Worst XI to have gone to a World Cup for your country?

paraguayo

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Half brazilian so heres mine

Brazil

Doni 2010

Maxwell 2014
Henrique 2014
Polga 2002
Ze Carlos 1998

Doriva 1998
Kleberson 2010

Bernard 2014
Hulk 2014

J. Baptista 2010
Jô 2014
 
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Baneofthegame

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England (Only using a world cups I was alive for and witnessed)

GK - Carson (2006)

DF - Warnock (2010)
DF - Dawson (2010)
DF - Keown (2006)
DF - Mills (2006)

MID - Dyer (2006)
MID - Wright Phillips (2010)
MID - Lennon (2006)
MID - Jenas (2006)

FW - Lambert (2014)
FW - Walcott (2006) / Heskey (2010)
 

patty123

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Ireland

alan kelly

chris morris
mick mccarthy
chris houghton
terry phlean

andy townsend
alan mcloughlin
matt holland
lee carsley

john aldridge
tony cascarino
 

Paula

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it would be more interesting with players who actually played during a WC as well.
For me for example its really hard to remember some benched people form tha 1994 WC. Kinda impossible :D
 

SMNRe"d"volution

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If India ever qualifies and plays world cup, I'll let you guys know. It will be the best eleven and also the worst eleven at same time when we play our 1st match. Watch this space...or not.
 

Davìd Moyéz

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England (Only using a world cups I was alive for and witnessed)

GK - Carson (2006)

DF - Warnock (2010)
DF - Dawson (2010)
DF - Keown (2006)
DF - Mills (2006)

MID - Dyer (2006)
MID - Wright Phillips (2010)
MID - Lennon (2006)
MID - Jenas (2006)

FW - Lambert (2014)
FW - Walcott (2006) / Heskey (2010)
Phil Jones and Stewart Downing unlikely to miss out
 

carvajal

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Have you heard of Enrique Saura and Tente Sánchez? or read about Alonso ?, not Xabi, but his father.
That was our midfield in España 82.
In the attack decent players who had excelled more in collective successes, such as Satrustegi and Zamora.
That World Cup has been practically eradicated from our memory in the constant football press , with only the pet, Naranjito, remaining.
I don't think there have been much worse hosts than us.
From that generation my brother adored López Ufarte, nowadays also quite forgotten.
 

paraguayo

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Have you heard of Enrique Saura and Tente Sánchez? or read about Alonso ?, not Xabi, but his father.
That was our midfield in España 82.
In the attack decent players who had excelled more in collective successes, such as Satrustegi and Zamora.
That World Cup has been practically eradicated from our memory in the constant football press , with only the pet, Naranjito, remaining.
I don't think there have been much worse hosts than us.
From that generation my brother adored López Ufarte, nowadays also quite forgotten.
Could you make a full Spain XI?
 

Lay

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Christ, totally forgot Lambert went to a World Cup
 

hasanejaz88

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For Germany it'd pretty much be the 1998 World Cup team. I don't remember a lot from that tournament (thankfully) but from what I do I remember them being complete shite.

After that from 2002 to 2018, we've had some really good teams. The squad in 2018 did underperform compared to 1998 but I still think the squad of players were better, just poor tactics and some bad luck.
 

paulscholes18

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James (10)
Miles (02)
Dawson (10)
Upson (10)
Jagielka (14)
Warnock (10)
Lee (98)
Meson (98)
Barry (10)
Walcott (06)
Vassell (02)
 

Moorie86

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Being Scottish only seeing us In 1998 World Cup and being 12 at the time i can’t comment.
 

Vidyoyo

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James (10)
Miles (02)
Dawson (10)
Upson (10)
Jagielka (14)
Warnock (10)
Lee (98)
Meson (98)
Barry (10)
Walcott (06)
Vassell (02)
I watched the Argentina - England match from 98 the other day and Merson was pretty good when he came on. Struck me as strange because I don't remember him as a player and only have an impression of him built on his media personality.
 

Sandikan

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James (10)
Miles (02)
Dawson (10)
Upson (10)
Jagielka (14)
Warnock (10)
Lee (98)
Meson (98)
Barry (10)
Walcott (06)
Vassell (02)
Upson without doubt needing including.

That long high kick down the centre v Germany that totally beat him was outrageous.
 

