Best La Liga XI of the decade

Fans across the world are always debating upon which league is truly the best in the world. The Premier League's competitiveness and entertainment, and the Bundesliga's style of football are appreciated by all football fans. The answer to this question will never be a unanimous choice - however, no one can question the dominance of La Liga in Europe this past decade.

With two of the best teams in the world (Real Madrid and Barcelona) competing in the La Liga Santander, other clubs such as Sevilla, Valencia and Atletico Madrid also make the Spanish first division a highly entertaining one. In the past ten years, teams from La Liga have made both the Champions League and the Europa League their playing ground, while dominating the FIFA World XI teams.

That comes as no surprise, given the quality of players which ply their trade in the competition. In this list, we take a look at the best of the best as we assemble the best La Liga playing eleven over the past ten years.

Goalkeeper - Jan Oblak

Club Atletico de Madrid v CA Osasuna - La Liga

Jan Oblak moved to Atletico Madrid as a replacement for the departing Thibaut Courtois in 2014. Signed for a fee of €16 million, the player was the most expensive goalkeeper in the league's history at the time. Five years later, his value has increased more than 500% due to his stint in the league.

Although Courtois himself deserves a mention, Oblak's consistency and his incredible shot-stopping skills make him an easy choice for this list. The Slovenian shot-stopper has been named La Liga's Best Goalkeeper for the past four seasons and is the most consistent keeper in Spain's first division, beating the likes of Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Keylor Navas for this spot.

Defence

Right-back - Dani Alves

The defender is one of the best fullbacks of all time

Winner of 6 La Liga titles (four this decade), Dani Alves is quite simply the greatest fullback to play in the Spanish first division this decade. The Brazilian international was an integral part of the Barca team which dominated Europe and Spain, and his telepathy with a certain Argentine superstar is the stuff of legends.

The Brazilian's speed, technical ability and physical strength made him a massive asset for his team down the right-hand side. Alves was great on defence and could bombard forward like only a few other fullbacks ever have.

Centre-back - Sergio Ramos

No defender is more synonymous with La Liga than the current Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos. A mainstay of the Spanish top-flight, the centre-back is one of the best defenders of this generation and has accomplished everything in his career.

Ramos' ability in front of goal has proven crucial for Los Blancos over the past decade with the Spaniard chipping in with more than 37 league goals since the start of the 2010-11 season. He has won four La Ligas (two this decade) and has been named La Liga's best defender five times in the past ten years.

Centre-back - Gerard Pique

Pique has been an underrated part of the Barcelona team

Often underrated due to his dynamic personality which attracts a lot of detractors, Gerard Pique's defensive ability and his importance to the Barcelona team cannot be understated. With six La Liga titles this decade, no single player has won the trophy more in that duration.

A rock in the Catalans' backline and a rallying figure for the club, the Spanish defender has been key to Barca's success over the past decade. He has also been named into the La Liga team of the season twice.

Left-back - Marcelo

The fullback has been one of the world's best defenders this decade

Marcelo has been one of the best defenders of this generation. He has been named to the FIFPro World XI six times, the UEFA Team of the Year three times, and La Liga's Team of the Season in 2016. The left-back is one of the best fullbacks in the history of the game, and his chemistry with Real Madrid's forwards is second to none.

The Brazilian international has been a crucial part of every trophy which Real Madrid have won since his debut with the club, and he remains an integral part of their back four to this day. His inclusion here is without debate.

Also check out: La Liga La Liga fixtures La liga table 2019-20

Midfield

Defensive Midfielder - Sergio Busquets

One of the most underrated midfielders of all time, Sergio Busquets is one of the players who made the tiki-taka system work at Barcelona.

Former Spain coach Vincente del Bosque had this to say for the brilliant midfielder: "If you watch the whole game, you won't see Busquets—but watch Busquets, and you will see the whole game."

The Spanish midfielder has been voted into the La Liga team of the season once and has won the title a total of eight times in his career. His presence in the middle of the park for Barcelona is still immense.

Central-midfielder - Luka Modric

Modric is one of the three La Liga players to win the Ballon d'Or this decade

When he was signed in 2012, Luka Modric was dubbed as the "worst signing of the year" by newspapers in Spain. Seven years later, the midfielder is one of the best players to play in Spain this decade and is one of the major reasons for Madrid's La Liga victory in the 2016-17 season.

A supremely talented passer of the ball, Modric has a ferocious shot in his arsenal and can control the game according to his fancy.

He has been one of the best big-game players this decade. Without Modric, the Madrid dominance during this decade would have been impossible. His longevity and ability get the Croatian international on this list over teammate Toni Kroos, who has spent a lesser amount of time in La Liga.

Central midfielder - Andres Iniesta

Andres Iniesta is one of the greatest midfielders ever

You cannot make a La Liga list such as this without including Andres Iniesta. One of the greatest midfielders of all time, Iniesta was often underrated till the departure of teammate Xavi Hernandez, who misses out on this list due to his early exit from Spain.

Iniesta was a colossus in the middle of the field who could make things happen with one kick of the ball, and he showed up on the biggest occasions for his club. Winner of five La Ligas this decade, Iniesta left Barcelona a couple of seasons ago after winning his last La Liga trophy, and the club is yet to replace the void he left.

Also read - Barcelona's team of the decade

Attack

Forward - Cristiano Ronaldo

Real Madrid CF v RCD Mallorca - Liga BBVA

This one is a no-brainer. With 311 La Liga goals in the last ten years for Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo left the Los Blancos in 2018 having won everything with the club, establishing himself as one of the greatest to ever play the game.

Without Ronaldo, Real Madrid's trophy haul over the past decade would have been significantly reduced. The Portuguese superstar was his team's best player in both their La Liga titles this decade, and he has stepped up for the club whenever they required him to. A nuclear weapon on offence, Ronaldo will always remain one of the first names on such a list.

Forward - Luis Suarez

You have to feel sorry for Karim Benzema - the striker has been in the league way longer than Luis Suarez, but quality-wise, he does not come close to the magic which Suarez weaved in his first three seasons with Barcelona.

Benzema has 160 La Liga goals in 327 appearances - Suarez has 140 goals in 177 appearances. Suarez is the only player apart from Ronaldo and a certain Argentine superstar to have won the La Liga Golden Boot this decade, and he has been named into the La Liga team of the season twice. A former La Liga player of the season, Suarez is a goalscoring machine who is equally adept at creating goals for his teammates.

The striker has won the La Liga every single season but one since his move to Barcelona, and his inclusion here should be without question.

Forward - Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi is the greatest player in the history of La Liga

With an astounding 431 goals in 463 appearances and a record 10 La Liga trophies, the Spanish first division has never seen a player as great as Lionel Messi.

The little magician holds almost all the La Liga records - most goals, most assists, most Golden Boots won, etc. The Argentine captain has been the primary reason for Barca's unparalleled dominance in La Liga over the past ten years, and it seems that the trophy is not going anywhere else until the forward leaves the club.

An elite dribbler, finisher, and playmaker, there can be no debate that no single player has been as dominant as Messi in the past decade of Spanish football.

Also read - Real Madrid's team of the decade