Best Possible Ever World XI

Physiocrat

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A bit niche for the mains. I was thinking which season/calendar year can we take to create the best possible world XI ever? Most world XIs discussed are either current or all-time. So I was thinking which players were at their peak in a given year (avoid one season wonders- we want players who are bona fide GOATs: it doesn't need to be that players best season but a season within what would be considered their peak) and see which year can give us the best XI.

My late 90s thread got me thinking about this as one of those years would be immense.
 
Since I can't really remember the details of most things that happened since I last slept I'm going to say it's a combined France-Brazil XI from 1998 with Peter Schmeichel in goal for some reason. (Although tbf Fab the Bab was class that year but I'm fecked if I'm putting him in a world XI :lol:)

Schmeichel
Cafu Thuram Desailly Lizarazu
Rivaldo Zidane Zé Roberto Pires
Ronaldo Djorkaeff
 
Reckon you could choose a late 1980s season - say 87/88 - when Maradona still had it and you get Baresi, Rijkaard, Matthaus, Kohler, Gullit, MVB, Maldini all at or close to the peak of their powers.

Something like

Dasayev
Brehme - Kohler - Baresi - Maldini
Rijkaard
Matthaus - Robson
Maradona
Gullit - Van Basten
​
Maldini only 21 but already kicking arse. It's a bit harsh on the likes of Koeman, Amoros or Bergomi as they were probably more recognised at the time. Not sure when Robbo started slowing down with injuries, but I reckon he'd fit the system to a tee.
 
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Around 75....Total Football. Always thought that 74 German defence played total football defence and would mix fantastically well with the original total football team. Peak Cruyff and Kaiser, that alone is enough for me.

Maier
Vogts Figueroa Schwarzenbeck Facchetti
Beckenbauer
Neeskens VanHanegem
G.Muller Cruyff Blokhin
​
 
1958 maybe

------------------Puskas---------Pele------------------
Gento-------Di Stefano-----Kopa----Garrincha
------------------------------Zito------------------------------
-------Nilton--------Santamaria-----Djalma-------

Mind you, its not top heavy considering the era.
 
59/60 would have had

Yashin
Djalma - Santamaria - Nilton
Pluskal - Mackay
Garrincha - Di Stefano - Gento
Pele - Puskas​

Edit - see GSTQ’s team above
 


-2 freaking wingers in their peak form--- George Best and Dzajic(especially in Euro68)
-Deadly duo from Pele and Eusebio
-Charlton and Beckenbauer pairing together( that should be illegal)
-very strong back line

1968 team
 
General_Elegancia said:


-2 freaking wingers in their peak form--- George Best and Dzajic(especially in Euro68)
-Deadly duo from Pele and Eusebio
-Charlton and Beckenbauer pairing together( that should be illegal)
-very strong back line

1968 team
Click to expand...

Great shout
 
Müller
Rensenbrink - Cruyff
van Hanegem - Overath - Neeskens
Breitner - Beckenbauer - Figueroa - Vogts
Maier​

Perfumo, Krol, Facchetti, Bremner, Džajić, Deyna, Lato...

1974.

Cruyff & Beckenbauer at their absolute best. Figueroa on the back of 3 South American footballer of the year titles (and many sources even argue that he was rated higher than Beckenbauer as a CB at that point). Breitner is at his LB peak, finishing 4th in the Ballon d'Or vote (and we have peak Krol as his back up). All midfielders are at their respective peaks.


Šjor Bepo said:
Around 75....Total Football. Always thought that 74 German defence played total football defence and would mix fantastically well with the original total football team. Peak Cruyff and Kaiser, that alone is enough for me.

Maier
Vogts Figueroa Schwarzenbeck Facchetti
Beckenbauer
Neeskens VanHanegem
G.Muller Cruyff Blokhin
Click to expand...
I see that we're thinking along the same lines. Switching a year forward to include Blokhin is a nice shout. Both Krol & Breitner should probably be ahead of Facchetti at this point though, especially since he's switched to a libero full time around 1974.
 
General_Elegancia said:


-2 freaking wingers in their peak form--- George Best and Dzajic(especially in Euro68)
-Deadly duo from Pele and Eusebio
-Charlton and Beckenbauer pairing together( that should be illegal)
-very strong back line

1968 team
Click to expand...
Moore, surely?
 
Gio said:
Reckon you could choose a late 1980s season - say 87/88 - when Maradona still had it and you get Baresi, Rijkaard, Matthaus, Kohler, Gullit, MVB, Maldini all at or close to the peak of their powers.

