Six times Ballon d’Or winner, Lionel Messi and five times Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo have both been listed among France Football ‘Ballon d’Or Dream Team’ with other legendary player like Pele and Maradona making the list.
The list also features other notable players who have given their best to the game, putting smile on the faces of millions of football loving fans.
According to sportbible.com, The 2020 Ballon d’Or was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on world football and to make up for it, a new award was created.
A shortlist was put together which 140 different journalists to vote for the greatest players in every position on the pitch.
Lining up in a 3-4-3, XI players have emerged from an original list of 110 to be named the greatest of all time.
Check out the full list below:
Goalkeeper: Lev Yashin
Defender: Cafu
Defender: Paolo Maldini
Defender: Franz Beckenbauer
Midfield: Pele
Midfield: Xavi
Midfield: Lothar Matthaus
Midfield: Diego Maradona
Forward: Lionel Messi
Forward: Ronaldo Nazario
Forward: Cristiano Ronaldo
There can be little argument against any player included in the team, with them all having played and won honours at the highest level.
Lev Yashin was nicknamed the ‘Black Spider’ during his playing days and was known for having incredible reflexes and an unrelenting presence between the sticks.
A three man defence of former AC Milan duo Cafu and Paolo Maldini alongside Franz Beckenbauer would send a shiver down attacker’s spine.
Cafu and Beckenbauer are former World Cup winners, while Maldini is the definition of a one club man.
He won the lot across 25 years and 902 appearances for Milan.
Midfield sees Lother Matthaus and Xavi deep together, with Pele and Diego Maradona in attacking roles.
Maradona tragically died on November 25 and his loss is still felt by the football world.
Pele is often regarded as the greatest ever and has three World Cup medals to his name.
Ronaldo has won five Ballon d’Or’s while Messi has six, and the pair have pushed one another nonstop over the last 15 years.
Up front alongside them is Ronaldo Nazario, who forged a legacy as one of Europe’s most prolific forwards.