Few would argue that the 1950s belonged to Alfredo Di Stefano, the 1960s to Pele, the 1970s to Johann Cruyff or Franz Beckenbauer, and the 1980s to Diego Maradona.

But if a handful of contenders can lay caim to being the player of the 1990s, then debate over who was the best player of the last decade is even more wide open.

Its first half was illuminated by, among others, FIFA World Player of the Year recipients Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, while Fabio Cannavaro, Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi seized the prestigious award thereafter. The likes of Gianluigi Buffon, Iker Casillas, Xavi, Pavel Nedved, Steven Gerrard, Andriy Shevchenko and Samuel Eto’o also excelled over the course of the past ten years.

So, it’s over to you: Who was the player of the last decade? Simply click 'Add your comment' to make your opinion known, remembering to keep your posts clean, respectful, on-topic and in English.