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In the world of football, a player's age plays an important role in shaping their ability and how they contribute to the team. On one hand, players lose their explosiveness and pace with time, but they gain invaluable experience and understanding of the game on the other.
Legendary figures like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, now in their late 30s are slowly being replaced by younger stars like Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland. While seasoned veterans leave their indelible mark on football, younger players emerge to write a story of their own.
In this article we create two formidable teams - The Young XI, a team consisting of players aged 24 or under and Veteran XI, players aged 30 and above. The hypothetical 'Clash of Generations' will pit the youthful enerygy of the Young XI against the experience of the Old XI. Who will come out on top? Let's find out!
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Young XI
Goalkeeper
Gianluigi Donnarumma
Gianluigi Donnarumma rose to prominence at a very young age and he has not looked back since. Standing tall at 6'5", the Italian is a big presence in goal. His exceptional shot-stopping ability, commanding presence and quick reflexes make him one of the best between the sticks.
Defense
Right-back: Achraf Hakimi
Achraf Hakimi burst onto the scene with Real Madrid, subsequently moving to Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan and now an integral player at right-back for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). The Moroccan has displayed his amazing attacking prowess and blistering pace thoughout his career. He is well-known for his precise crosses and overlapping runs on the right flank and is crucial for PSG going forward.
Centre-back: Matthijs de Ligt
Matthijs de Ligt has rapidly established himself as one of the game's most promising defenders. Owing to his aerial supremacy, defensive awareness and maturity beyond his years, De Ligt is a dominant and dependable presence in the heart of defense. The Dutchman is very comfortable with the ball at his feet and helps build play up from the back.
Centre-back: Ronald Araujo
Ronald Araujo has been a rock at the back for Barcelona in the past couple of seasons. The Uruguayan is a robust defender who is very good at one-on-one duels, his physicaliy and ability to read the game is of the highest level. He uses his pace and impeccable timing in tackles to win the ball back for his team. Araujo is also a threat from set-piece in the opposition's box.
Left-back: Alphonso Davies
Alphonso Davies has been a sensation ever since he broke onto the scene with his electrofying pace and skills. The Canadian's athleticism helps him to cover a lot of ground and go up and down the left side of the patch for full 90 minutes. Using his strong dribbling skills and burst of acceleration, Davies creates chances out of nothing from the left flank.
Midfield
Defensive midfield: Declan Rice
Declan Rice, a product of the West Ham United academy, made his debut in the Premier League at a tender age of 18 years.The England international is a skilled defensive midfielder who breaks up the attacks with his strong tackling and reading of the game.
Rice's game goes far beyond just defending, he helps to create attacks from deep with his passing and his powerful running with the ball makes him a great ball progressor.
Central midfielder: Jude Bellingham
Real Madrid's latest €103 million acquisition, Jude Bellingham has been highly regarded since a very young age. He is among the best in Europe due to his athleticism, technical prowess, and ability to move forward with the ball. He is a complete midfield package possessing agility and skill, which enable him to regain possession, outmuscle defenders, and set up scoring possibilities using his dribbling skills.
Central midfielder: Pedri
Pedri rounds off the midfield for the Young XI. The 2021 Golden Boy winner has taken the footballing world by storm since his emergence. The Spaniard's superb ball control, vision and dribbling skills have made him one of the best midfielders in Europe at the age of just 20 years. His playing style has been compared to that of Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta which is testament to his talent.
Attack
Left wing: Kylian Mbappe
Kylian Mbappe has established himself as one of the best player in the world with his performances for PSG and the French national team. The lethal combination of blistering pace and elite finishing ability makes Mbappe one of the deadliest attackers in Europe. The 2018 FIFA World Cup winner's movement off the ball and perfectly timed runs gets him in great goalscoring positions where he uses his finishing prowess to round off the move.
Centre-forward: Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland scored 52 goals across all competitions including a record-breaking 36 times in the Premier League. The former Dortmund star is a complete centre-forward, his lethal finishing and dominant physical presence make him a big threat inside the box. The Norwegian's clever movements inside the box to get him free from defenders is a big reason why the striker finds himself at the end of tap-ins so often.
Right wing: Vinicius Junior
Vinicius Junior had a difficult start to his career at Real Madrid after his move from Flamengo at the age of 18. Vinicius oozes the Brazilian flair in his style of play, his ability to beat a defender one-on-one and create moments of magic have been key to Real Madrid's recent success. The Brazilian is a gifted dribbler and shocases mesmerising skills, drawing comparisons to other Brazilian greats, Neymar and Ronaldinho.
