My Fantasy World Cup XI
My All Time World Cup XI
1. Gordon Banks
Although patriotism obviously played some part in my choice of goalkeeper I have to be honest and say very few goalkeepers have had outstanding World Cups: Sepp Maier in 1974, Pat Jennings in 1982 and Fabien Barthez in 1998 are the only other three I could think of.
Banksy gets the shirt on the basis of two World Cups (forget the stomach bug in Mexico).
2. Cafu (Right Back)
Talk about done it, worn the t-shirt - here's a player who is about to play in his fourth World Cup and has been in three finals already!
I thought when Marcos Evangelista de Moraes Cafu left Roma for Milan in 2003 it was simply a case of seeing out the last few days of a truly remarkable career but he has still shown the hunger and desire that has won him not only more trophies but the admiration of fans all over the world.
He's the only player in World Cup history to have played in three finals and along with Ronaldo he's the only Brazilian in the squad from the 1994 Final.
3. Paul Breitner (Left Back)
Known as "Afro-Paule" thanks to his famous afro haircut, this right or left back was capped 48 times for Germany and he remains one of only three players ever to score in two World Cup Finals which he did in 1974 against Holland and 1982 against Italy.
He was also part of the German side that won the European Championship in 1972 and in 1974 not only did he win the World Cup but he also played in the Bayern side that won the European Cup. His club career lasted from 1970 until 1983, he had two spells at Bayern (70-74 and 78-83) and Real Madrid (74-78)
Breitner was as well known for his political views as his attacking runs in Germany and should I have consider a Moustache XI he will be in it for sure.
4. Franz Beckenbauer (Central Midfield)
Breitner's captain for both club and country was the "Kaiser", probably the best ball playing centre-half, central midfield player Europe has produced.
Beckenbauer had only made his German debut nine months before the 1966 World Cup in England but he was so highly thought of by his manager Helmut Schoen that he was given the job of marking Bobby Charlton in the final - Charlton had been given the job of marking Beckenbauer by Sir Alf Ramsey.
He was the first winning captain to hold the new World Cup which replaced the Jules Rimet Trophy won outright by Brazil in Mexico. Like all great captains he led by example, dominating the middle of the field and later making the sweeper (or libero) role his own.
Beckenbauer became captain of Germany in 1971 following their semi-final defeat against Italy, he was injured in that 4-3 defeat and one of my clear memories is of him playing on with his dislocated shoulder strapped heavily. At Bayern Munich he was equally successful, the club won three league championships in a row (1972-74) and also a hat-trick of European Cup wins (1974-76).
Just to round things off he managed Germany to their last World Cup triumph in 1990 and is the figurehead of their 2006 campaign, I'm sure if had found the time he would have helped with building one of the new stradiums.
5. Daniel Passarella (Centre Back)
Probably, at only 1.73 m, the smallest centre back ever to captain a national side Passarella was one of the stars of the 1978 World Cup played in his own country.
He was a ball playing centre-half which is why he is in my team, this is a team designed to win tackles and play the ball through the opposition. He was called "El Gran Capitán" and until Ronald Koeman took his record away he was the top scoring defender in football history, with 134 goals in 451 matches. Despite his lack of height his heading skill was unrivalled, both defensively and in attack, he was also noted for using his elbows against rivals whilst managing to avoid the referee's gaze. Due to a bout of enterocolitis he missed the final in Mexico in 1986, he was replaced in the first team by defender José Luis Brown who famously scored his only goal for the national side in the final against Germany, as part of the squad however, he became the only player to feature in both Argentina's World Cup-winning teams.
6. Bobby Moore (Centre Back and Captain)
Forty years on he is still the only player to captain an English World Cup winning side.
Bobby Moore is my all-time number one sporting hero, I was lucky enough to see him play for West Ham and I actually met him once when I was about nine or ten outside Upton Park.
