World Cup 2018: Best South-American XI

Centre-backs:

Thiago Silva (Brazil)

Thiago Silva

Thiago Silva is probably the best defender in the world right now. He is athletic, agile and also is excellent at tackling and breaking the opposition's attack. He is a great tactician and is never caught out of position. Silva is also phenomenal in the air and hence is a threat to the opposition in their penalty area during set-pieces.

A shrewd campaigner, Silva is currently the captain of Brazil. Having represented Brazil in 70 matches and scoring 5 goals for them, Silva will play a crucial role in marshaling the defence of this side. Due to his great defensive performance in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Silva was named the third best central defender in the World Cup by FIFA.

He will play the role of a right central-back for this side. His experience will prove to be crucial for this side.

Diego Godin (Uruguay)

Diego Godin

Diego Godin is a veteran defender in Europe and South America. He is strong, agile, is a good man-marker and has still got the hunger to go in for a rough tackle. Being a tall person, Godin is good in the air and hence is a potential goalscorer for his team from set-pieces.

A leader of men, he is the captain of Uruguay at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He has represented Uruguay in 117 matches and scored 8 goals for them.

Since he likes to defend deep, it will be difficult for the opposition to penetrate the defence of this team. He will stand like a rock in between the opposition's attackers and the goal-keeper. He will play as a left-central back for this team and will form a good defensive pair with Thiago Silva.