Something like

Dasayev
Brehme - Kohler - Baresi - Maldini
Rijkaard
Matthaus - Robson
Maradona
Gullit - Van Basten
​
Maldini only 21 but already kicking arse. It's a bit harsh on the likes of Koeman, Amoros or Bergomi as they were probably more recognised at the time. Not sure when Robbo started slowing down with injuries, but I reckon he'd fit the system to a tee.
Click to expand...
Yeah, that's the obvious shout. Take Sacchi's Milan, add Maradona, Inter's gang and a couple of other superstars and you're golden.
 
harms said:
Müller
Rensenbrink - Cruyff
van Hanegem - Overath - Neeskens
Breitner - Beckenbauer - Figueroa - Vogts
Maier​

Perfumo, Krol, Facchetti, Bremner, Džajić, Deyna, Lato...

1974.

Cruyff & Beckenbauer at their absolute best. Figueroa on the back of 3 South American footballer of the year titles (and many sources even argue that he was rated higher than Beckenbauer as a CB at that point). Breitner is at his LB peak, finishing 4th in the Ballon d'Or vote (and we have peak Krol as his back up). All midfielders are at their respective peaks.



I see that we're thinking along the same lines. Switching a year forward to include Blokhin is a nice shout. Both Krol & Breitner should probably be ahead of Facchetti at this point though, especially since he's switched to a libero full time around 1974.
Click to expand...

had no idea about facchetti, use Krol then who i forgot completely and he is even better as a tactical fit. Not really a fan of Breitner at leftback.
 
General_Elegancia said:


-2 freaking wingers in their peak form--- George Best and Dzajic(especially in Euro68)
-Deadly duo from Pele and Eusebio
-Charlton and Beckenbauer pairing together( that should be illegal)
-very strong back line

1968 team
Click to expand...
Nice to see Dzaja in there, even though I am a Partizan fan myself.
 
GodShaveTheQueen said:
1958 maybe

------------------Puskas---------Pele------------------
Gento-------Di Stefano-----Kopa----Garrincha
------------------------------Zito------------------------------
-------Nilton--------Santamaria-----Djalma-------

Mind you, its not top heavy considering the era.
Click to expand...
If you switch to 1957 you can try to add Edwards who probably has enough superhuman ability to try and carry that team on his back.
Although Pelé is yet to make his international breakthrough...
 
harms said:
If you switch to 1957 you can try to add Edwards who probably has enough superhuman ability to try and carry that team on his back.
Although Pelé is yet to make his international breakthrough...
Click to expand...

Yea came to mind just after I posted.
 
harms said:
Moore, surely?
Click to expand...
Yeah Bobby Moore overall status was ranked higher than Albert for sure but Albert was in Euro 1968 Team of the Tournament( Moore did it too) and finished better place than Moore in Ballon d’or ranking.

Although England won against USSR in 1968 third- place playoff, I have a lot of respect for Albert’s performance in that tournament.
 
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around 09-11 has a lot of potential, pretty much Barca team just with a much better defence. First that come to mind as upgrades are Vds, Rio and Cashley.
 
1980/81 using an in vogue 4-2-2-2 with young Diego in his Argentinos Juniors striker role:

Maradona - Rummenigge
Platini - Zico
Souness - Falcao
Breitner - Krol - Scirea - Leandro
Zoff​
 
Gio said:
1980/81 using an in vogue 4-2-2-2 with young Diego in his Argentinos Juniors striker role:

Maradona - Rummenigge
Platini - Zico
Souness - Falcao
Breitner - Krol - Scirea - Leandro
Zoff​
Click to expand...
God Squad
I think gk candidates in that season are very competitive, Toni Scumacher, Shilton, Zoff and Dasaev. All of them are excellent in their own regard.
 
harms said:
Who would you prefer?
Fillol? Dasayev?
Click to expand...
Tbh, it's pretty hard to prefer in that season. Since it had some serious candidates like Zoff, Rinat Dasaev, Shilton, Schumacher or Fillol, all of them were top goalkeepers. Maybe I hestitate to choose between Dino, Rinat, Shilton or even Schumacher( I really like his aggressiveness).
 
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General_Elegancia said:
God Squad
I think gk candidates in that season are very competitive, Toni Scumacher, Shilton, Zoff and Dasaev. All of them are excellent in their own regard.
Click to expand...
Tbh I reckon Shilton was at the top of his game then and probably deserves the gloves for me.
 
