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In the 21st century, several teams have dominated international football over the years due to them having some of the world's best players. However, when playing on the international stage, many factors exist that can prevent teams from performing at their best level. One such factor is the short time the team has to spend together between games.
Despite their players being unable to spend much time together, some countries have been able to win a good number of matches. Teams like Spain, France, Germany, Brazil, and many others dominated the 21st century by managing to maintain a certain core of players in their national teams. These players have won numerous matches and trophies for the teams.
Without further ado, here is a list of five players with the best win ratio in international football in the 21st century.
#5 Fernando Torres (74.5%)
Fernando Torres featured for Spain at a time when he was arguably the most feared striker in Europe. His ability perfectly complimented the Spanish national team and helped build perhaps the most dominant international side ever. The former Liverpool and Chelsea striker won 74.5% of the matches he played in for La Roja.
Torres played 110 matches for the Spanish national team and ended up on the winning side 82 times in total. The striker made his international debut for La Roja in 2003 against Portugal. He called time on his international career in 2014 after spending 11 years with the team. He is Spain's third-highest goalscorer of all time with 39 goals.
Torres played in six major tournaments for Spain, starting with Euro 2004. He also featured in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Euro 2008, 2010 World Cup, Euro 2012, and the 2014 World Cup.
He scored the winning goal for Spain in the Euro 2008 final as Spain beat Germany 1-0. He won the Golden Boot with three goals as Spain won Euro 2012, beating Italy 4-0 in the final. He had a reduced role in the 2010 World Cup triumph, but enjoyed a very successful international career.
#4 Xavi (75.2%)
Spanish midfield maestro Xavi enjoyed an amazing career in which he won loads of laurels. Like Torres, he was a part of the great Spanish side of the late 2000s and early 2010s. He was the heartbeat of the team. Xavi maintained a 75.2% win ratio in his time with the Spanish national team.
The former FC Barcelona midfielder and current manager made 133 appearances for his country and was on the winning side in 100 of those matches. He made his senior debut in 2000 after winning the FIFA U-20 World Cup a year earlier.
He featured in seven major tournaments for La Roja, winning three of them. The midfielder retired from international football after the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Xavi played in the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Euro 2004, 2006 World Cup, Euro 2008, 2010 World Cup, Euro 2012, and the 2014 World Cup. He was named Player of the Tournament at Euro 2008. He was also the first man to assist in two European Championship finals, doing so in 2008 and 2012.
#3 Xabi Alonso (77.2%)
Xabi Alonso was one of the finest midfielders of his generation the way he dominated the midfield with his intelligence and technical ability. He was a key player for Spain during their golden generation alongside Xavi and Andres Iniesta in midfield. The former Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich man won 88 of his 114 matches for the Spanish national team.
Alonso made his international debut for Spain in 2003 against Ecuador at a time when he was still a Real Sociedad player. The gifted midfielder went on to represent his country in five major tournaments before his eventual retirement in 2014. He helped the side win Euro 2008, 2010 World Cup, and Euro 2012. He also featured in Euro 2004, the 2006 World Cup, and the 2014 World Cup.
Alonso enjoyed a brilliant career for La Roja. However, he, along with several of the team's veterans, decided to retire following their group stage exit at the 2014 World Cup.
The retired midfielder was in charge of Real Sociedad's B team in the 2021-22 season.
#2 Marquinhos (78.3%)
Paris Saint-Germain captain Marquinhos is one of the world's best defenders at present. The 28-year-old Brazilian defender has won 78.3% of his matches for the national team since making his debut.
Marquinhos started playing for the Brazilian national team in 2013 when he played in a friendly against Honduras. He was left out of the squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and only made his competitive debut in the 2015 Copa America.
Since then, he has played in the 2016 Copa America, 2018 FIFA World Cup, 2019 Copa America, and 2021 Copa America. He helped the side win the 2019 Copa America on home soil.
Marquinhos has played 69 times for his country and has been on the winning side in 54 of those matches. The versatile central defender was also part of Brazil's squad to claim the gold medal at the 2016 Olympics on home soil.
#1 David Villa (80.6%)
David Villa enjoyed a brilliant international career for Spain between 2005 and 2017, when he played for his country. The striker enjoyed great success with La Roja, winning 80.6% of the matches in which he represented the European nation.
Villa played 98 matches for the Spanish national team and won 79 of those matches. He played in four major tournaments for his country, including the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Euro 2008, the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He won Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup but missed out on Euro 2012 with a fractured tibia.
Villa is Spain's highest goalscorer of all time with 59 goals. The former FC Barcelona man also scored the most goals by a Spanish player in the history of the FIFA World Cup with nine goals.