We are all familiar with the cliches: short of speed, couldn't tackle or head the ball - but what Bobby Moore had was quickness of mind. He could see moves two or three times ahead of other players and he would use this speed of thought to get himself in the right place at the right time to break up an opposition attack and get his side going forward. One of the best examples of how quickly he could see things was England's first goal in the 1966 Final, he is fouled out near the left touchline, sees Geoff Hurst making a move towards the near post and the rest, as they say is history.
7. Michel Platini (Right Midfield)
The only player in this side not to have played in a World Cup winning side, Platini is the best player I have ever seen. The ability to use both feet, pass over short or long distances, score goals with both feet and his head he had the misfortune to be in the French side that was out on its feet in extra time against Germany in Spain, 1982.
Captain of the side that won the 1984 European Championships, Platini also had a superb club career winning two Scudetto's, one European Cup and one European Cup Winners Cup whilst at Juventus, as well as being Serie A's top scorer three seasons running.
As Bobby Charlton, himself quite a useful player, once said, " he could thread the ball through the eye of a needle as well as finish."
11. Zinedine Zidane (Left Midfield)
Probably the most complete midfield player of the past twenty years, Zizou was the face of France's 1998 World Cup. I remember being in France and seeing his face on huge billboards.
His two headed goals in the final against Brazil rounded off a superb personal triumph which looked at one stage to be going pear shaped when he was sent-off against Saudi Arabia in the first round. Two years after that wonderful night at the Stade De France he led his country to a second major championship, winning Euro 2000. He has been FIFA World Player of The Year three times (1998, 2000, 2003).
Away from international football he also scored probably the best goal ever in a European Cup Final when he volleyed the ball over Bayer Leverkusen's goalkeeper at Hampden Park in 2002.
9. Bobby Charlton (Foward - Playing behind front two)
One of only two Englishmen to win both the European Cup and World Cup, I remember Booby Charlton for two of his goals in the 1966 World Cup - the screamer against Mexico when the Mexican defence appeared to have gone to request political asylum and the one in the semi final when Geoff Hurst held the ball up and waited for Charlton to arrive and blast it into the net.
8. Diego Armando Maradona (Forward)
Forget for a minute the 'Hand of God' and all the English hypocrosy surrounding the cheating, just sit back and visualise the second goal against England in the Azteca Stadium that day in 1986 when the legend that had been growing since 1978, which had been kicked out of the tournament by Claudio Gentile in 1982, finally bore fruit.
If ever one man's desire and ambition to be a winner needed underlining it was the 1986 tournament. Regarded as too inexperienced by Menotti in 1978 (he was in the initial 25 but not the final 22) Maradona was the star of Mexico. Not only did he score that wonderful goal against England but he managed a similar effort against Belguim. We can overlook the crocodile tears in 1990 and the manic drug fuelled run towards the camera in 1994 because as Peter Jones said as the ball entered England's goal "that's why Maradona is the greatest player in the world today."
10. Pele (Forward)
Pele came to the attention of the world in 1958, two years before I was born, I didn't see him play in 1962 and my memories of him in 1966 are courtesy of programmes since that tournament. He's in the side because of 1970, the attempt from the half way line against Czechoslovakia, the dummy against the Uruguyan goalkeeper and the header against Italy in the final - when he scored Brazil's 100th goal in World Cup Finals.
Pele is often criticised for wanting vast wads of cash in return for public appearances, but let's be honest if you've got to buy good p.a wouldn't you rather have Pele than Phil Neville.
Subs: Dino Zoff, Carlos Alberto, Lothar Matthaus, Johann Cruyff, Ronaldo.
Manager
Sir Alf Ramsey
I could easily pick a second XI to give this side a decent game with players such as Sepp Maier, George Cohen, Roger Hunt, Jairzinho, Rivaldo, Rivalino, Rensenbrink, Neeskens, Tardelli, Zico,
Neeskens, Baggio, Suker, Rummenigge etc.
1. Gordon Banks
Although patriotism obviously played some part in my choice of goalkeeper I have to be honest and say very few goalkeepers have had outstanding World Cups: Sepp Maier in 1974, Pat Jennings in 1982 and Fabien Barthez in 1998 are the only other three I could think of.
