Best 11 ever in your honest opinion

[The holy trinity 68]

Yes but Cannavaro winning it has more to do with his performances in WC. For me, I simply want someone who could potentially striker best defensive partnership with Beckenbauer, for some reason I just felt VVD fits the bill better, he looks more complete to me. But saying that I also think Vidic is better tackler, if i choose best ever in Premier league I'd go for Vidic+Rio.

So VVD would be able to suit partnering Beckenbauer, but CB’s far better wouldn’t be able to adapt to a specific system?

Of all the world class CB’s better than VVD just off top of my head, at least one of them would be able to strike up a great partnership with Beckenbauer better than VVD would. These are all time CB’s, you are underestimating their ability to adapt. Take your pick below.

Nesta, Cannavaro, Terry, Rio, Vidic, Baresi, Koeman, Ramos, Pique, Puyol, Stam, Desailly, Costa Curta, Brehme, Hierro, Campo, Blanc

 

[Himannv]

Luis Suarez over fat ronaldo, batistuta etc, you're out of your frickin mind

Probably done for balance purposes. Having someone like R9 in there probably won't work because peak Messi and CR need someone who can create space for them.

 

[MrMarcello]

Madness for any person with an ounce of intellect to have Van Dijk in an all-time XI over about 50 other all-time greats. For starters, he's not better than Rio, Nesta, Puyol, Stam, Vidic, Terry, Samuel, DeSailly, Blanc, Thuram, and quite a few others in the past 20 years. Maybe check back if he's still performing at peak/world class level in five years.

I've never seen a good player so massively overrated in my lifetime watching this sport. He's top class defender, arguably the best in the world at his position today, but he's not surpassed the others before him.

 

[IrishMcD]

Schmeichel

Cafu
Baresi
Maldini
Roberto Carlos

Keane
Zidane

Messi
Ronaldinho
C. Ronaldo

Ronaldo

 

[bsCallout]

I know it's a matter of opinion but no Zidane or ronaldinho in any lineups whatsoever? Seriously?

People have some short memories.

I think Zidane can easily be replaced by some of the names being thrown about.

Whilst Ronaldinho might have been the most exciting player I've watched, it is possibly the shortest peak ever. The sustained careers of others counts for a lot.

 

[RedRonaldo]

So VVD would be able to suit partnering Beckenbauer, but CB’s far better wouldn’t be able to adapt to a specific system?

Of all the world class CB’s better than VVD just off top of my head, at least one of them would be able to strike up a great partnership with Beckenbauer better than VVD would. These are all time CB’s, you are underestimating their ability to adapt. Take your pick below.

Nesta, Cannavaro, Terry, Rio, Vidic, Baresi, Koeman, Ramos, Pique, Puyol, Stam, Desailly, Costa Curta, Brehme, Hierro, Campo, Blanc

Maybe its only my impression, but Beckenbauer isn't just another traditional CB who tends to position himself well along the backline. In modern back 4, I may prefer Vidic, Rio, Nesta, Cannavaro, Stam etc in my best 11 ahead of VVD. But with Beckenbauer adventurous style of build up play, I'd prefer someone who is more all rounded to cover up the back by himself at times. VVD always gives me the impression he can do it all by himself, he is relatively quick, strong, tough, aggressive, with no non-sense approach, he can read situation well, can also bully attackers... or maybe its because he stands out more in Liverpool back 4, which gives me such impression.

 

[The Cat]

I'm going for players I've seen playing live and at their peaks - trying to get some kind of balance as well.

Luis Ronaldo

Ronaldinho
Maradona
Messi

Mattheus
Keane

Maldini
Baresi
Nesta
Cafu

Schmeichel

 

[Ali Dia]

Based on Players I’ve seen live:

Big Pete

Cafu
Rio
Nesta
Maldini

Xavi
Keane
Zidane

Ronaldo (R9)
Ronaldinho
Messi

Sub 11:
Buffon

Stam
Cannavaro
Carlos
Thuram

Kaka
Scholes
Laudrup

Ronaldo
Rooney
Batistuta or Weah

sub 11 could probably beat the first 11 5 times out of 10.