Sandikan

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Walcott in 2006 was a shocker but would at least have been partially justified by giving him some time on the pitch, or at least getting him used to the situation for 2010.

Not making the 2010 squad and not playing in 2006 made it utterly ridiculous
 

paulscholes18

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I watched the Argentina - England match from 98 the other day and Merson was pretty good when he came on. Struck me as strange because I don't remember him as a player and only have an impression of him built on his media personality.
Struggled to think of midfielders fair point also scored his penalty, did think Gerrard after his performances in 2014 World Cup setting up Suarez
 

Wiltord02

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England

David James (2010)

Upson (2010)
Warnock (2010)
Southgate (2002)
Mills (2002)

Dyer (2002)
Jenas (2006)
Downing (2006)
Lennon (2006)

Vassell (2002)
Lambert (2014)
 

Tel074

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Ireland

alan kelly

chris morris
mick mccarthy
chris houghton
terry phlean

andy townsend
alan mcloughlin
matt holland
lee carsley

john aldridge
tony cascarino

That's controversial haha. Townsend was a quality player for Ireland as was Matty Holland and Aldridge suffered from Jack's shocking tactics
 

Alex99

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Rob Green - 2010
Glen Johnson - 2010
Michael Dawson - 2010
Matthew Upson - 2010
Stephen Warnock - 2010
Shaun Wright-Phillips - 2010
Jack Wilshere - 2014
Paul Merson -1998
Stewart Downing - 2006
Emile Heskey - 2010
Rickie Lambert - 2014
 

FootballHQ

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I watched the Argentina - England match from 98 the other day and Merson was pretty good when he came on. Struck me as strange because I don't remember him as a player and only have an impression of him built on his media personality.
That season he got in through a really good season in the championship/division one with Boro. In summer of 97 he left Arsenal for more money at Middlesborough which shows what a different football landscape it was in the mid 90s. Boro were also paying Ravenelli 42k a week and he was highest paid player at the time.

Pretty rare for England to have players called up from below the premier league at major tournaments, perhaps the odd third choice keeper but can't think of too many outfielders.

Looking forward to seeing some of the Argentine and Italy selections. Maradona called up some randoms in 2010 and was watching highlights of Slovakia-Italy from 2010 and Simone Pepe missed about 3 open goals in that game. :lol:
 

MoskvaRed

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Paul Merson was a very good player. He's a buffoon but he could play.
Likewise, I’m surprised to see Merson mentioned. He didn’t fully live up to expectations (maybe because of personal issues) but he was a decent player. Certainly doesn’t belong alongside the likes of Vassell and Rob Green.
 

RooneyLegend

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We've sent three sides to world cups. 1998, 2002, 2010 so it wasn't an easy task.

Shauib Walters- I'd trust this man to to catch Covid 19.

Siboniso Gaxa- The very definition of a non footballer.
Aaron Mokoena- A mistake that's going to happen.
Pierre Issa- He came out of nowhere and ended up in our side for the world cup in 98, we wished he had stayed there when the tournament was done.
Lucas Twala- Slow, short, right footed, weak and technically limited. Sounds like a quality left back? Exactly.

Quinton Fortune- He never played on the local league so his quality was assumed since he played overseas... assumptions are dangerous.
Macbeth Sibaya- Hatched man, nothing more, nothing less.
Thandiswe Khuboni- holding mid that can't hold on to the ball. He'd probably captain this side of ineptitude.
Lebogang Morula

George Komantarakis
Bernard Parker
 

Redcy

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Carson

Upson

Warnock

Mills

Dorigo

Jones

Lee

Dier

Sinclair

Dyer

Vassell



451 with big Phil as the ball playing dm XD
 

paraguayo

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Argentina

Caballero 18

Garcé 10

Mascherano 18

Meza 18

Palermo 10

just a start..

Somebody do France and GER
 

Ramos

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I can do Belgium (from 1982 until now, probably mostly unknowns for folks here). Personal opinion, of course.

Francky Vandendriessche (2002)

Laurent Ciman (2014)
Jean-Francois De Sart (1990)
Mike Verstraeten (1998)
Pascal Plovie (1990)
Rudy Smidts (1994)

Gaetan Englebert (2002)
Bernd Thijs (2002)
Marc Millecamps (1982)
Stephane Vanderheyden (1994)

Marc Vanderlinden (1990)
 

FootballHQ

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Did De Wilde not play in a world cup, was dreadful during euro 2000 in goal.
 

