Ranking Spain's top 5 footballers of the 21st century 

#3. Sergio Ramos

Sergio Ramos blowing a kiss to the fans after scoring a goal.

Sergio Ramos was born in Camas, Spain, in 1986. He began his youth career at Sevilla in 1996 and came through the ranks to make his senior debut in 2003. Real Madrid signed the promising defender for a €27 million fee in 2005, a record for a Spanish defender. Having started his career as a right-back, Ramos now plays at centre-back.

The Spain international has made 719 club appearances, scoring an impressive 104 goals and providing 41 assists. He has won five La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey cups, four Champions League titles and four FIFA Club World Cups.

Sergio Ramos captained the Real Madrid side that completed a historic three-peat in the Champions League between 2015-18. The team was managed by former player Zinedine Zidane, who had co-incidentally set-up Ramos for his first goal for Los Blancos.

Ramos is a defender known for his passionate and aggressive approach to the game, which often boils over when provoked. He has received a total of 27 red cards in his club career - eight straight red and 19 double-yellows. Although his fiery side can benefit his teams if channelised properly, he has stirred up some brawls on the pitch in the past.

Sergio Ramos has made 180 appearances for Spain, scoring 23 goals and assisting eight. He was part of the Spain team that won the UEFA Euros in 2008 and 2012 and the FIFA World Cup in 2010.

Ramos is also renowned for his body art.

He is currently playing in France with Paris Saint-Germain after transferring before the start of the season. He recently took his career red card tally up to 27 with two clumsy challenges against Lorient in Ligue 1.

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#2. Xavi Hernandez

Xavi Hernandez was a key component at the heart of Spain's and Barcelona's midfield

Xavier Hernandez was born in Terrassa, Spain, in 1980. He came through the youth ranks at Barcelona's La Masia and made his senior team bow in 1997. He played the majority of his career at Barca before moving to Al Sadd in 2015 and retiring there in 2019. The midfielder was known for his vision, passing ability and incredible ball control.

Xavi played a total of 871 club games, scoring 109 and assisting 213 goals. He is the perfect example of a player who one needs to watch to understand his impact. Xavi controlled the tempo of the game with his innovative passing and creation of space.

He won eight La Liga titles, three Copa del Rey cups, four UEFA Champions League titles and two Club World Cups. He made 132 appearances for Spain, scoring 12 and assisting 24. Xavi won the 2008 and 2012 Euros, as well as the 2010 World Cup with his country.

Xavi hung his boots in 2019 as one of the very few players with over 1000 appearances for club and country. He is currently the manager of his beloved club FC Barcelona.

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#1. Andres Iniesta

Andres Iniesta was a genius on and off the ball - a pleasure to watch!

Andres Iniesta was born in Fuentealbilia, Spain, in 1984. He, too, came through the ranks at Barcelona's La Masia academy and made his senior debut in 2001. Iniesta spent 16 years as an integral part of Barca's first-team and became one of the best midfielders in history during this time.

Iniesta has made 778 total club appearances, scoring 80 goals and assisting 161. He has won nine La Liga titles, six Copa del Rey cups, four Champions League titles and three Club World Cups.

For Spain, the midfield maestro made 131 total appearances, scoring 13 and assisting 30. He was part of the Spain team that won the Euros in 2008 and 2012, as well as the World Cup-winning side of 2010. Andres Iniesta was the hero that night, scoring in extra-time to give Spain a 1-0 victory over the Netherlands in the final.

You can re-live the historic moment here:

Iniesta moved to Japan to sign with Vissel Kobe in 2018. He recently signed a two-year extension with the club that sees his stay extended until at least 2023.