 

[Fortitude]

1 eleven might be impossible by now. And making a supposed functional team immediately puts you in a pickle as the eternal question of whether X works with Y or Z, or all combined is forever the elephant in the room. Leaving L.Ronaldo or Neeskens out of any teams feels like an atrocity in itself. Baresi and Kohler could easily supplant those in front.

Think I'll make an xi and an opponent for them.


Cruyff------------------------Pele-------------------Messi
------------------------Maradona
---------------------------------------Beckenbauer
------------------------Rijkaard
Maldini---------------------------------------------------------Cafu
------------------------Figueroa----------Nesta
---------------------------------Buffon

vs.

------------------------------------Ronaldo
Best-----------------------------------------------------Garrincha
-----------------------------Di Stefano
------------------Neeskens-------------Falcao
Facchetti----------------------------------------------Vogts
------------------------Kohler---------Baresi
---------------------------------Yashin

Even then, some big names could go into either team. Puskas, Muller, Van Basten, C. Ronaldo, Bozsik in particular.

 

[Son]

Schmeichel

Dani Alaves VVD Maldini Lahm
Busquets Xavi
De Bruyne

Messi Ronaldo 9 C.Ronaldo​

Essentially going for a possession based game.

There are more flair players like Zidane or Marcelo I would prefer to watch but they wouldn’t improve on Iniesta and Lahm to control the tempo.

Ramos i wouldn’t have in the team actually. Lahm would join the midfield to flood it so Maldini is a better option as he can cover better on a break.

Schmeichel over peak Neuer but that is give or take. I chose him because he had a stronger personality.

I didn’t see Maradona play unfortunately or I’d have him in all day. Maldini I also thought was too conservative in my lifetime watching football despite scoring in a champions league final.

 

[Pav1878]

I meant in the lineups

 

[BootsyCollins]

I know it's a matter of opinion but no Zidane or ronaldinho in any lineups whatsoever? Seriously?

People have some short memories.

Hey, i had both

 

[Withnail]

I’m gonna take pelters for this, but I think Zidane was overrated.

A lot of people do. There was a French journalist on one of the Irish podcasts arguing this recently.

I didn't watch enough Spanish football at the time to have an opinion but he was saying that he could turn it on in the big games but week in and week out he'd be fairly inconsistent.

 

[Withnail]

Based on players I've seen play rather than of all time.


Buffon
Cafu Cannavaro McGrath Maldini
Davids Keane
R. Baggio
Messi Ronaldo C. Ronaldo

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

Neuer

Beckenbauer
Moore
Maldini

Matthaus

Cruyff
Pele
Maradona
Best

Ronaldo Da Lima
Di Stefano

 

[Himannv]

Maybe its only my impression, but Beckenbauer isn't just another traditional CB who tends to position himself well along the backline. In modern back 4, I may prefer Vidic, Rio, Nesta, Cannavaro, Stam etc in my best 11 ahead of VVD. But with Beckenbauer adventurous style of build up play, I'd prefer someone who is more all rounded to cover up the back by himself at times. VVD always gives me the impression he can do it all by himself, he is relatively quick, strong, tough, aggressive, with no non-sense approach, he can read situation well, can also bully attackers... or maybe its because he stands out more in Liverpool back 4, which gives me such impression.

I'd pick Nesta or Maldini as an ideal partner for Beckenbauer. Not that I think VVD is not a good player or anything, it's more that he doesn't quite suit Beckenbauer. I'd personally have someone who can be great as defensive cover when Beckenbauer advances forward as he's a very offensive libero. VVD kind of advances forward himself at times and it just kind of takes away a key aspect of each others game. So basically I'd have someone who can constantly be that defensive rock at the back and allow Beckenbauer to just step up and control the game.

 

[arnie_ni]

Is vvd just liverpool fans way of sticking one of their own in

 

[Josh 76]

Madness for any person with an ounce of intellect to have Van Dijk in an all-time XI over about 50 other all-time greats. For starters, he's not better than Rio, Nesta, Puyol, Stam, Vidic, Terry, Samuel, DeSailly, Blanc, Thuram, and quite a few others in the past 20 years. Maybe check back if he's still performing at peak/world class level in five years.