Veteran XI
Goalkeeper
Alisson Becker
Alisson Becker has established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the world in his time at Liverpool. The Brazilian is a fantastic shot-stopper and possesses lightning fast reflexes which allows him to react quickly to close range shots. His positioning and his tendency to not commit soon makes him a brilliant one-on-one keeper. The 30-year-old is very composed on the ball.
Defense
Right-back: Kyle Walker
Kyle Walker's biggest asset is his lightning pace, which helps him recover lost ground to wingers and to gallop forward in attack. Walker is both, sturdy in defense and dangerous going forward, which is a rarity for a full-back. He is very strong in one-on-one defensive situations and his overlapping runs and accurate crosses are big weapon for his team going forward.
Centre-back: Virgil van Dijk
Virgil van Dijk, the dominant centre-back signed for Liverpool in January transfer window in 2018 is arguably one of the best central defenders in the world. Although the Dutchman has sufferred a dip in form recently and has not been performing to his full potential, his status as one of the best defenders in the world stays intact.
Van Dijk stands at 6'4" and has a massive frame to go with it which makes him a complete centre-back. Positioning and ability to read the danger are his biggest assets owing to which he does not have to dive into late tackles.
Centre-back: Thiago Silva
Thiago Silva joined Chelsea as a 36-year-old and there were concerns from fans due to hig age. The Brazilian has put those critics to rest by his immaculate defensive performances. The phrase 'Rolls Royce of a defender' fits Silva perfectly.
Even at the ripe age of 38 he is one of the best defenders in the Premier League with his immense footballing intelligence and experience. The Brazilian veteran intercepts a lot of balls due to his ability to read and anticipate opposition's next move.
Centre-back: David Alaba
David Alaba joined Real Madrid for a free transfer in the summer of 2021. He had the mammoth task of filling the shoes of club legend Sergio Ramos, who had left for PSG and he has done so with aplomb.
The Austrian's versatility is one of his biggest strengths, he started off his career as a left-back but since has successfully deputised as a centre-back and also as a midfielder at times. Alaba has excellent passing and cossing abilities which make him a threat going forward.
Midfield
Central midfielder: Luka Modric
Luka Modric has been one of the most consistent players in Europe for a few years now. The 2018 Ballon D'Or winner stands out for his brilliant technical abilities, his outside of the foot passes and deft touches are a treat to watch. The playmaker has great close control which allows him to get away from pressure and advance up the pitch. His vast array passing range and ability to strike a long range strike with accuracy make him one of the best midfielders in the world.
Central midfielder: Toni Kroos
Toni Kroos has been the midfield partner of Luka Modric at Real Madrid ever since his arrival. The German orchestrator's ability to control the tempo of the game is key to maintain possession in the middle and build play up. Kroos links the defense with midfield with considerable ease. His ability to execute both, long and short passess to perfection gives his team another dimension. The midfielder's delieveries from set piece make him a big asset.
Attacking midfielder: Kevin De Bruyne
Kevin De Bruyne has been one of the best players in the Premier League ever since his arrival in 2015. The dynamic midfielder can drive forward with the ball with his immaculate control and provide accurate through balls. His iconic whipped crosses from right half-spaces are a source of a lot of assists that the Belgian gets. The dazzling midfielder can produce long range bullet shots out of nowhere with precision to catch the goalkeeper out.
Attack
Left wing: Mohamed Salah
Mohamed Salah joined Liverpool in June 2017 and has established himself as a prolific goalscorer and one of the best players in Europe. The Egyptian is currently the highest-scoring African player in the Premier League. His thunderous pace and supreme agility make him a feared threat down the right hand side of the attack.
Salah is an impeccable dribbler which helps him create chances out of thin air for himself and his teammates. His clinical finishing abilities make him one of the most well-rounded attackers in Europe.
Centre-forward: Robert Lewandowski
Robert Lewandowski has been one of the most prolific goalscorers in Europe for over a decade now. The Polish goal machine is not just a clinical finisher, his ability with his back to goal helps link play up with rest of the attack. Lewandowski is a towering presence in the box using his strength to get on the end of balls into the box. He has won a whopping consecutive six Golden Boots in his last six league seasons.
Right-wing: Lionel Messi
We have run out of superlatives to describe the genius of Lionel Messi. The Argentine made a switch to Inter Miami recently, turning the page on his illustrious career in Europe. He affirmed his status as one of the greatest players of all time by winning the FIFA World Cup 2002.
The seven time Ballon d'Or winner's magical dribbling ability is amongst the best the game has ever seen. He possesses exceptional vision and the ability to split open any defense with a through ball. Messi's goalscoring ability is also on another level, be it long range or from inside the box the Argentine can conjure up space out of nowhere before unleashing an accurate powerful strike on goal.
