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.