I've never seen a good player so massively overrated in my lifetime watching this sport. He's top class defender, arguably the best in the world at his position today, but he's not surpassed the others before him.

It's just mind boggling. A player who is nearly 30, has never played in an international tournenament and was unheard of a couple of years ago (Other than the PL) is being touted around as the greatest ever defender of all time.

 

[JPRouve]

............................Neuer
Cafu....Beckenbauer....Baresi.....Maldini
...............Rjikaard........Matthaus
....Maradona......Platini.........Cruyff
.....................Van Basten


I don't know about honest opinion but I was in the mood for that one. I believe that this team has a nice blend of character, athleticism, technicity and intelligence.

 

[harms]

Diego Maradona — the single most devastating player I've ever seen.
Luis Ronaldo — the second most devastating player that I've ever seen.
Pelé — a GOAT with the most impressive career; arguably the most complete attacking player that this game has ever seen. I also haven't seen a single bad game of his.
Xavi — the most dominant midfielder and certainly the best midfield playmaker that I've seen.
Andres Iniesta — probably the most talent side-kick in the whole history of football that elevates Xavi's performance as well as everyone else's on the team and is also due to a match-winning performance if this team is getting ready for a hypothetical final.
Frank Rijkaard — the most complete midfielder that I've seen, the greatest defensive midfielder in history that had performed at the world-class level as both center back and box-to-box.
Paolo Maldini — without any argument the most complete left back of all-time and for many even the best defensive player in history.
Franco Baresi — for me, the best defender* in history of the game, I've never seen anyone more dominant at the back.
Franz Beckenbauer — the reason for the previous asterisk, as he is, without a doubt, the greatest non-attacking player to ever step on the pitch. Baresi is better at defending though.
Cafu — a one-man wing and a shoe-in for any of my all-time XIs.
Peter Schmeichel — this place is not set in stone, but I feel that the difference between the likes of Buffon, Schmeichel, Yashin, Kahn and a few of select others is absolutely marginal, so went with my heart.

Notable mentions:
Lionel Messi — as good as any of the attackers, but I went with my heart. Maradona & Luis Ronaldo are 2 footballers that I'd pick first for a single match-off with some aliens and Pelé's career at all levels is still slightly more impressive than Messi's for me. I also somehow feel that he'll fit better with Maradona & Ronaldo than Lionel, although any combination of the four of them would be unplayable.
Lothar Matthäus — one of the top-3 central midfielders of all-time alongside Xavi & Rijkaard for me, but those two fit the team better.
Luìs Figo/Pavel Nedvěd — considered both of them in Iniesta's place as a support players for that front 3, but went with Andreas.
van Basten/Müller — when choosing a number 9, those 2 have to be in consideration. Always.

 

[Lay]

you are outraged at VVD yet you casually put Riquelme at best ever XI

I also put in the overrated thread that I overrate Riquelme the most

 

[The holy trinity 68]

I’m gonna take pelters for this, but I think Zidane was overrated.

I totally agree. I have seen a lot of people on Reddit and Youtube comments along with a lot of my friends, putting Zidane in top 5 players ever.

I just can’t see how he can be above Pele, Maradona, CR7, Messi, Cruyff, Beckenbauer, Puskas, G Muller, Di Stefano. Even Platini is seen as better than Zidane by a lot of older people who seen both play.

 

[Andersonson]

Tricky one this, but I'll go for the players I have watched alot.

Van der Sar
Alves Nesta Rio Lahm
Scholes Keane Xavi
Ronaldo Ronaldo Messi

Who could beat that team??

 

[BlackShark_80]

------------------------Yashin
Cafu-------Nesta----------Beckenbauer-------Maldini
------------------------Rijkaard
--------------Falcao------------Matthaus
-----------------------Maradona
-------------Ronaldo------------Pele

 

[JPRouve]

I realized that Dino Zoff is rarely mentioned in these threads.

 

[Withnail]

I realized that Dino Zoff is rarely mentioned in these threads.

He was in management by the time I was old enough to sit through a game.