Banksy gets the shirt on the basis of two World Cups (forget the stomach bug in Mexico).
2. Cafu (Right Back)
Talk about done it, worn the t-shirt - here's a player who is about to play in his fourth World Cup and has been in three finals already!
I thought when Marcos Evangelista de Moraes Cafu left Roma for Milan in 2003 it was simply a case of seeing out the last few days of a truly remarkable career but he has still shown the hunger and desire that has won him not only more trophies but the admiration of fans all over the world.
He's the only player in World Cup history to have played in three finals and along with Ronaldo he's the only Brazilian in the squad from the 1994 Final.
3. Paul Breitner (Left Back)
Known as "Afro-Paule" thanks to his famous afro haircut, this right or left back was capped 48 times for Germany and he remains one of only three players ever to score in two World Cup Finals which he did in 1974 against Holland and 1982 against Italy.
He was also part of the German side that won the European Championship in 1972 and in 1974 not only did he win the World Cup but he also played in the Bayern side that won the European Cup. His club career lasted from 1970 until 1983, he had two spells at Bayern (70-74 and 78-83) and Real Madrid (74-78)
Breitner was as well known for his political views as his attacking runs in Germany and should I have consider a Moustache XI he will be in it for sure.
4. Franz Beckenbauer (Central Midfield)
Breitner's captain for both club and country was the "Kaiser", probably the best ball playing centre-half, central midfield player Europe has produced.
Beckenbauer had only made his German debut nine months before the 1966 World Cup in England but he was so highly thought of by his manager Helmut Schoen that he was given the job of marking Bobby Charlton in the final - Charlton had been given the job of marking Beckenbauer by Sir Alf Ramsey.
He was the first winning captain to hold the new World Cup which replaced the Jules Rimet Trophy won outright by Brazil in Mexico. Like all great captains he led by example, dominating the middle of the field and later making the sweeper (or libero) role his own.
Beckenbauer became captain of Germany in 1971 following their semi-final defeat against Italy, he was injured in that 4-3 defeat and one of my clear memories is of him playing on with his dislocated shoulder strapped heavily. At Bayern Munich he was equally successful, the club won three league championships in a row (1972-74) and also a hat-trick of European Cup wins (1974-76).
Just to round things off he managed Germany to their last World Cup triumph in 1990 and is the figurehead of their 2006 campaign, I'm sure if had found the time he would have helped with building one of the new stradiums.
5. Daniel Passarella (Centre Back)
Probably, at only 1.73 m, the smallest centre back ever to captain a national side Passarella was one of the stars of the 1978 World Cup played in his own country.
He was a ball playing centre-half which is why he is in my team, this is a team designed to win tackles and play the ball through the opposition. He was called "El Gran Capitán" and until Ronald Koeman took his record away he was the top scoring defender in football history, with 134 goals in 451 matches. Despite his lack of height his heading skill was unrivalled, both defensively and in attack, he was also noted for using his elbows against rivals whilst managing to avoid the referee's gaze. Due to a bout of enterocolitis he missed the final in Mexico in 1986, he was replaced in the first team by defender José Luis Brown who famously scored his only goal for the national side in the final against Germany, as part of the squad however, he became the only player to feature in both Argentina's World Cup-winning teams.
6. Bobby Moore (Centre Back and Captain)
Forty years on he is still the only player to captain an English World Cup winning side.
Bobby Moore is my all-time number one sporting hero, I was lucky enough to see him play for West Ham and I actually met him once when I was about nine or ten outside Upton Park.
We are all familiar with the cliches: short of speed, couldn't tackle or head the ball - but what Bobby Moore had was quickness of mind. He could see moves two or three times ahead of other players and he would use this speed of thought to get himself in the right place at the right time to break up an opposition attack and get his side going forward. One of the best examples of how quickly he could see things was England's first goal in the 1966 Final, he is fouled out near the left touchline, sees Geoff Hurst making a move towards the near post and the rest, as they say is history.
