World Cup Best XI - Your Lifetime

AZOffaly · May 18, 2010, 09:47:29 PM

Inspired by a magazine I was reading, where Jeff Stelling of Sky Sports gave his all time World Cup XI (which has some bizzare selections btw), I got to thinking of my all time World Cup XI.

You have to have seen the players at the time, not just footage from the 1950s (unless you are Shamrock Shore or Billy's Boots), so no Pele or Eusebio for me for example.

My World Cup Lifetime where I appreciated what was going on was 1982 onwards. So.... 4 - 3 - 1 - 2 formation and only in my initial instincts rather than any detailed analysis...

Goalie - Dino Zoff (Italy). Was tempted to give the nod to Rinat Dassaev of the USSR, but captaining your country to a win at 40 is pretty special.

Right Back - Josimar (Brazil). Cheating a bit as defensively wouldn't be the best, but as a raiding attacker he was something else in 1986.
Centre Back - Paul McGrath (Ireland). Biased obviously, but I reckon Paul was among the best I've seen.
Centre Back - Franco Baresi (Italy). More a sweeper than a centre half, but his reading of the game was exceptional.
Left Back - Paolo Maldini (Italy). 3 Italians in the back 5 tells it's own story I suppose, but it's hard to argue with Maldini..

Right Side Midfield - Zinadine Zidane (France). Wouldn't put in much of a shift, but hell this is a fantasy team.

Centre Midfield - Socrates (Brazil). The chain smoking doctor was a class apart with the ball at his feet.

Left side midfield - Michel Platini (France). A seriously ball playing midfield. We might struggle to get the ball a bit though. Lothar Matheus was a big option in midfield as well.

'In the hole' - Diego Maradona (Argentina). In 1986 he was phenomonal. A class apart.

Right side forward - Dennis Bergkamp (Holland). Great tournament in 1994 especially, and one of the most cultured forwards of his generation.

Left side forward - Ronaldo (Brazil). His initial tournament in 1998, and the bounce back in 2002 were spectacular. The striker of the side.

Others off the top of my head who had a real shout would be Oleg Blokhin of USSR, Falcao of Brazil, Romario, Hagi, Baggio, Michael Laudrup, Zubizaretta, Linekar, Robson etc

For the record Jeff Stellings is

Gordon Banks (ENG)

Cafu (BRA)
Bobby Moore (ENG)
Daniel Passarella (ARG)
Paolo Maldini (ITA)

Michel Platini (FRA)
Alan Ball (ENG)
Alain Giresse (FRA)

Geoff Hurst (ENG)
Eusebio (POR)
Roger Milla (CAM)

What's yours? State the World Cups covered....

ONeill · May 18, 2010, 09:57:19 PM

86-06 (82 was too foggy) - a dodgy 4-3-3

Shilton

Carlos
Desailly
Baresi
Maldini

Matthäus
Zidane
Maradona

Lineker
Ronaldo
Baggio

Geoff Tipps · May 18, 2010, 10:09:30 PM

86-06

Buffon

Cafu
McGrath
Baresi
Maldini

Zidane
Matthaus
Maradona

Klinsmann
Ronaldo
Bergkamp

Tony Baloney · May 18, 2010, 10:18:05 PM

Quote from: ONeill on May 18, 2010, 09:57:19 PM
86-06 (82 was too foggy) - a dodgy 4-3-3

Shilton

Carlos
Desailly
Baresi
Maldini

Matthäus
Zidane
Maradona

Lineker
Ronaldo
Baggio

As a 34 year old it covers my time period. Difficult to argue with your selection - especially the middle 3. Would have Baresi in the libero role. Not sure about Shilts though.

Minder · May 18, 2010, 10:23:39 PM

If Shilton was able to get more than 3 inches off the ground for Brehmes deflected free kick it may have got messy.

ONeill · May 18, 2010, 10:23:56 PM

Just liked Shilton. Suppose he had as competition: Goycochea, Preud'homme, Barthez, Chilavert, Kahn and Buffon

thewobbler · May 18, 2010, 10:25:15 PM

Anyone picking Maradona in midfield can never complain about square pegs in All-Star selections again. He might have been the best player every playing there, but he didn't.

