Team of the future: World's best XI in 2020

By 2020, Lionel Messi will be 31 and Ronaldo will be past 34. The stars of this generation will be at the ends of their careers, making way for the youngsters to try and fill in their spots. There are many young players who are showing a lot of promises and here is a list of those 11, who make it into the World’s Best XI 2020 –

#1 Goalkeeper - Thibaut Courtois

Belgium needed a goal to take the game into the extra-time against Argentina and pushed every single player higher up the pitch. But a few nervous moments later Lionel Messi found some space and ran all the way towards the Belgium goal. Between him and the goal stood a 2m high figure, who held his hand out and denied the four-time Ballon d’Or winner. He was calm, composed and showed the world that he was highly dependable on one-on-one situations. These statements sum up the player Thibaut Courtois is.

If, in the modern era, it is Manuel Neuer who redefined the sweeper-keeper role, then the credit of taking the art of one-on-ones to a new level should go to this young Belgian. His height is like a bonus package – he can collect crosses very easily compared to other keepers. Now 22, Courtois is already being rated as one of the best goalkeepers in the world. If he works on improving a few aspects of his game like positioning and ball distribution, then I have nothing to doubt in him – he will be up there in a couple of years

Honourable Mention: David de Gea

#2 Rightback - Cesar Azpilicueta

A right-back by trade, the ex-Osasuna and Marseille defender, Cesar Azpilicueta, is a rare talent because he can play equally well in both the wingback positions. Brilliance, in case of some people, flows in their veins like blood. For others, it is hours of hard work that fills in the gap. Azpilicueta belongs to the second category. In fact, this nature of the Spaniard is what impressed Jose Mourinho the most.

Since Branislav Ivanovic was putting up strong performances, Azpilicueta rarely got any chances to play in his natural position. When Mourinho tried to fit him in place of the experienced Ashley Cole, Azpilicueta grabbed the chance and made the left back role his own. It was when the Portuguese manager told "Azpilicueta is the kind of player I like a lot. I think a team with 11 Azpilicuetas would probably win the competition (Champions League) because football is not just about pure talent.”

Consistency in his performance this season has forced Mourinho to choose the Spaniard ahead of Felipe Luis, the ex-Atletico Madrid left back. In the league this season, Azpilicueta has made 3.3 tackles per game, tries 1.5 long balls per game with an accuracy of 84%. He also has 3 assists to his name.

Compare this to the stats of the previous seasons, and one can see a gradual increment in his performance levels. He has got the quality, he has the right mentality and he is totally down to earth, which is most important of all. This makes me wonder where he will be in the coming years.

Honourable Mention: Daniel Carvajal

#3 Centerback - Raphael Varane

18 when he joined Real Madrid, 19 when he represented his country for the first time and 21 when he played his first World Cup match, Raphael Varane has been on the rise ever since he was spotted by Jose Mourinho’s scouts, when the young Frenchman was at RC Lens.

Although he has not featured regularly in the Madrid side’s starting eleven, he as tried to impress the audience whenever he was given a chance. He makes mistakes, but he has shown that he has what it takes to learn from mistakes and better himself. Given his young age and the potential he showing, people just sweep all his errors under the carpet.

Varane has the ability to give his best even when the team is under pressure. Partnering Mamadou Sakho in the middle of the defense for France in the last World Cup, Varane responded brilliantly to the mistakes made by his partner. In the Champions League final of last year, Varane’s performance drew applause from many pundits.

He has the pace, ability to distribute the ball (94% in the World Cup and 90% in La Liga this season) and most notable of all – ability to make perfectly timed tackles (watch the video). He plays second fiddle to Sergio Ramos and Pepe at Real Madrid. Had he not joined Real Madrid so early in his career, he would have developed very much as a defender elsewhere.

Honourable Mention: Marquinhos

#4 Centerback - Kurt Zouma

I would like to call him a beast. Kurt Zouma has a well-built figure, 6ft 3inch high and weighs 93 kg, which makes him a decent candidate to become a good defender since he has got all other required traits. He made his first team debut aged 16 and has three years of experience playing for Saint Etienne in Ligue 1. Now 20, Zouma impressed a lot of people a drew comparisons to ex-Chelsea defender Marcel Desailly, after stepping up to play as the central defensive midfielder in the League Cup final against Tottenham Hotspur.

Tackling is his weak point and at Etienne he used to complete around 0.5 tackles every game. He needs to work on the timings as well because last year he was suspended for 10 games for a vicious tackle on one of the opponents. All the negative aspects aside, the French star has got good pace, ability to drift from his position to clear balls and also to distribute the passes. Whenever Jose Mourinho has given him an opportunity in the first team, Zouma has managed to impress him.

