BEST EVER WORLD CUP XI

There's so many players that could be chosen for an all time squad, and not just including world cups. So many great players never won the world cup, and some won it when perhaps they didnt deserve to.

I've not included Maradona. I'm not disputing that he is probably one of the established big three of all time, and had amazing skill and ability as a player.

But I believe in honesty and for me, I just cannot forgive him for the cheating hand of god and the drug abuse which tainted his career. I've tried to pick my first eleven based on not just ability on the field but on honesty as people off it.

I think it's time to announce the official UK Babe Channels world cup squad, as chosen in this thread.

On the basis of simply listing the 23 most selected players our world cup squad would be as follows:

Goalkeepers: L. Yashin, G. Banks, P. Schmeichel

Defenders: F. Beckenbauer, B. Moore, Cafu, P. Maldini, F. Baresi, Roberto Carlos, Carlos Alberto

Midfielders: D. Maradona, J. Cruyff, Z. Zidane, B. Charlton, M. Platini, Garrincha, L. Matthaus, Jairzinho

Forwards: Pele, Ronaldo, Eusebio, F. Puskas, Romario

(Maradona could just as well be listed in the forwards of course rather than midfielders).

Again on the basis of simply listing the most selected players, the UK Babe Channels first choice XI looks like this:

L Yashin (USSR)

Cafu (Bra) F Beckenbauer (Ger) B Moore (Eng) P Maldini (Ita)

M Platini (Fra) B Charlton (Eng) Z Zidane (Fra) J Cruyff (Neth)

Pele (Bra) D Maradona (Arg)

Maybe would have been better to announce final teams at the end of the World Cup so people can still post their team line ups.

yeah, bit of an anticlimax now this thread because of the early reveal of squads

(17-06-2010 11:45 )cosmonaut Wrote:  Goalkeepers: L. Yashin, G. Banks, P. Schmeichel

Defenders: F. Beckenbauer, B. Moore, Cafu, P. Maldini, F. Baresi, Roberto Carlos, Carlos Alberto

Midfielders: D. Maradona, J. Cruyff, Z. Zidane, B. Charlton, M. Platini, Garrincha, L. Matthaus, Jairzinho

Forwards: Pele, Ronaldo, Eusebio, F. Puskas, Romario

I think this deserves a more comprehensive writeup. Perhaps Regenerated can allocate squad numbers and give a brief line about each player and what their appeal was likely to have been to the forum selectors?

I'll do a post containing some brief stats about all the players, and a write up about the players I haven't already covered. The players I selected I've already wrote about on the previous pages. I'll allocate squad numbers too, but as I've been nominated to do this, please don't everyone jump on me if my squad numbers don't agree with yours.

Please note this doesn't have to mean the end of the thread, everyone feel free to post more teams if they wish.

Goalkeepers

Lev Yashin
Country: Soviet Union
Squad Number: 1
Caps: 78
Goals scored: 0
World cups: 1958, 1962, 1966
Best finish: 1966 - fourth place

Gordon Banks
Country: England
Squad Number: 12
Caps: 73
Goals scored: 0
World cups: 1966, 1970
Best finish: 1966 - world cup winner

Peter Schmeichel
Country: Denmark
Squad Number: 23
Caps: 129
Goals scored: 1
World cups: 1998
Best finish: 1998 - quarter final

The outstanding keeper of his generation. Only ever played in one world cup as Denmark struggled to qualify for the big stage, although highly influential player in the 1992 European Championships as his country won their only major title. Made a name for himself as a good penalty saver.

Defenders

Cafu
Country: Brazil
Squad number: 2
Caps: 142
Goals scored: 5
World cups: 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006
Best finish: 1994 & 2002 - world cup winner

Paolo Maldini
Country: Italy
Squad number: 3
Caps: 126
Goals scored: 7
World cups: 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002
Best finish: 1994 - world cup finalist

Franz Beckenbauer
Country: Germany
Squad number: 5
Caps: 103
Goals scored: 14
World cups: 1966, 1970, 1974
Best finish: 1974 - world cup winner

Bobby Moore - TEAM CAPTAIN
Country: England
Squad number: 6
Caps: 108
Goals scored: 2
World cups: 1962, 1966, 1970
Best finish: 1966 - world cup winner

Franco Baresi
Country: Italy
Squad number: 14
Caps: 82
Goals scored: 1
World cups: 1982, 1990, 1994
Best finish: 1982 - world cup winner

Inspirational center back who was a fixture in the Italian national teams throughout the 1980s and up to the mid 1990s. Named in the FIFA 100 greatest living players and played his entire playing career with AC Milan.

