Best World XI 1995/96 to 1998/99

[Physiocrat]

The Portugal thread reminded me of some 90s players so thought what might be a late 90s World XI. This is what I came up with-

..........Ronaldo....Batistuta.......
Zidane.................................Figo
...........Redondo......Keane....
R.Carlos..Stam....Blanc.....J. Zanetti
................Schmeichel...............

 

[Remember the geese]

The Portugal thread reminded me of some 90s players so thought what might be a late 90s World XI. This is what I came up with-

..........Ronaldo....Batistuta.......
Zidane.................................Figo
...........Redondo......Keane....
R.Carlos..Stam....Blanc.....J. Zanetti
................Schmeichel...............

Just as an alternative.

...........Raul....Kluivert......
Giggs...........................Beckham
..........Davids.....Vieira....
Maldini..Nesta...Hierro...Thuram
...................Kahn....................

 

[paulscholes18]

Schmicheal
Thuram Sammer Stam
Beckham Zidane Keane Carlos
Del Piero
Ronaldo Batistuta

12th man Redondo

 

[Physiocrat]

Just as an alternative.

...........Raul....Kluivert......
Giggs...........................Beckham
..........Davids.....Vieira....
Maldini..Nesta...Hierro...Thuram
...................Kahn....................

That's a nice side, I think it's missing a proper out and out striker. Shearer and Raul would be a great combo.

 

[Remember the geese]

That's a nice side, I think it's missing a proper out and out striker. Shearer and Raul would be a great combo.

Yeah, there is no competing with your front two from this era. Shearer would be a good choice. Maybe Vieri.

 

[Physiocrat]

Yeah, there is no competing with your front two from this era. Shearer would be a good choice. Maybe Vieri.

I forgot about Vieri. He loved him back then.

 

[Gio]

Rivaldo - Ronaldo
Zidane
Carlos - Davids - Keane - Cafu
Maldini - Sammer - Thuram
Kahn​

 

[Physiocrat]

Rivaldo - Ronaldo
Zidane
Carlos - Davids - Keane - Cafu
Maldini - Sammer - Thuram
Kahn​

I very heavily considered Rivaldo but I couldn't resist the Batigol and R9 combo. Even with Sammer at sweeper I reckon Keane or David's should go for Redondo. No issues with the rest. It would be a beast of a late 90s Serie A side.

 

[Remember the geese]

Rivaldo - Ronaldo
Zidane
Carlos - Davids - Keane - Cafu
Maldini - Sammer - Thuram
Kahn​

I really should have gone with Cafu and Rivaldo for my alternate side. Completely slipped my mind.

 

[PSV]

Couldn't decide between R.Carlos and Maldini, so I put both in:

Ronaldo
Rivaldo - Zidane - Enrique
Deschamps - Seedorf
R.Carlos - Maldini - Ferrara - Thuram
Peruzzi​

Goalkeeper was a toss up between 4 or 5 choices, including two of our own (well, sorta).

Beckham/Figo (RM) and Hierro (CB) is probably closest to getting in when it comes to outfield players.

If I were to play more than one striker I'd put Del Piero or Raúl in.

 

[fps]

Rivaldo - Ronaldo
Zidane
Carlos - Davids - Keane - Cafu
Maldini - Sammer - Thuram
Kahn​

That's the team that actually wins everything.

 

[Green_Red]

Some great lineups there. Shows the quality the 90s had. Probably the best decade for quality, that and the 00s.

Nesta not even getting a shout in any of the lineups, remember him being impeccable.

Should be including a 5 notable mentions to jog the brain cells.

 

[André Dominguez]

People should use the 4312 or 4321 formation in this thread to follow the late 90s táctics trend

 

[fps]

Some great lineups there. Shows the quality the 90s had. Probably the best decade for quality, that and the 00s.

Nesta not even getting a shout in any of the lineups, remember him being impeccable.

Should be including a 5 notable mentions to jog the brain cells.

Yep where's the subs bench?

 

[GueRed]

My team: 3 - 5 - 2

Schmeichel

Maldini
Cannavaro
Thuram

Carlos
Keane
Vieira
Zidane
Beckham

Ronaldo
Batistuta

 

[Beobachter]

Rivaldo - Ronaldo
Zidane
Carlos - Davids - Keane - Cafu
Maldini - Sammer - Thuram
Kahn​

This, except I'd swap in Schmeichel for Kahn for the more dominant national team performances (*Köpke was still the first-choice keeper for the Germany in Euro 96 and WC 98).

Loved the Sammer inclusion. Felt like people often forgot about him today due to the premature injury-caused retirement; was absolutely instrumental in Germany's Euro 96 and Dortmund's 97 CC wins.

 

[11101]

Some great lineups there. Shows the quality the 90s had. Probably the best decade for quality, that and the 00s.

Nesta not even getting a shout in any of the lineups, remember him being impeccable.

Should be including a 5 notable mentions to jog the brain cells.

Nesta didn't really get going until after this time period. Otherwise he'd be a definite.


For me a slight adaptation of @Gio's lineup:

Rivaldo - Ronaldo
Zidane
Carlos - Davids - Keane - Cafu
Maldini - Desailly - Thuram
Schmeichel

I loved Batistuta but Rivaldo worked so well with Ronaldo.