Ramos

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Did De Wilde not play in a world cup, was dreadful during euro 2000 in goal.
Present in 90+94 and played 2 games in 1998 (vs Holland and Mexico). 2000 was an absolute nightmare for him, truly unbelievable. But he wasn't as abysmal a gk as that tournament suggested. And not as bad as the one i picked.
 

Fingeredmouse

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James (10)
Miles (02)
Dawson (10)
Upson (10)
Jagielka (14)
Warnock (10)
Lee (98)
Meson (98)
Barry (10)
Walcott (06)
Vassell (02)
Assuming you mean Merson and not and not the sub atomic particle, he doesn't belong anywhere near a worst England 1. Kieron Dyer went to a World Cup and played a similar position for instance. Person was a fine player before the glue sniffing got him.
 

Ramos

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Not my country, but could give Netherlands a try:

Theo Snelders (1994)

Paul Verhaegh (2014)
Kew Jaliens (2006)
Terence Kongolo (2014)
Edson Braafheid (2010)

Hedwiges Maduro (2006)
Jordy Clasie (2014)
Demy De Zeeuw (2010)

Gaston Taument (1994)
Hans Gillhaus (1990)
Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink (2006)
 

FootballHQ

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Claise was massively rated prior to 2014 tournament. You couldn't move for people falling over themselves to declare him Xavi's heir.

Then went to Southampton and totally flopped.
 

kidbob

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That's controversial haha. Townsend was a quality player for Ireland as was Matty Holland and Aldridge suffered from Jack's shocking tactics
It's interesting because we've been to the World Cup such few times that any team you name will have some if our 'better' players in it because invariably our worst teams don't get there. I can't think of a single player starting for us right now that I'd want anywhere near our 2002 team for example.

A thread like this will ultimately suit countries that make the World Cup on a decently consistent basis who have a history of top class players. Gary Breen for instance would stand out in a French squad but for us he was a pretty decent player overall.
 

Tel074

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It's interesting because we've been to the World Cup such few times that any team you name will have some if our 'better' players in it because invariably our worst teams don't get there. I can't think of a single player starting for us right now that I'd want anywhere near our 2002 team for example.

A thread like this will ultimately suit countries that make the World Cup on a decently consistent basis who have a history of top class players. Gary Breen for instance would stand out in a French squad but for us he was a pretty decent player overall.

Yeah that's true mate .
 

Acrobat7

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Half brazilian so heres mine

Brazil

Doni 2010

Maxwell 2014
Henrique 2014
Polga 2002
Ze Carlos 1998

Doriva 1998
Kleberson 2010

Bernard 2014
Hulk 2014

J. Baptista 2010
Jô 2014
No Fred, no party.
 

Redcy

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Not my country, but could give Netherlands a try:

Theo Snelders (1994)

Paul Verhaegh (2014)
Kew Jaliens (2006)
Terence Kongolo (2014)
Edson Braafheid (2010)

Hedwiges Maduro (2006)
Jordy Clasie (2014)
Demy De Zeeuw (2010)

Gaston Taument (1994)
Hans Gillhaus (1990)
Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink (2006)

Im surprised there is noone worse than Jan Vennegoor
 

carvajal

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Could you make a full Spain XI?
Yes, sorry for the delay. It was more complicate that I thought. I tried to include players that at least played some match
Reina(14)
Curro Torres(02) Andrinua(90) Iván Campo(98) Jiménez(90)
Lucas Vázquez(18) Joaquín Alonso (82) Saura(82) Villarroya(90)
Salinas(94) Pardeza(86)
 

Peyroteo

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Portugal

Eduardo (2014)

Ricardo Costa (2010) - Neto (2014) - Rolando (2010) - Duda (2010)

Bruma (2018) - Ruben Amorim (2014) - Pedro Mendes (2010) - Varela (2014)

Eder (2014) - Hugo Almeida (2014)

I tried to pick players that actually played rather than just sit on the bench. Never watched our games on the 86' World Cup but I'm sure some would have made it from there too given we were out right away.
 
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