With Gary Cahill being criticized for his poor performances, it is tipped that Zouma might feature in more games in the near future. Under Mourinho’s tutelage, I can see Kurt Zouma reaching the level of John Terry in the coming years.

Honourable Mention: Callum Chambers

#5 Leftback - David Alaba

David Alaba hails from the youth academy of Austria Vienna, the club for which Matthias Sindelar played, the man who was the center forward of Austria’s Wunderteam. At 22, the left back of Bayern Munich has won almost everything and is the four-time winner of Austrian Footballer of the Year. At a very young age itself he has been exposed to the tactical geniuses of Louis van Gaal and Pep Guardiola. Alaba, a left back, now plays as a midfielder and also as one of the defenders of the back three in Guardiola’s Bayern Munich.

At a very young age itself, the Austrian has established himself as one of the integral part of Bayern Munich. He was the left-back of the UEFA Team of the Year 2014 and was chosen in 46% of the teams, which tells everything about his popularity. He has many senior players to look upto at Bayern and they can only help him in being a better footballer.

Honourable Mention: Ricardo Rodriguez

#6 Central Defensive Midfielder - Marco Verratti

James Horncastle, in one of his articles, wrote that the Italians call Marco Veratti a “gufetto” which means little owl in Italian. It maybe because of Verratti’s looks but it makes sense – this guy’s got a good vision to pick his team mates on the field. Verratti, who started his career at Pescara as an attacking midfielder, had to play in the holding midfielder role under Zdenek Zeman.

Verratti not just adjusted to the system but improved himself to become one of the best deep-lying playmakers in Serie B. In 2012 his team won promotion to Serie A and Verratti’s hard work did not go unnoticed. At the end of the season, he was one of the most sought-after players in Europe.

Even though the World Cup was a disaster for Italy, it was a good one of the youngster from Pescara on personal terms. He finished with a pass completion rate of 96% and 7.17 overall rating in the two matches he played. This season at Paris Saint-Germain, Laurent Blanc, who has a group of talented midfielders to choose from, has preferred Verratti which quite signifies the trust that Blanc puts on him. He has been dubbed by many as the successor to Andrea Pirlo in Italian National team and I think we can never doubt this.

Honourable Mention: Lars Bender

#7 Central Midfielder - Paul Pogba

One of the biggest blunders of Sir Alex Ferguson was not giving a young Frenchman a first-team chance he so deserved and wished for. Famous for bringing a group of talented youngsters from the youth squad – The Class of 92 – to ameliorate the main squad, Ferguson failed to spot the talent in Paul Pogba. Pogba soon left Manchester United and signed for Juventus FC.

For Pogba, the winner of 2013 Golden Boy and the Best Young player at 2014 FIFA World Cup, falling into the blind spot of Ferguson was actually a disguised blessing. In the beginning, at Juventus he was treated like a star and was regularly given the starts. Whereas, had he stayed at Manchester United, he would have had to spend a lot of time warming the bench due to the presence of big names around him.

A box-to-box midfielder with an eye for the goal, Pogba is something like the motor of the team he plays for. He is a source of energy for the team, who does all the tough jobs, making it easier for the more creative players to execute the attacking plans. Pogba, who is 22, is considered by many as a prospect for the prestigious Ballon d’Or. According to Whoscored.com, Pogba has finished with rating of 7.42 and 7.65 in the previous two seasons in Serie A. A move to one of the European giants is beckoning for the pearl in the Old Lady’s necklace and such a move can only take the youngster from Paris to further fame and glory.

Honourable Mention: Matteo Kovacic

#8 Central Midfielder - James Rodriguez

James Rodriguez, the baby-faced assassin, is capable of single-handedly unseating the defence of any opposition - by scoring, assisting or making room for himself or his teammates with his clever movements. If given even an inch of space in from of the defence, Rodriguez can somehow manage to squeeze the ball past the goalkeeper. Since making his first-team debut at a tender age of 16, Rodriguez has made his ascent from a Colombian club to Real Madrid.

Although it has been a tough start to his career at the Madrid club, no one is really panicking. Because everybody knows that Rodriguez will be doing fine in few months time. Do remember that at Madrid, the Colombian has usually played a deeper and more defensive role compared to his part in the national team and AS Monaco. Given the freedom to operate higher up the pitch, this guy can work his magic.

Sami Khedira has announced that he would be leaving Real Madrid at the end of the season. Since Carlo Ancelotti doesn’t see Asier Illaramendi as the suitable player to take up the German international’s position, it is very likely that Madrid is going to sign a defensive midfielder.

