Best National XI since you’ve started watching football

[Sir Scott McToMinay]

Spain: 4-4-2 Diamond

GK Casillas

LB Alba
CB Puyol
CB Pique
RB Ramos

DM Busquets
CM Iniesta
CM Xavi
AM D.Silva

FW Raul
FW Torres

Italy: 4-3-2-1

GK Buffon

LB Maldini
CB Nesta
CB Cannavaro
RB Panucci

DM De Rossi
CM Gattuso
CM Pirlo

AM Baggio
AM Totti
FW Del Pierro

France: 4-2-3-1

GK Lloris

LB Lizarazu
CB Desailly
CB Varane
RB Thuram

CM Kante
CM Vieira

AML Ribery
AMC Zidane
AMR Griezmann

FW Henry

England: 4-5-1

GK Seaman

LB Cole
CB Terry
CB Ferdinand
RB Neville

DM Scholes
CM Gerrard
CM Lampard

AML Rooney
AMR Beckham

FW Shearer

Holland:

GK Van Der Sar 4-4-2

LB V.Bronchorst
CB VVD
CB Stam
RB Reiziger

CM Davids
CM F.De Jong

AML Seedorf
AMR Robben

FW RvP
FW RvN

 

[Web of Bissaka]

Thought this is making Best mixed National 11...

Just from international football, WCs mostly, the players that impressed me the most.

GK: Neuer

RB: Cafu
CB: Marquez
CB: Ayala
LB: Lahm

CM: Pirlo
RM: Muller
LM: Ronaldinho
AM: David Silva

ST: David Villa
CF: Klose

 

[paraguayo]

Started watching around 1994.

Brazil :

Dida

Roberto Carlos
Silva
Aldair
Cafu

Mauro Silva

Ronaldinho
Rivaldo
Kaka

Ronaldo
Romario

Argentina :

Roa

Sorin
Samuel
Sensini
Zanetti

Redondo
Mascherano

Veron
Messi

Aguero
Batistuta

France :

Barthez

Lizarazu
Desailly
Varane
Thuram

Kante
Vieira
Pogba
Zidane

Henry
Trezeguet

 

[Foxbatt]

Joengbloed

Krol,
Haan
Rijsbergen
Suurbier

Jansen

Van Hanegem
Neeskens

Rensenbrink
Cruijff
Rep

 

[BlackShark_80]

Joengbloed

Krol,
Haan
Rijsbergen
Suurbier

Jansen

Van Hanegem
Neeskens

Rensenbrink
Cruijff
Rep

Joengbloed over Van Der Sar and Van Breukelen? and no Gullit, Van Basten, Stam, Koeman, Bergkamp, and Rijkaard?

 

[Isotope]

Batistuta----------
-----------------Messi
Maradona

Redondo - Mascherano - Cambiasso

Sorin -- Passarella -- Ayala -- Zanetti

Goycochea​

 

[utdalltheway]

Joengbloed

Krol,
Haan
Rijsbergen
Suurbier

Jansen

Van Hanegem
Neeskens

Rensenbrink
Cruijff
Rep

1974 WC team?

 

[BlackShark_80]

1974 WC team?

Yes, that was definitely 1974 WC team.

 

[Dancfc]

Heart says Brazil02, head says Spain10.

 

[Sassy Colin]

DM Scholes
CM Gerrard
CM Lampard

 

[AshRK]

Brazil 02 made me fall love with this game, so it will always be them.

 

[Casanova85]

Barthez
Lizarazu-Thuram-Blanc-Desailly
Deschamps
Djorkaeff-Pogba-Zidane
Mbappé-Henry

Subs: (Lloris)-Abidal-Vieira-Ribéry

 

[Inter Yer Nan]

I'd say what's actually played together you've got to go with Spain 2010.

 

[RooneyLegend]

Brazil 99

 

[Andersonson]

France:
Lloris

Thuram
Desailly
Varane
Lizarazu

Vieria
Makelele
Deschamps

Zidane

Henry
Trezeguet

England:
Seaman

Neville
Ferdinand
Terry
Cole

Beckham
Scholes
Lampard
Sterling

Kane
Shearer

Brazil
Alisson

Cafu
Lucio
Aldair
Marcelo

Casemiro
Dunga

Ronaldinho
Neymar
Kaka

Ronaldo

Argentina
Roa

Sorin
Ayala
Samuel
Zanetti

Simeone
Mascherano

Messi
Tevez
Maradonna

Batigol

Norway
Grodås

Heggem
Johnsen
Berg
Riise

Berg
Rekdal
Mykland
Mini

Flo
Solskjær

 

[Inter Yer Nan]

I'll have a bash at a few but not touching England's since the "best" midfielders played together and were crap together, plus no quality left sided player. If only Giggs was as disloyal with Wales as he was with his brother..

