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Europe’s Best XI

Xavi (Reuters)

While Lionel Messi captured the Ballon d'Or as expected, France Football also named its Ballon d'Or Best XI, a collection of the best talent in the world and a team that would be a fun one to watch.

Here is the team chosen as Europe's Best XI:

———————Samuel Eto'o———————–

Cristiano Ronaldo————————Lionel Messi

———–Kaka——————Steven Gerrard——-

———————-Xavi——Iniesta——————–

Nemanja Vidic——–John Terry—————-Maicon

————————-Iker Casillas———————-

Obviously it isn't a practical lineup, what with no defensive midfielder and a set of defenders that wouldn't quite work as a unit. If we wanted to set this as a more realistice lineup, you could theoretically drop Kaka for either Patrice Evra or Eric Abidal at left back (Kaka really didn't have a great season last season). The real trouble would be deciding which of the three remaining midfielders you would drop for a more traditional defensive midfielder.

Ultimately, the Best XI doesn't have to be a real lineup, but rather a group of 11 players who enjoyed the best seasons. It is tough to argue with this group too much (with Kaka and Vidic the players most likely to be left out).

What do you think of this group? Who was left out that you would have had on your Best XI?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Why all the hate on Eto’o? Last time i checked, who won the Golden Boot last season? He proving this season he can score in any league. Eto may not be as fancy or glamorous as Torres, Drogba, or Zlatan, but he scores goals. That is what a forward does, and he always been a scorer.

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  2. ——-Torres———–ronaldo———-

    —————-fabregas——————-

    —-Messi————————messi

    ————-Essien——————

    —Clichy—-terry—-puyol—Maicon

    —————-mandanda————–

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  3. How could you possibly leave off Gerrard? And though I don’t think he’s one of Europe’s best XI, why is there no mention of Diego Forlan, the European Golden Boot winner?

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  4. Casillas being on this list is a complete joke.

    The truth is he isn’t the best Spanish goalkeeper (he is 3rd, after Reina and Valdes), much less the best in Europe.

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  5. very true, based on last year Drogba should not be in the team. Couldn’t put Essien because he did not even have 20 appearences for Chelsea last year as he was injured for a significant amount of games.
    ———Ibra—–
    Ronaldo———–Messi
    —-Xavi—–Iniesta–
    ——Gerrard——–
    Evra–Vidic—Puyol—Maicon
    Julio Cesar

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  6. All you folks clamoring for Drogba either don’t understand the concept of the Ballon d’Or Best IX or you didn’t watch any football last year. This is the best 11 players from last season. Drogba was awful last season when he wasn’t nursing some injury or another.

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  7. I don’t see anyone talking about Anelka.

    Lead the EPL in goals didn’t he?

    Torres is clearly better than Eto’o, but he has had some injury problem.

    Drogba had a damn good year too.

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  8. Essien is a must for the defensive role. An engine that runs alllllll game. And Rio was a monster alongside Vidic last season.

    -Ronaldo—-Torres——Messi-
    ——-Xavis—-Iniesta——-
    ———–Essien————-
    Evra—–Vidic–Rio——Maicon
    ———–Cesar—————

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  9. ——–Torres———–Higuain———-

    —————-Kaka——————-

    —-Messi————————Ronaldo

    ————-Essien——————

    —A. Cole—-Pepe—-Vidic—Maicon

    —————-Casillas————–

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  10. ——–Torres———–Drogba———-

    —————-Kaka——————-

    —-Messi————————–Ronaldo

    ————-Essien——-Xavi————-

    ———A.Cole——Terry——–Puyol

    —————-Casillas————–

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  11. ————-torres
    ronaldo——————messi
    ———xavi—lampard
    ————essien
    cole—-vidic—-rio—maicon
    ————buffon

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  12. I have to say the most overrated player in world football is Casillas.

    He’s hesitant on crosses, makes the occossional howler and comes out of his box for no reason to challenge a player.

    Buffon and Cesar are clearly better overall and were better last year. So too probably are Van Der Sar, Reina, Frey, and maybe even Friedel.

    I don’t remember what Kaka did last year, and for that matter Gerrard. Essien, Drogba, Evra, and Puyol should be mentioned before them. If I had to choose:

    ——Drogba—–Eto’o——

    Ronaldo—Iniesta—Xavi—Messi

    Maicon—Puyol—Vidic—Essien

    ————-Cesar——–

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  13. I would say that Rooney and Ibra are two guys that could replace anyone on the list and I would not argue. Both are very underrated players. Leaving off Gerrard would be mind blowing he was outstanding in Europe last year.

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  14. ———C.Ronaldo———-

    Iniesta—————-Messi

    ——-Xavi—-Lampard——

    ———-Essien————

    Cole—Vidic—Pique—Macion

    ———-Casillas———-

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  15. I agree with most of that lineup. I’m just more than impressed that you managed to make a reasonable lineup with all of those players. And still have three defenders.

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  16. Drop Kaka in a heartbeat. He may have been great once, but in all of the Milan games I watched last year, I kept forgetting he was on the field. I kept trying to figure out what the hype was all about.

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  17. I have no quarrel with the choices except for Nemanja Vidic. I won’t go into who would replace him, there are too many. Since they picked only a back three Vidic is posed as a LB. They must be kidding. I might also replace Gerrard with Essien for more defensive bite on the team.

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  18. Ha, are you serious? I know Ronaldinho is playing much better these days, but last season he sucked and he’s played well for what, 10 games for AC Milan? Obviously Gerrard has been hurt lately, but he rarely plays poorly. Also, not in reference to this post, but I think Julio Cesar deserves some consideration for goalie…

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  19. As you already said Ives, these best XIs are always stupid in the end. They might as well just put 11 strikers in a completely random formation.

    (SBI-Come on Kev, it’s not THAT bad.)

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  20. ———Drogba———Torres——–

    —————-Kaka——————

    Ronaldo————————–Messi

    ———–Xavi——–Iniesta——–

    —-Cole——–Terry——-Puyol—–

    —————Given——————

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  21. Actually, the pick I might have the most problem with is Casillas. He’s a great goalkeeper, but was he really the best in Europe last year? Madrid’s record last year suggests not.

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  22. I respectively disagree with the part about Vidic most likely to be left out. If it’s based on last season, then aside from the Liverpool match (which admittedly was pretty terrible), Vidic was superb last season. I do admit he’s been below par this season. And I also think Abidal is over-rated, or at least became over-rated once he moved to Barca. I believe Evra starts over him for France, or at least made Abidal move to the right so that Evra can take left…

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