 

[BlackShark_80]

I realized that Dino Zoff is rarely mentioned in these threads.

can say the same about Banks, Maier, Kahn, and Dasayev for example.

 

[harms]

I realized that Dino Zoff is rarely mentioned in these threads.

It's really unfair to keepers as there's only 1 place, so you usually see Buffon or Yashin getting the honours, while in reality there's a list of around 10 or maybe more keepers (Schmeichel, who gets more mentions due to his Utd past, Zoff, Banks, Kahn, Maier, Neuer, Dasayev etc.) who can easily take their place and you won't notice the difference.

 

[SadlerMUFC]

I can only go with the players I have seen (youtube videos don't count in my opinion).

-------------------------------Bouffon--------------------------------
Lahm-----------Rio---------------------Vidic-------------Carlos
--------------------------------Makelele------------------------------
----------------Xavi------------------------Iniesta--------------------
Messi-----------------------Ronaldo-----------------------CR7

I would love to throw someone like Zidanne into the midfield, but even though he was a better player than both Xavi and Iniesta, no partnership has ever been better than those two. This team would be absolutely sick to watch...

 

[JPRouve]

can say the same about Banks, Maier, Kahn, and Dasayev for example.

That's a good point, we lack imagination when it comes to goalkeeper even when it's a relatively deep position. I wouldn't argue against the players that you mentioned.

 

[Josh 76]

I totally agree. I have seen a lot of people on Reddit and Youtube comments along with a lot of my friends, putting Zidane in top 5 players ever.

I just can’t see how he can be above Pele, Maradona, CR7, Messi, Cruyff, Beckenbauer, Puskas, G Muller, Di Stefano. Even Platini is seen as better than Zidane by a lot of older people who seen both play.

"Even Platini"
This guy was phenomenal.
From 1982 to 1985 he was on par with Maradona as the best player in the world.
1982, 1983, 1984 voted world player of the year.
In each of those years he was top scorer in Seria A.
He was top scorer in the European championships in 1984 (10 goals, which is still a record) and was player of the tournament as France won it.
Add to that the league titles and European trophies he won with Juventers in that time.
And for a cheating ref, he would have probably led France to the 1982 world cup final

 

[Invictus]

I realized that Dino Zoff is rarely mentioned in these threads.

@BlackShark_80 and @harms have covered the major talking point(s), the competition is just too intense. Another thing worth considering is that Zoff was kind of conventional goalkeeper, so he doesn't stand out in the company of equally deserving greats — whereas the likes of Neuer and van der Sar get a significant sweeper-keeper bump as they are the two major reference points for that style/function in this century (and would be better schematic fits for totaalvoetbal and tiki-taka, or even a historically great high-line like Sacchi's Milan). Look no further than all the inclusions for those two...close to a dozen mentions in this thread alone.

 

[JPRouve]

It's really unfair to keepers as there's only 1 place, so you usually see Buffon or Yashin getting the honours, while in reality there's a list of around 10 or maybe more keepers (Schmeichel, who gets more mentions due to his Utd past, Zoff, Banks, Kahn, Maier, Neuer, Dasayev etc.) who can easily take their place and you won't notice the difference.

That's why it popped into my mind, seeing almost everyone mention VDS, Neuer, Schmeichel and Yashin made me realize that it's always the same name when none of them are definitely better than a dozen of other goalkeepers that are well known. It's a bit like Di Stefano, Kopa, Eusebio, Figo, Hamrin, Stoikhov, Platini and a few others that are rarely mentioned in these best elevens even though people will easily compare them to the popular names in threads that are dedicated to them.

I would like to see the best eleven that people would have when we exclude the popular names. Maybe a top 3 all-time best XI.

 

[JPRouve]

@BlackShark_80 and @harms have covered the major talking point(s), the competition is just too intense. Another thing worth considering is that Zoff was kind of conventional goalkeeper, so he doesn't stand out in the company of equally deserving greats — whereas the likes of Neuer and van der Sar get a significant sweeper-keeper bump as they are the two major reference points for that style/function in this century (and would be better schematic fits for totaalvoetbal and tiki-taka, or even a historically great high-line like Sacchi's Milan). Look no further than all the inclusions for those two...close to a dozen mentions in this thread alone.

