French publication L'Equipe named its 2011 Team of the Year recently, and as you might expect, Barcelona dominated the selections with six players on the team.
LIonel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo headline the squad, which includes a total of eight players from La Liga and two players from the English Premier League. Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is the lone player selected from outside of the top two leagues.
As with any such World Team of the Year list, there are going to players who look like major snubs, and a good case can be made for several candidates, including Arsenal striker Robin van Persie, who certainly feels like a snub.
Here is the squad, as selected by L'Equipe:
2011 World Team of the Year
D. Silva———-C. Ronaldo———Messi
————–Xavi———Iniesta————
——————Busquets——————–
Marcelo—–Vidic——Pique——D. Alves
——————M. Neuer——————-
——–
What do you think of the squad? Who, in your opinion, are the biggest snubs?
Share your thoughts below.
Spain is the best team in the world and Barcelona is the best club. Those are the only facts everything else is hypothetical opinion or best at a certain position
The awards should be won on the field
I should add that my selection of Goetze can also be criticized – he hasn`t done much in the CL either. But I simply can`t stand the hype surrounding Silva.
I know Bale started out as an LB but he broke out as a midfielder. Has he been playing there for Spurs these days? I don’t pay much attention to them so I wouldn’t know.
I think Silva is overrated as hell. He is a very good player, but the lack of other creative players at City and the PL as a whole makes him appear “magic”. He looked very average against Bayern and Napoli. I see Goetze as a future Barca or Real player while Silva will remain a big fish in a small pond IMO.
Messi is nowhere near as spectacular and influential with Argentina as he is with Barcelona. Khan you so crazy.
Kenny Cooper
Vidic is, hands down, the world’s best defender.
Barcelona
I think his point is made more emphatic by the fact that Messi HAS to play a different position because he doesn’t have the talent around him with the national squad.
Look at basketball, guys with Cleveland were a lot better before LeBron left town. Works in all sports.
——Cavani—-
–RVP——-Messi–
–Xavi——D. Silva–
—–X. Alonso—
Cole–Kompany-Boateng-D. Alves
——Casillas—–
Milan fan much?
No Bale=Not best
I’m surprised I think most regard Vidic as the best in the world?
You could stick Puyol, Hummels, Ramos in there and still a great 3 man defence.
I think my 343 team means all the main players of the season are in there and it has enough about it defensively with Vidic, T Silva, Pique and then Schweinsteiger who is more than capable of playing as a defensive midfielder with the added bonus of being a great box to box player and creator.
With D Silva, Xavi, Iniesta and Scheweinsteiger the opposition would struggle to touch the ball anyway and upfront you have the 3 most lethal players in the world.
Anyway I like it!
I agree with all but Vidic.
Neuer has had an amazing year in 2011, going over 1100 minutes without conceedinh a goal. In addition he almost single handedly carried Schalke to the semi-finals. For 2011, Neuer earned his spot on his own merits, not as just a token German!
This would be my team. No need for 4 at the back, other teams would never see the ball!
……Ronaldo………RVP………..
…………….Messi……………
Iniesta………………….D Silva
……..Xavi…Schweinsteiger…….
….Vidic…..T Silva…..Pique….
………….[Casillas]………….
Raise your hand if you think they threw Neuer in there just to give the Germans something in return for their snub of Schweinsteiger and maybe Lahm.
Goetze is very good, but Silva makes magic EVERY WEEK against incredible teams.
funny 🙂
Marcelo? every time RM plays Barca he gets abused.
yes
what position has Cesc been playing? midfield? not the games I’ve watched
I would take Abidal over Marcelo anyday and Puyol over Vidic, Specially after the last Clasico, Puyol was beast.
Gareth Bale
He is incredible for his national team, leads the team in assists… won the Olympics and U21 World Cup with Argentina.
He also plays central midfield with Argentina. Your point is kind of negated by the fact that he plays a different position for an inept team.
He is unpopular in some quarters but is undoubtedly among the elite players in the world at his position.
Thought Adu would have finally landed on a team the matches his quality. Oh well.
This is a stupid exercise. You cant compare players between leagues like that. Just say Barcelona is the best team and be happy with that. Messi does not look anywhere near as brilliant when he is playing for Argentina. The players around you, the system you play, and the manager have a lot to do with how good a player looks. I’m not saying Messi is not the best player I’m only using his comparative play with his national team to make my point
Fair enough, you can make the argument for both. I certainly find Schweingsteiger to be a quality player.
I even think Casillas > Neuer.
La Liga biased?
How is it really surprising when they have the two best teams in the world by a wide margin and arguably the greatest club team in football history. Of course they will have a bunch of players.
Schweinsteiger made Silva look average in the Champions League.Just saying.
Those few others are Xavi Iniesta and Silva… even Fabregas has been better.
I don’t think RVP is a snub at all. Who is he going in over… either Messi or Ronaldo? Not happening.
No.
+1
Gareth Bale??
Thiago Silva Ibrahimovic Kevin-Prince Boateng
I’d put Lahm definitely ahead of Marcelo. And I think Schweinsteiger has dominated the midfield like very few others in 2011.
Ha ha. I was looking for chad Barrett but was disappointed he just missed out.
Busquets is a bum
No Adam Christman?
It’s a crime to not have RVP…he’s having one of the single greatest scoring years of ALL TIME!
I would put Mario Goetze ahead of Silva.
I’d actually do this:
Ronaldo————-RVP
———-Messi——–
—Xavi———-Iniesta-
——–Busquets——-
And the same defense. With all respect to Silva who’s had a hell of a year, RVP is better in my book. Silva would make it into a list of the best 11 players of the year, but if you want to make “Team of the Year” that’s balanced, this is what I go with, and unfortunately I think RVP beats out Silva.
Genuine question, who’s a better LB? Evra and Cole haven’t had the best of years.
ya, RvP is having as good of a 2011 as anyone
This is the most Liga-biased thing ever, and by L’Equipe?! C’mon.
Vidic is quality, but def would not include him in this year’s team. And Marcelo?! Def not the best LB…not even top 3 for me. RvP a definite snub…
rvp has to be on there