Name your Greatest XI

[Rex Caudillo]

Just curious what the best XI of players that you guys have seen in your life watching football. Not ones you've seen highlights of years after the fact.




This would be mine. I've almost definitely seen better midfielders than Kante but as a straight 6 he's the GOAT of my lifetime so fits the balance of the team better.

 

[Notorious Big]

Great choice, i would just put Vidic, Rio, Terry and few others CBs that i seen ahead of Virgil.

 

[Mitch]

GK: Schmicheal
RB: Lahm
CB: Thuram
CB: Adams
LB: Maldini
Cm: Sammer
CM: Zidane
RW: Messi
LW: Cristiano
CF: Ronaldo
CF: Henry

Some very close calls with a few my selections just edging others out (Thuram in particular you flip a coin with a couple of the bellow CBs mentioned).

Honourables mentions to Buffon, VDS, Khan, Cafu, Zanetti, Cole, Terry, Canavarro, Nesta, Kohler, Ayala, Sensini, Vieira, Keane, Redondo, Makaele, Pirlo, Xavi, Iniesta, Salah, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, Neymar, Bergkamp, Cantona, Batitstuta, E'to, Weah, Suarez RVP and Aguero.

 

[albakos]

Just curious what the best XI of players that you guys have seen in your life watching football. Not ones you've seen highlights of years after the fact.

View attachment 46297


This would be mine. I've almost definitely seen better midfielders than Kante but as a straight 6 he's the GOAT of my lifetime so fits the balance of the team better.

Can't really argue with most of that, except for VVD who is definitely not my choice of a best CB in lifetime.

Plenty of others who were better and achieved more.

Also, wondering what's @Sapient Hawk pick !?

 

[JMB]

Just curious what the best XI of players that you guys have seen in your life watching football. Not ones you've seen highlights of years after the fact.

View attachment 46297


This would be mine. I've almost definitely seen better midfielders than Kante but as a straight 6 he's the GOAT of my lifetime so fits the balance of the team better.

What a flex.

 

[Rex Caudillo]

Can't really argue with most of that, except for VVD who is definitely not my choice of a best CB in lifetime.

Plenty of others who were better and achieved more.

Also, wondering what's @Sapient Hawk pick !?

Van Dijk to me is somehow underrated despite his reputation.

He immediately kicked Liverpool up another gear after joining. I think they’ve won trophies that they wouldn’t have if you put Rio, Vidic or Terry in his place for example.

 

[JMB]

Valdes
Dani Alves Mascherano Pique Abidal
Busquets Xavi Iniesta
Messi Villa Pedro​

 

[MauveGunner]

 

[Bloodbather]

Earliest year of football I can remember vividly is 2002, so starting from that point.

Neuer
Lahm
Cole
Ramos
Van Dijk
Xavi
Iniesta
Ronaldinho
Messi
Cristiano
Henry

Very difficult choice between Ronaldinho and Zidane, but Ronaldinho was better overall during my time.

Not what the thread is asking for, but my favorite 11 for the same period would be:

Neuer
Thuram
R. Carlos
Nesta
Cannavaro
Vieira
Schweinsteiger
Sneijder
Robben
Henry
Ronaldo (R9)

 

[Clrnc]

Come @ me

 

[Gooner416]

 

[outlawz]

Peruzzi, Alves, Campbell, Nesta, Maldini, Vieira, Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Henry, Pele

 

[Blaziken]

Buffon, Thuram, Van Dijk, Nesta, Marcelo; Busquets, Zidane, Iniesta, Cristiano Ronaldo, Henry, Lionel Messi.

 

[sub_sub]

Buffon
Lahm - Cannavaro - Nesta - Maldini
Zidane - Pirlo- Iniesta
Messi - Ronaldo (R9) - Henry
​

 

[Rex Caudillo]

Peruzzi, Alves, Campbell, Nesta, Maldini, Vieira, Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Henry, Pele

Wait you actually watched Pele!? How old are you

 

[JMB]

Wait you actually watched Pele!? How old are you

Probably a typo. Surely meant dat guy.

 

[Batman]

Henry R9
CR7 Zidane Vieira Messi
Carlos Maldini Ramos Cafu
Buffon​

 

[Gn1212]

Neuer
Alves-Varane-Virgil-Marcelo
Xavi-Busquets-Iniesta
Messi-Suarez-Ronaldo

For what is worth, only 3 would make it in my favourite XI.

 

[Aubamabludclat94]

Neuer
Dani Alves - VVD - Nesta - Ashley Cole
Busquets
Iniesta Zidane
Messi - Henry - CR7

I’ve seen some really great performances, but I think maybe the Zidane one vs Brazil in 06 WC was the one that left the biggest impression on me. I was still young but I’d been watching ball for a bit already as my dad was a fanatic. I think that match sort of taught me you can dominate the game at the highest level without having to score a hattrick or even a goal

 

[Aubamabludclat94]

Peruzzi, Alves, Campbell, Nesta, Maldini, Vieira, Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Henry, Pele

Maradona doesn’t get in? I’ve known older people who say Maradona in ‘86 was the greatest football phenomenon they’d ever seen. I’ve watched the Argentina against Belgium in the 86 WC semis(?) and idk if I’ve ever seen a bigger gulf in class between the best player and the next best player in a world cup game