Carlos Alberto Torres
Country: Brazil
Squad number: 16
Caps: 53
Goals scored: 8
World cups: 1970
Best finish: 1970 - world cup winner

Played as a wing back / center back in Brazil's victorious team of 1970. Was an important and influential player, made more high profile by playing in an era where defenders were "heard and not seen". Would have played more world cups if a knee injury hadn't robbed him of a longer career.

Roberto Carlos
Country: Brazil
Squad number: 22
Caps: 125
Goals scored: 11
World cups: 1998, 2002, 2006
Best finish: 2002 - world cup winner

Stylish, classy left back who was a regular in Brazil's teams from 1998 to 2006. Known for his attacking ability and was able to bend the curve of the ball to score some amazing free kicks.

Midfielders

Garrincha
Country: Brazil
Squad number: 7
Caps: 50
Goals scored: 12
World cups: 1958, 1962, 1966
Best finish: 1958 & 1962 - world cup winner

Named the second best Brazil player ever, after Pele. Mostly played as a right winger / forward - but could also play as a center midfielder. Incredible ball dribbling skills set the benchmark for others including Jairzinho and Maradona to follow in his footsteps.

Lothar Matthaus
Country: Germany
Squad number: 4
Caps: 150
Goals scored: 23
World cups: 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998
Best finish: 1990 - world cup winner

Bobby Charlton
Country: England
Squad number: 8
Caps: 106
Goals scored: 49
World cups: 1962, 1966, 1970
Best finish: 1966 - world cup winner

Diego Maradona
Country: Argentina
Squad number: 10
Caps: 91
Goals scored: 34
World cups: 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994
Best finish: 1986 - world cup winner

The man most English supporters love to hate. Brilliant footballer and controversial person in equal amounts, he scored the best goal ever seen in a world cup, the second goal in the 2-1 win against England in 1986 - dribbled the ball the length of the field, leaving 7 England players in his wake. Unfortunately, he also cheated with the first goal, punching into the net and then dedicating it to the "Hand of God". His ability cannot be denied, but for me he will always be a cheat. Pressure demands he has a place in this team though.

Johan Cruyff
Country: Holland
Squad number: 11
Caps: 48
Goals scored: 33
World cups: 1974
Best finish: 1974 - world cup finalist

Michel Platini
Country: France
Squad number: 13
Caps: 72
Goals scored: 41
World cups: 1978, 1982, 1986
Best finish: 1986 - third place

Zinedine Zidane
Country: France
Squad number: 15
Caps: 108
Goals scored: 31
World cups: 1998, 2002, 2006
Best finish: 1998 - world cup winner

Jairzinho
Country: Brazil
Squad number: 17
Caps: 81
Goals scored: 33
World cups: 1966, 1970, 1974
Best finish: 1970 - world cup winner

Forwards

Pele
Country: Brazil
Squad number: 9
Caps: 92
Goals scored: 77
World cups: 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970
Best finish: 1958, 1962 & 1970 - world cup winner

Ferenc Puskas
Country: Hungary
Squad number: 18
Caps: 85
Goals scored: 84
World cups: 1954
Best finish: 1954 - world cup finalist

Ronaldo
Country: Brazil
Squad number: 19
Caps: 97
Goals scored: 62
World cups: 1998, 2002, 2006
Best finish: 2002 - world cup winner

One of the most prolific strikers in World Cup history. Was always the first name on the team sheet in Brazil's world cup teams, even if not 100 percent fit. Such is his ability on the ball, I can understand why its hard to not select him for an all time squad.

Romario
Country: Brazil
Squad number: 20
Caps: 70
Goals scored: 55
World cups: 1990, 1994
Best finish: 1994 - world cup winner

Main striker of Brazil's 1994 American dream. One of very few strikers ever worldwide to have surpassed 1000 career goals for all clubs and country.

Eusebio
Country: Portugal
Squad number: 21
Caps: 64
Goals scored: 41
World cups: 1966
Best finish: 1966 - third place

STARTING ELEVEN WOULD BE:

YASHIN
CAFU, BECKENBAUER, MOORE, MALDINI
MATTHAUS
GARRINCHA, CHARLTON, CRUYFF
MARADONA, PELE