86-06

Gianluigi Buffon

Lilian Thuram
Jurgen Kohler
Fabio Cannavaro
Paolo Maldini

Andreas Moller
Lothar Mattheus
Zinadine Zidane
Zico

Ronaldo (Brazil)
Maradona

gallsman · May 18, 2010, 10:26:14 PM

94-06

Campos (too hard to pick an outstanding keeper so just went for a crazy legend)

Cafu Cannavaro Baresi Lizarazu

Figo Makelele Zizou

Romario Ronaldo Baggio

Very, very difficult to leave out:

Stoichkov
Rivaldo
Hagi
Zubizaretta
Bergkamp
Crespo
Batigol

Very difficult to leave out plenty of others.

ONeill · May 18, 2010, 10:32:01 PM

Quote from: thewobbler on May 18, 2010, 10:25:15 PM
Anyone picking Maradona in midfield can never complain about square pegs in All-Star selections again. He might have been the best player every playing there, but he didn't.

86-06

Gianluigi Buffon

Lilian Thuram
Jurgen Kohler
Fabio Cannavaro
Paolo Maldini

Andreas Moller
Lothar Mattheus
Zinadine Zidane
Zico

Ronaldo (Brazil)
Maradona

What??? Zico in 86??? You're having a laugh.

Denn Forever · May 18, 2010, 10:38:42 PM

Quote from: gallsman on May 18, 2010, 10:26:14 PM
94-06

Campos (too hard to pick an outstanding keeper so just went for a crazy legend)

Cafu Cannavaro Baresi Lizarazu

Figo Makelele Zizou

Romario Ronaldo Baggio

Very, very difficult to leave out:

Stoichkov
Rivaldo
Hagi
Zubizaretta
Bergkamp
Crespo
Batigol

Very difficult to leave out plenty of others.

No Maldini?

ross4life · May 18, 2010, 10:43:48 PM

Pat Jennings

Thuram
Baresi
McGrath
Maldini

Zindane
Maradona
Hagi

Ronaldo
Romário
R. Baggio

gallsman · May 18, 2010, 10:48:47 PM

Quote from: Denn Forever on May 18, 2010, 10:38:42 PM
Quote from: gallsman on May 18, 2010, 10:26:14 PM
94-06

Campos (too hard to pick an outstanding keeper so just went for a crazy legend)

Cafu Cannavaro Baresi Lizarazu

Figo Makelele Zizou

Romario Ronaldo Baggio

Very, very difficult to leave out:

Stoichkov
Rivaldo
Hagi
Zubizaretta
Bergkamp
Crespo
Batigol

Very difficult to leave out plenty of others.

No Maldini?

Trying to do it on world cup performance as opposed to how great the player was. Don't think he was particularly special in the world cups, was he? Whereas both Thuram and Lizarazu were crucial to France's win in 1998.

Geoff Tipps · May 18, 2010, 10:52:11 PM

Quote from: ONeill on May 18, 2010, 10:32:01 PM
Quote from: thewobbler on May 18, 2010, 10:25:15 PM
Anyone picking Maradona in midfield can never complain about square pegs in All-Star selections again. He might have been the best player every playing there, but he didn't.

86-06

Gianluigi Buffon

Lilian Thuram
Jurgen Kohler
Fabio Cannavaro
Paolo Maldini

Andreas Moller
Lothar Mattheus
Zinadine Zidane
Zico

Ronaldo (Brazil)
Maradona

What??? Zico in 86??? You're having a laugh.

Would agree he was past his best by 86. Andreas Möller is a curious choice as well. Did he even play in 1990? '94 and '98 the Germans didn't do much. I could be wrong but I don't remember him standing out in any world cup.

Rav67 · May 18, 2010, 10:55:28 PM

Quote from: gallsman on May 18, 2010, 10:48:47 PM
Quote from: Denn Forever on May 18, 2010, 10:38:42 PM
Quote from: gallsman on May 18, 2010, 10:26:14 PM
94-06

Campos (too hard to pick an outstanding keeper so just went for a crazy legend)

Cafu Cannavaro Baresi Lizarazu

Figo Makelele Zizou

Romario Ronaldo Baggio

Very, very difficult to leave out:

Stoichkov
Rivaldo
Hagi
Zubizaretta
Bergkamp
Crespo
Batigol

Very difficult to leave out plenty of others.

No Maldini?

Trying to do it on world cup performance as opposed to how great the player was. Don't think he was particularly special in the world cups, was he? Whereas both Thuram and Lizarazu were crucial to France's win in 1998.

Maldini was phenomenal in 94, got World Player of the Year as a result. Just checked wiki there now and he got in team of the tournament for 90 and 94.

Minder · May 18, 2010, 10:57:25 PM

Maldini had a great 94 WC if i remember correctly, played quite a lot of it at centre back (i think)