Signing a holding midfielder will come as a blessing for Rodriguez as he will be moved to a more central and advanced position in the team. At 23, he broke into the FIFA World Cup Best XI and also won the Puskas Award. He is already one of the gems of the generation. He can only get more polished as the years pass by.

Honourable Mention: Isco

#9 Right winger - Neymar

Neymar, the guy who carried the hopes of an entire nation on his shoulder when Brazil hosted the World Cup last summer, has been considered as the next big thing in football. For all the people who are taking James Rodriguezs recent struggles very seriously, just take a minute to consider how Neymars debut season with FC Barcelona was. Neymar had to fight off the pressure from the media and get adjusted to the Catalan clubs philosophy.

In the first season at Barcelona, Neymar played 1753 minutes in La Liga. This season he has played 27 more minutes and has scored 17 goals trivially his scoring and assisting records in the Liga combined to form 17 goals. So it is quite clear that after the period of getting used to the new surroundings, Neymar is back to where he was when he left Santos.

Joining the long line of legends, Neymar a footballing prodigy at the age of 18 itself scored 43 times in 62 games and has managed to live up to the expectations of his countrymen. For every ten years or so, at least one footballer from Brazil has managed to shine heavily in the global level. In an era of Messi and Ronaldo domination, this young fellow has diverted the attention of many towards him. He may not be the best footballer at present, but he has what it takes to be one.

Honourable Mention: Raheem Sterling

#10 Left winger - Eden Hazard

The dribble-king of the left wing, Eden Hazard is already a superstar. To watch Hazard dribble past the opponents, cut inside into the box and to apply his signature finishing touch is a real pleasure. Not just the goals he scores or the assists he provides, but the hard work he does on the field makes everyone sit on the edge of their seats.

Roped in by Chelsea from Lille, the young Belgian has proved to be an enormous asset of the West London side. One of the few good things that Roberto di Matteo did in his post-Champions League winning days was signing Hazard. From season to season, his first team minutes, goals and assists are getting more and more which is a testimony to his powerful presence in the team.

Hazard, who is now being shaped by Jose Mourinho, has improved the defensive aspect of his game as well which has made him regular in the team. He has had a bad World Cup, but even Messi had a terrible one in South Africa and it didn’t stop him from winning three more Ballon d’Ors. Surely, a player of Hazard’s mentality can bounce back from such hiccups.

Honourable Mention: Antoine Griezmann

#11 Center Forward - Harry Kane

The inclusion of Harry Kane in this list will invoke many questions, but his goal scoring record this season prompted me to select him ahead of Alvaro Morata. Up until last season, Harry Kane was just another guy trying coming through the youth squads of one of the leading English clubs, who was destined to end up somewhere in the second division. But Kane had different ideas. The guy was begging for first team opportunities and scored thrice last season six full appearances and four as a substitute.

And when Roberto Soldado started to fail at the start of the season, Mauricio Pochettino decided to hand Kane the chance he so craved for. The match against Besiktas in Europa league turned out to be the turning point for both Kane and his club. Soon, Kane topped the Premier league goal scorers chart and Tottenham had found a deadly striker.

Well, if you still want to know what impact Kane has made, here is a point: Christian Eriksen was always in the limelight for scoring late winners and he was the name on every pundit's lips whenever Tottenham played. But now the discussion about Eriksen has ended and it is the youngster from London who is getting all the praise. When a few days ago he was handed the England debut, Kane scored in just 70 odd seconds and upped his level a bit more.

Tottenham haven’t been able to retain their top performers in the previous seasons. If Kane goes on scoring goals at his will, he will end up in one of the Champions League playing clubs very soon.

Honourable Mention: Alvaro Morata

#12 The Team (4-3-3)

Best XI – 2020

To fit in all the players, the formation chosen is 4-3-3 with one holding midfielder – Verratti. The midfield is quite unique as it includes one defensive, one attacking, and one box-to-box midfielder. Pogba provides the energy for the team’s midfield and makes vertical runs – towards Rodriguez while attacking and towards Verratti while defending. Rodriguez, the midfielder with an attacking mentality, tries to control the tempo of the attacks and tries to slip into the pockets of space behind the striker.

Azpilicueta and Alaba, the wingbacks, along with a well-built Zouma and the eccentric Varane form the back four and between the posts is Courtois.

The forward line is a feast for the eyes – Hazard, Kane, and Neymar.

Reserve team: David de Gea – Ricardo Rodriguez – Callum Chambers – Marquinhos – Daniel Carvajal – Lars Bender – Matteo Kovacic – Isco – Antoine Griezmann – Raheem Sterling – Alvaro Morata.