Spain

De Gea (not based on his Spain games but still..)

Ramos
Puyol
Pique
Alba

Baraja
Alonso
Xavi
Iniesta
Valeron

Raul

France

Barthez

Thurman
Desailly
Blanc
Evra

Makelele
Vieira
Pogba
Zidane

Henry
Griezmann

Netherlands

Van Der Sar

Reizeger
Stam
Van Dijk
Van Bronkhorst

Seedorf
Davids
Cocu

Robben
Van Persie
Van Nistelrooy

How has Bergkamp not made it? Mad.

 

[Welby5]

Yes, you shouldn't pick a trio who proved they didn't work together very well. Besides, after a good start to his international career, Scholes faded quickly and not worth a place in the team anymore. Gerrard and Lampard just got in each other's way. No manager had the guts to do what needed to be done and drop one of them. Goals win games, so for all Gerrards talents, Lampards goals and assists trumped them. Harsh on Gerrard, but England might have been better without him.

 

[Art Vandelay]

Looking through them all and seeing Dutch teams with one or all of Koeman, Rijkaard, Gullit, Bergkamp, Van Basten or Seedorf left out and yet still looking like great teams is crazy. I know there's some mixed eras there, but to have had so many great players and still nothing to show for it is a bit stunning. Some great managers too they had.

 

[::sonny::]

Buffon

Zambrotta Nesta Baresi Maldini

De Rossi Pirlo

Totti Baggio Del Piero

Inzaghi​

 

[Bateman80]

Not the world's best, obvs, but the best Wales XI I've seen since watching football was the USA 94 World Cup qualifying squad 1992/93:

Southall
Bodin
Symons
Young
Bowen
Speed
Goss
Giggs
Hughes
Rush
Saunders

Subs:
Horne
Melville
Phillips

A crossbar away...

 

[::sonny::]

VDS

Stam F.de Boer VVD Numan

Riijkaard Gullit

Robben Bergkamp Overmars

Van Basten​

 

[Peyroteo]

Baía

Semedo Pepe Carvalho Coentrão

Sousa Moutinho

Deco

Figo Pauleta Ronaldo​

 

[IrishMcD]

Republic of Ireland

1)Shay Given

2)Denis Irwin
3)Steve Staunton
4)Paul Mc Grath
5) Kevin Moran/Dave O'Leary

6)Roy Keane
7)Liam Brady
8) Ronnie Whelan

9)John Aldridge
10)Kevin Sheedy
11)Damien Duff

Honourable mentions: Steve Finnan, Ray Houghtan, Robbie Keane, Richard Dunne, Packie Bonnar, Niall Quinn, Frank Stapleton, Andy Townsend, Mick McCarthy

 

[::sonny::]

Kahn

Lahm Kohler Sammer Brehme

Schweinsteiger Matthaus Littbarski

Kroos Ballack

Rummenigge​

 

[::sonny::]

Casillas

Puyol Ramos Hierro Alba

Xavi Guardiola Iniesta

Raul

Villa Torres​

 

[::sonny::]

Barthez

Thuram Blanc Desailly Lizarazu

Kante Vieira Pogba

Zidane Cantona

Henry​

 

[Casanova85]

Casillas
Salgado-Hierro-Puyol-Alba
Busquets
Xavi-Luis Enrique-Iniesta
Villa-Raúl

Subs : (Molina) Piqué-Xabi Alonso-Torres-Silva

 

[Foxbatt]

Yes, that was definitely 1974 WC team.

Yes I thought it was for the best national 11 and not the best national all time 11.

 

[Halal Jalal]

Italy: 4-3-2-1

GK Buffon

LB Maldini
CB Nesta
CB Cannavaro
RB Panucci

DM De Rossi
CM Gattuso
CM Pirlo

AM Baggio
AM Totti
FW Del Pierro

This Italian team (No Pogba in your French XI though? Seriously or trolling?)

And...

Barthez

Thuram Blanc Desailly Lizarazu

Kante Vieira Pogba

Zidane Cantona

Henry​

...This French team, are the classiest selections in my opinions. Unstoppable quality.