7. Michel Platini (Right Midfield)
The only player in this side not to have played in a World Cup winning side, Platini is the best player I have ever seen. The ability to use both feet, pass over short or long distances, score goals with both feet and his head he had the misfortune to be in the French side that was out on its feet in extra time against Germany in Spain, 1982.
Captain of the side that won the 1984 European Championships, Platini also had a superb club career winning two Scudetto's, one European Cup and one European Cup Winners Cup whilst at Juventus, as well as being Serie A's top scorer three seasons running.
As Bobby Charlton, himself quite a useful player, once said, " he could thread the ball through the eye of a needle as well as finish."
11. Zinedine Zidane (Left Midfield)
Probably the most complete midfield player of the past twenty years, Zizou was the face of France's 1998 World Cup. I remember being in France and seeing his face on huge billboards.
His two headed goals in the final against Brazil rounded off a superb personal triumph which looked at one stage to be going pear shaped when he was sent-off against Saudi Arabia in the first round. Two years after that wonderful night at the Stade De France he led his country to a second major championship, winning Euro 2000. He has been FIFA World Player of The Year three times (1998, 2000, 2003).
Away from international football he also scored probably the best goal ever in a European Cup Final when he volleyed the ball over Bayer Leverkusen's goalkeeper at Hampden Park in 2002.
9. Bobby Charlton (Foward - Playing behind front two)
One of only two Englishmen to win both the European Cup and World Cup, I remember Booby Charlton for two of his goals in the 1966 World Cup - the screamer against Mexico when the Mexican defence appeared to have gone to request political asylum and the one in the semi final when Geoff Hurst held the ball up and waited for Charlton to arrive and blast it into the net.
8. Diego Armando Maradona (Forward)
Forget for a minute the 'Hand of God' and all the English hypocrosy surrounding the cheating, just sit back and visualise the second goal against England in the Azteca Stadium that day in 1986 when the legend that had been growing since 1978, which had been kicked out of the tournament by Claudio Gentile in 1982, finally bore fruit.
If ever one man's desire and ambition to be a winner needed underlining it was the 1986 tournament. Regarded as too inexperienced by Menotti in 1978 (he was in the initial 25 but not the final 22) Maradona was the star of Mexico. Not only did he score that wonderful goal against England but he managed a similar effort against Belguim. We can overlook the crocodile tears in 1990 and the manic drug fuelled run towards the camera in 1994 because as Peter Jones said as the ball entered England's goal "that's why Maradona is the greatest player in the world today."
10. Pele (Forward)
Pele came to the attention of the world in 1958, two years before I was born, I didn't see him play in 1962 and my memories of him in 1966 are courtesy of programmes since that tournament. He's in the side because of 1970, the attempt from the half way line against Czechoslovakia, the dummy against the Uruguyan goalkeeper and the header against Italy in the final - when he scored Brazil's 100th goal in World Cup Finals.
Pele is often criticised for wanting vast wads of cash in return for public appearances, but let's be honest if you've got to buy good p.a wouldn't you rather have Pele than Phil Neville.
Subs: Dino Zoff, Carlos Alberto, Lothar Matthaus, Johann Cruyff, Ronaldo.
Manager
Sir Alf Ramsey
I could easily pick a second XI to give this side a decent game with players such as Sepp Maier, George Cohen, Roger Hunt, Jairzinho, Rivaldo, Rivalino, Rensenbrink, Neeskens, Tardelli, Zico,
Neeskens, Baggio, Suker, Rummenigge etc.
posted by Paul at
9:56 am
2 Comments:
OK, possibly Cruyff in for Charlton. Other than that I'm not sure I'd argue much. These things are so subjective and if you look at my previous post, you'll know I'm really running on empty http://6yearslate.blogspot.com/2006/05/great-footie-cover-up.html
By
Crispin Heath, at 10:21 am
How is it possible to leave out George Best in any team, World or a park team. He was quick,tough, skillfull,and could send a whole defence the wrong way by a simple feint of the body.
By
Anonymous, at 3:47 am
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