Edwin van der Sar | Goalkeeper | 2000s | 93 |
| Cesc Fabregas | Midfielder | 2000s | 93 |
| Xabi Alonso | Midfielder | 2000s | 93 |
| Sol Campbell | Defender | 2000s | 92 |
| Marcel Desailly | Defender | 2000s | 92 |
| Jamie Carragher | Defender | 2000s | 92 |
| Michael Essien | Midfielder | 2000s | 91 |
| Pepe Reina | Goalkeeper | 2000s | 91 |
| Ledley King | Defender | 2000s | 91 |
| Freddie Ljungberg | Midfielder | 2000s | 91 |
| Gary Neville | Defender | 2000s | 91 |
| Patrice Evra | Defender | 2000s | 91 |
Spin an era, draft a legend, build your all-time XI and chase a perfect 38–0 across five sports. Free to play.
Build Your All-Time XIGet the AppiKnoBall's era-adjusted engine picks Petr Cech (GK, 2000s), John Terry (DEF, 2000s), Rio Ferdinand (DEF, 2000s), Ashley Cole (DEF, 2000s), Nemanja Vidic (DEF, 2000s), Cristiano Ronaldo (MID, 2000s), Steven Gerrard (MID, 2000s), Frank Lampard (MID, 2000s), Thierry Henry (FWD, 2000s), Wayne Rooney (FWD, 2000s), Dennis Bergkamp (FWD, 2000s) as the greatest 2000s XI, projecting them to a 35–3 season.
The top 2000s XI projects at 35–3 with an average starter rating of 96. Ratings are era-adjusted so a dominant 2000s season is measured on the same scale as any other era.
On iKnoBall's scale the top-rated 2000s player is Petr Cech at a 96 overall. See the full 2000s rankings above.
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Ratings are era-adjusted and computed by iKnoBall's simulation engine. Records are model projections for entertainment, not predictions. Player names belong to their respective owners; iKnoBall is an independent fan-made game.