But that's paradoxal because when we discuss goalkeepers, a large amount of football fans claim that they don't care about the new sweeper-keeper trend. Personally that's why I went with Neuer and my alternative was Yashin. I'm just surprised by the fact that these other goalkeepers are never mentioned, there has to be someone that is a fan of conventional goalkeepers?

 

[2 man midfield]

I can only go with the players I have seen (youtube videos don't count in my opinion).

-------------------------------Bouffon--------------------------------
Lahm-----------Rio---------------------Vidic-------------Carlos
--------------------------------Makelele------------------------------
----------------Xavi------------------------Iniesta--------------------
Messi-----------------------Ronaldo-----------------------CR7

I would love to throw someone like Zidanne into the midfield, but even though he was a better player than both Xavi and Iniesta, no partnership has ever been better than those two. This team would be absolutely sick to watch...

Same team as me, other than Vidic and Lahm

 

[Righteous Steps]

Diego Maradona — the single most devastating player I've ever seen.
Luis Ronaldo — the second most devastating player that I've ever seen.
Pelé — a GOAT with the most impressive career; arguably the most complete attacking player that this game has ever seen. I also haven't seen a single bad game of his.
Xavi — the most dominant midfielder and certainly the best midfield playmaker that I've seen.
Andres Iniesta — probably the most talent side-kick in the whole history of football that elevates Xavi's performance as well as everyone else's on the team and is also due to a match-winning performance if this team is getting ready for a hypothetical final.
Frank Rijkaard — the most complete midfielder that I've seen, the greatest defensive midfielder in history that had performed at the world-class level as both center back and box-to-box.
Paolo Maldini — without any argument the most complete left back of all-time and for many even the best defensive player in history.
Franco Baresi — for me, the best defender* in history of the game, I've never seen anyone more dominant at the back.
Franz Beckenbauer — the reason for the previous asterisk, as he is, without a doubt, the greatest non-attacking player to ever step on the pitch. Baresi is better at defending though.
Cafu — a one-man wing and a shoe-in for any of my all-time XIs.
Peter Schmeichel — this place is not set in stone, but I feel that the difference between the likes of Buffon, Schmeichel, Yashin, Kahn and a few of select others is absolutely marginal, so went with my heart.

Notable mentions:
Lionel Messi — as good as any of the attackers, but I went with my heart. Maradona & Luis Ronaldo are 2 footballers that I'd pick first for a single match-off with some aliens and Pelé's career at all levels is still slightly more impressive than Messi's for me. I also somehow feel that he'll fit better with Maradona & Ronaldo than Lionel, although any combination of the four of them would be unplayable.
Lothar Matthäus — one of the top-3 central midfielders of all-time alongside Xavi & Rijkaard for me, but those two fit the team better.
Luìs Figo/Pavel Nedvěd — considered both of them in Iniesta's place as a support players for that front 3, but went with Andreas.
van Basten/Müller — when choosing a number 9, those 2 have to be in consideration. Always.

What a team.

 

[SilentStrike]

I'm glad to see players like Rijkaard and Matthaus are popular on here.
IMO teams cannot be balanced or complete without players like them.

When I google best ever XI's you get articles with ridiculous unbalanced teams filled with hyped names and with 8 strikers/am's spread all over the pitch.

 

[Pav1878]

Buffon
Cafu Ferdinand maldini A.Cole
Pirlo
Zidane Ronaldinho
Messi L. Ronaldo C. Ronaldo
​

Although you could swap out pirlo for beckenbauer or Keane for a bit more bite.

​

 

[Peyroteo]

A more physically dominant team to rival some of the more technical ones and kill them off with set pieces and counters

Buffon

Cafu - Beckenbauer - Maldini - R.Carlos

Rijkaard Matthaus

Garrincha - Pele - C.Ronaldo

Eusebio
​

Not enough Eusebio mentions in this thread even by people who have watched older games, best striker in football history.

 

[oneniltothearsenal]

----Ronaldo(R9) - Romario
-----------------Zico
----Matthaus-Neeskens
--------------Rijkaard
Maldini-Figueroa-Beckenbuer-Cafu