From Beckham to Bale – ranking the best British exports this century

A BBC ranking celebrates the best British footballers to have played abroad since 2000, showcasing a generation establishing themselves across Europe's elite leagues and beyond.

– Kieran Trippier (Atletico Madrid): Revived his career under Diego Simeone, becoming the club's first English player in almost a century and helping win La Liga in a triumph that broke Barcelona and Real Madrid's dominance. – Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan): Won the Scudetto in 2021-22, becoming the first British Scudetto winner since the 1960s, and has completed seven seasons at the Italian giants with consistent performances. – Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund): Showed impressive development from age 17, scoring 50 goals and 64 assists in 137 games, winning the German Cup and finishing runner-up in both the Golden Boy and Kopa Trophy awards. – David Beckham: Established a template for British players abroad with success spanning Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain across multiple continents.