BEST EVER WORLD CUP XI

GK - Lev Yashin
RB - Cafu
CB - Franz Beckenbaur
CB - Marcel Desailly
LB - Paolo Maldini
RM - Garrincha
CM - Zidane
CM - Bobby Charlton
LM - Johan Cruyff
CF - Pele
CF - Maradona

S1 - Peter Schmeichel
S2 - Fabio Cannavaro
S3 - Roberto Baggio
S4 - Ronaldinho
S5 - Ronaldo

Schmeichel

Cafu - Moore - Beckenbaur - Roberto Carlos

Ronaldinho - Zidane - Charlton - Maradona

Ronaldo - Pele

(11-06-2010 09:31 )gunflash10 Wrote:  

(10-06-2010 22:48 )mas0887 Wrote:  This was vote put to a vote for Yahoo! and Eurosport users on the net, including Wildcard, Manager and Stadium, here it is:

Stadium: Wembley (1966)

Goalkeeper: Lev Yashin (USSR)

Right-back: Cafu (Brazil)

Centre-back: Bobby Moore (England)

Sweeper: Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany)

Left-back: Roberto Carlos (Brazil)

Right midfield: Garrincha (Brazil)

Left midfield: Johan Cruyff (Holland)

Central midfield: Bobby Charlton (England)

Number 10: Zinedine Zidane (France)

Second striker: Pele (Brazil)

Striker: Ronaldo (Brazil)

Wild card: Roger Milla (Cameroon)

Manager: Guus Hiddink (Netherlands, South Korea, Australia)

And I don't think Zidane is 'easily' in the top 3 players of all time. Pele and Maradona are 1 and 2 obviously, and it is down to personal preference who is one or two for you out of those two but after that there are loads of players that could be 3rd, my vote goes to Cruyff or Garrincha.

Cant agree with that at all about zidane to rate johan cruyff as better on what basis? garrincha maybe but as far as players of the last thirty years or so go zidane is the best in my book as he made everything look so easy and could score with both feet and also scored a fair proportion of headers.
Watch any of his clips on youtube then tell me that youre not impressed by what you have seen.
Oh and he didnt have to resort to drug taking like maradona who while he may have been a great footballer will always remain a flawed genius because of the drug taking and drug bans anyone who has to resort to such activities for me will always be tainted.

You say that as if Zidane was a goal machine, he didn't score that many goals, If you were basing it purely on goals then many attacking midfielders are better at that than him, Cristiano Ronaldo is significantly better at scoring goals than him. And I don't need to watch videos of him playing on youtube, I have watched him play before, he is a very good player but there is no way you can put him on par with Johan Cruyff. The man was ridiculous, he won the Ballon D'Or 3 times for god's sake, you don't do that is you are a crap player, you obviously haven't watched him play otherwise you wouldn't be asking on what basis I was saying he was better than Zidane. I absolutely loathe Maradona for the way he acted off the pitch and bringing the game into disrepute but there is no challenging the mans greatness.

Appreciate your last post mas0887 but i never said he was an out and out goalscorer but i meant that his quality was based on overall skill and team contributions.You may have seen him play ive seen him play live against arsenal for real madrid and although in the twilight of his career was privileged to see him live as even then zinedine still had the touches and class and if i remember correctly in the prevoius world cup he inspired france in quite a few matches and in particular the match against spain where he still made those around him look fairly ordinary and at the end of his career.
Youve also made your point about cruyff and while he may have been a very good footballer he never won a world cup winners medal and im sure he would swap any of his Ballon d'or awards to have one.So in that respect Zidane was able to inspire his team in at least one final wheras cruyff couldnt.It also pains me to say it but maradona was also able to do this and can be considered better than cruyff in this respect.Ive never seen cruyff score a goal like the second against england in 86. My opinion is that zidane was better in terms of the overall skill,team contributions and inspiration and his medal collection your opinion is obviously different but isnt that what forums are for debate and opinion.Oh and did you know george best once nutmegged cruyff in a game for n ireland against holland the result was a 2-2 draw in amsterdam and i believe mr cruyff was a bit angry that he had done so.

If I had to name a full 23 man squad, these would be the other players:-

12 - Goalkeeper - Gordon Banks (England)
World Cups:- 1966, 1970

For a long time, "Banks of England" was the best in the world. Won 73 caps between 1963 and 1972, before a car crash caused a serious eye injury and ended his playing career. There was an air of calmness and safety about the side when Banks was number one.