GodShaveTheQueen said:
Good shout. Does Cristiano get a shoe in?
Click to expand...

no chance for me, for majority he is probably second name on the teamsheet. Personally im more interested in a second centerback, from memory Vidic and Terry were standouts at the time but neither is suited to a high line.
 
Šjor Bepo said:
no chance for me, for majority he is probably second name on the teamsheet. Personally im more interested in a second centerback, from memory Vidic and Terry were standouts at the time but neither is suited to a high line.
Click to expand...
Thiago Silva would step in without missing a beat.
 
Thiago Silva during that time usually played at stopper for old Nesta. He would dovetail well with Ferdinand ( although Silva was a different player from Vidic).
 
Nice boys, only position that looks a bit crap on the team is Pedro but he was doing such a specific task that it would be hard to find a better fit + why fix something that isnt broken, all is set for arguably the best player ever so we can only mess things up.

VDS
Alves Rio Silva Cole
Busquets
Xavi Iniesta
Pedro Messi Villa​
 
If Henry worked out well enough, surely Cristiano would too? Sure takes something away from the system but I think the goal scoring stats of that team would be even more ridiculously off the charts and highest probable compared to any other goat team from any other era. Just drooling thinking of Iniesta-Cristiano
 
GodShaveTheQueen said:
If Henry worked out well enough, surely Cristiano would too? Sure takes something away from the system but I think the goal scoring stats of that team would be even more ridiculously off the charts and highest probable compared to any other goat team from any other era. Just drooling thinking of Iniesta-Cristiano
Click to expand...

Henry was happy to take a back seat for a chance to win the CL, Cristiano is the opposite.
Also, Henry was a shadow of his old self at Barca....

If you want a team with Cristiano you pick one of the seasons where he was pissing on CLs. Like Ronaldo here, Messi wouldnt be in that team.

at least thats my take, im sure plenty woučd wank on the possibility of both in the same team.
 
Šjor Bepo said:
If you want a team with Cristiano you pick one of the seasons where he was pissing on CLs. Like Ronaldo here, Messi wouldnt be in that team.
Click to expand...

Nah, I don't want a team with Cristiano. But would be odd to have any team from that era without Messi and Cristiano.

Also, we are looking so deep tactically only into this year as its that Barcelona setup. Most other teams built so far have taken a bit of liberty with tactics and tried to fit in as many stars in their peaks as possible.
 
Not the best ever but I would love to have seen this in '99. Assymetric 4231 - Rivaldo as a left forward than left winger.

...............Batistuta..............
Rivaldo....Zidane....Figo.....
.........Keane....Redondo.....
R.Carlos..Maldini.Stam..Cafu
.................Kahn........................

harms said:
If you switch to 1957 you can try to add Edwards who probably has enough superhuman ability to try and carry that team on his back.
Although Pelé is yet to make his international breakthrough...
Click to expand...

I think 57 would be even better with ADS as false 9.

Gento................ADS.....................Garrincha.............
...........Puskas.............Kopa...........................
...........Edwards...........Zito..........................
....Nilton.........Santamaria.....Djalma
........................Yashin.........................
 
Šjor Bepo said:
Nice boys, only position that looks a bit crap on the team is Pedro but he was doing such a specific task that it would be hard to find a better fit + why fix something that isnt broken, all is set for arguably the best player ever so we can only mess things up.

VDS
Alves Rio Silva Cole
Busquets
Xavi Iniesta
Pedro Messi Villa​
Click to expand...
How about Cristiano on the left, Messi on the right, and Villa through the middle. They’re far enough away from each other that they could both shine individually while also working in the system.
 
Himannv said:
How about Cristiano on the left, Messi on the right, and Villa through the middle. They’re far enough away from each other that they could both shine individually while also working in the system.
Click to expand...

idea was to get the best version of Messi
 
Šjor Bepo said:
idea was to get the best version of Messi
Click to expand...
Ah, but I feel it’s the version on the right that is the best. He’s lazier when he plays centrally while that RWF version is an absolute demon and brings that cut in and shoot option with his magical left foot. Maybe not as good numbers wise, but I feel he’s even harder to deal with.
 
Himannv said:
Ah, but I feel it’s the version on the right that is the best. He’s lazier when he plays centrally while that RWF version is an absolute demon and brings that cut in and shoot option with his magical left foot. Maybe not as good numbers wise, but I feel he’s even harder to deal with.
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couldnt disagree more :D
 
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