 

[Suedesi]

SNIP

I have to go with Brazil 1982, even though Paolo Rossi and co. were better on the night.

Peres
Leandro Oscar Luizinho Junior
Cerezo Zico Falcao
Socrates Serginho Eder

 

[Infordin]

Raul - Villa
Iniesta - Busquets - Xavi - Pedro
Alba - Puyol - Ramos - Ramos
Casillas

Di Maria - Aguero - Messi
Riquelme - Mascherano - Cambiasso
Zanetti - Ayala - Samuel - Zabaleta
Abbondanzieri

Klose
Reus - Ozil - Muller
Schweinsteiger - Kroos
Howedes - Hummels - Boateng - Lahm
Neuer

Henry
Ribery - Zidane - Griezmann
Vieira - Kante
Evra - Varane - Thuram - Sagnol
Lloris

Ronaldo
Ronaldinho - Kaka - Neymar
Casemiro - Fernandinho
Marcelo - Thiago Silva - Lucio - Dani Alves
Alisson

Del Piero - Inzaghi
Totti
De Rossi - Pirlo - Marchisio
Maldini - Nesta - Cannavaro - Zambrotta
Buffon​

 

[Suedesi]

Buffon

Zambrotta Nesta Baresi Maldini

De Rossi Pirlo

Totti Baggio Del Piero

Inzaghi​

Per carita, which Italian CT would play Totti, Baggio, Inzaghi AND Del Piero. They didn't all peak at the same time, but assuming they did it was always a case of Baggio or Del Piero, Totti or Del Piero, Totti or Baggio (unless you're talking about Dino )

 

[Welby5]

(No Pogba in your French XI though? Seriously or trolling?).

Don't have to be trolling to leave out Pogba. He couldn't lace Platini's boots and wouldn't evenn get in the 82 WC team let an alltime great team. Pogba is just sporadic moments of high quality on the back of way too many average performances.

 

[Halal Jalal]

Don't have to be trolling to leave out Pogba. He couldn't lace Platini's boots and wouldn't evenn get in the 82 WC team let an alltime great team. Pogba is just sporadic moments of high quality on the back of way too many average performances.

PP was the leader of the 2018 WC-winning NT, a team which dominated the final like no other team before - thanks to Paul's stellar performance, just like in those matches leading up to final as well. He's easily the second most iconic French NT player in history, only behind Zidane. And considering Paul's age, there's still plenty of time to become #1.

Platini? With all due respect to classic players, you can't compare them to modern footballers (from 90s onwards). The overall level of quality was laughable back in Platini's era, clueless defending and snail's pace.

 

[KirkDuyt]

Vd Sar

Gio
Van Dijk
Koeman
Reiziger

Van Bommel
Sneijder
Bergkamp

Robben
Van Basten
Van Persie

 

[Casanova85]

Seaman
Neville-Ferdinand-Terry-Cole
Beckham-Gerrard-Scholes
Lampard
Rooney-Shearer

 

[GatoLoco]

Spain: 4-4-2 Diamond

GK Casillas

LB Alba
CB Puyol
CB Pique
RB Ramos

DM Busquets
CM Iniesta
CM Xavi
AM D.Silva

FW Raul
FW Torres

David Villa over Torres imo.

 

[KirkDuyt]

PP was the leader of the 2018 WC-winning NT, a team which dominated the final like no other team before - thanks to Paul's stellar performance, just like in those matches leading up to final as well. He's easily the second most iconic French NT player in history, only behind Zidane. And considering Paul's age, there's still plenty of time to become #1.

Platini? With all due respect to classic players, you can't compare them to modern footballers (from 90s onwards). The overall level of quality was laughable back in Platini's era, clueless defending and snail's pace.

France where dominant like no team before in a world cup? Thought they were largely cack honestly. And Pogba the 2nd most iconic French NT player? Silly Goose.

 

[paraguayo]

Looking at all these line ups, how crazy is it that Holland never won the WC?

It had to be that 98 team. The Brazil game was legendary, Rivaldo was just too good in World Cups. Underrated player.

 

[KirkDuyt]

Looking at all these line ups, how crazy is it that Holland never won the WC?

It had to be that 98 team. The Brazil game was legendary, Rivaldo was just too good in World Cups. Underrated player.

We're a bunch of bottlers. 2010 it was Cassilas' toe in 78 it waz the post and in 74 it was us thinking heh piece of cake after scoring the 1-0 before the Germans even touched the ball.