13 - Left back - Antonio Cabrini (Italy)
World Cups:- 1978, 1982, 1986

Was a key player in the Italian team that won the World Cup in 1982. Had a reputation for scoring goals (9 - a record for a defender) aswell as providing solid cover at left back.

14 - Right back - Djalma Santos (Brazil)
World Cups:- 1954, 1958, 1962, 1966

Solid, dependable and resolute right back who is one of his country's best ever defenders. Made a key pass down-field that led to Brazil's winning goal in the 1962 final against Czechoslovakia.

15 - Central attacking midfielder - Michel Platini (France)
World Cups:- 1978, 1982, 1986

Platini was one of the best footballers of his generation, an outstanding playmaker who was the driving force of the French national teams of the 1980s. Scored some fantastic goals, particularly direct from free kicks.

16 - Center back - Daniel Passarella (Argentina)
World Cups:- 1978, 1982

Influential captain of the 1978 Argentina World Cup winning team. He also managed the side during the 1998 World Cup.

17 - Center back / defensive midfielder / sweeper - Lothar Matthaus (Germany)
World Cups:- 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998

Appeared in five World Cup tournaments for Germany over a period of 16 years, and is his country's and the world's all-time leading cap holder with 150. Was the man who took over Beckenbauer's sweeper role.

18 - Central midfielder - Bobby Charlton (England)
World Cups:- 1962, 1966, 1970

England's driving force through midfield during the glorious summer of 1966, and the lung-busting altitude of Mexico in 1970. Without him in the team, England struggled. This point was emphasised during the 1970 quarter final against Germany. Alf Ramsey brought him off which left Beckenbauer free to cause havoc, England proceeded to lose a two goal lead and went out 3-2. All time leading goalscorer for his country.

19 - Center forward - Gerd Muller (Germany)
World Cups:- 1970, 1974

Powerful and lethal center forward who had one the most phenomenal scoring rates ever seen in world football. He was the man who drove a harpoon through English hearts in 1970, scoring the goals that ended their title reign. 68 goals in 62 caps is an amazing record.

20 - Left wing / forward - Ferenc Puskas (Hungary)
World Cups:- 1954

Another of Hungary's "Magical Magyars" of the legendary 1954 side. Scored 84 goals in 85 appearances in all competitions for Hungary and is recognised as one of the best forwards Europe has ever produced.

21 - Center forward - Eusebio (Portugal)
World Cups:- 1966

Portugal's best ever footballer. Won the golden boot in 1966 with 9 goals in the tournament, including four in one game as Portugal came back from 3-0 down to defeat North Korea 5-3.

22 - Goalkeeper - Dino Zoff (Italy)
World Cups:- 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982

Formed an unbeatable last line of defence of Italy's world cup teams through four tournaments. His choice in this squad mirrors the actual positions in the top three goalkeepers ever - Yashin was first, Banks second and Zoff third. Was the oldest world cup winner (40 years old) when he captained Italy to victory in the 1982 final.

23 - Central midfielder - Zinedine Zidane (France)
World Cups:- 1998, 2002, 2006

The outstanding player of his generation. Played in two World Cup finals and a key figure in reinventing France as a major power on the biggest stage.

If you are going to state that players don't deserve to be considered truely great because they didn't win a World Cup then many current Legends can be dismissed, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Cesc Fabregas, Wayne Rooney, Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard are all overrated pieces of crap yes? And George Weah must be the worst player of all time because he never played in one World Cup Finals. You cannot disregard a player simply because they have never won a World Cup, there are many Players who have World Cup Winner medals who would never make it in the best 1000 players of all time. Zidane was a very good player but the squad he had around him was brilliant when they won the World Cup, and they had home advantage, something Holland never had. Neither did Argentina when they won it in 1986 but Maradona won that pretty much on his own. Cruyff got nutmegged by another one of the best players of all time and that is supposed to demerit the player? A quick glance on youtube shows that Zidane got nutmegged Jonathan Zebina. Who is a very good player but Best was something special, so Zidane has more to be embarassed about.

You could pick a great team with the players never to have won the World Cup the likes of,

Yashin, Platini, Puskas, Eusebio,Cruyff, Van Basten,Baresi, Maldini etc..

The best player ever, never made it to the World Cup.

George Best

G Banks (Eng)

Cafu (Bra) F Baresi (Ita) B Moore (Eng) P Maldini (Ita)

F Beckenbauer (Ger)

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

Pele (Bra) D Maradona (Arg)

G Banks (Eng)

C Alberto (Bra) F Beckenbauer (Ger) B Moore (Eng) A Cabrini (Ita)

L Matthaus (Ger)

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

D Maradona (Arg) Pele (Bra)