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Right-wing - Lionel Messi
Unsurprisingly, Lionel Messi makes the team, as he continues to cement his status as one of the greatest footballers of all time. The diminutive Argentine is setting the standard despite being 33 years of age and has produced several moments of magic in the Champions League — a competition he has managed to four times in his illustrious career so far.
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With a staggering 114 goals to his name in the competition, Messi is second to only Cristiano Ronaldo on the all-time top scorers' chart and is currently 14 goals behind the Portuguese star.
The Argentine, however, holds multiple long-standing records for club and country and is the only player in the history of the game to win the Ballon d'Or six times. Messi's genius needs no explaining and the Barcelona talisman will look to get his hands on the Champions League at least once more before hanging up his boots.
Central striker - Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema's exploits for Real Madrid over the years have been overshadowed due to the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo. However, since the Portuguese superstar's departure to Juventus, Benzema has been in stunning form and is finally getting the recognition he deserves for his Los Blancos career.
With 61 goals to his name in the Champions League, the Frenchman is online behind the legendary trio of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Raul despite playing second fiddle for the large part of his Real Madrid career.
Benzema has also won the competition four times and played a pivotal role in each of those triumphs, as he continues to cement his status as a modern-day great. The French striker is one of the most well-rounded attackers of his generation and his unique ability to score goals as well as create them in equal measure made him the ideal candidate to complement Ronaldo upfront.
Benzema's inclusion over the likes of Raul and Thierry Henry is justified based on his goalscoring record and the consistency he has shown in the Champions League over the years.
Left-wing - Cristiano Ronaldo
An all-time Champions League XI without Cristiano Ronaldo is always going to be incomplete, as the Portuguese star continues to cement his status as the greatest player in the competition's decorated history.
Having won club football's biggest competition a staggering five times with Manchester United and Real Madrid so far, Ronaldo is aiming to become the only player since Clarence Seedorf to win it with three different clubs.
Ronaldo became one of the best players in the world at Manchester United but achieved legendary status with Real Madrid, as he spearheaded them to new heights and helped shape one of the most successful eras in the club's history.
With 128 goals in the competition, Ronaldo and Real Madrid won the Champions League three times in a row between 2016 and 2018, after which he sealed an unexpected move to Juventus to take up a new challenge.
Ronaldo's exploits in the competitions will take some beating and the Portuguese star will be remembered for centuries for his exploits in Europe.
Manager - Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane is another household name in the history of the Champions League and it could be argued that the legendary Frenchman warrants a place on the list as a player as well as a manager.
Having won every major trophy in his playing days with Bordeaux, Juventus, Real Madrid and the France national team, Zidane successfully transitioned into a managerial position.
His solitary Champions League success as a player came with Real Madrid when he scored that famous volley against Bayer Leverkusen in 2002 to win the final for his side. Part of the star-studded Galacticos side that boasted the likes of Luis Figo, Iker Casillas, Raul, and Claude Makelele, Zidane inspired his team to victory with one of the greatest goals in the history of the competition.
After replacing Rafa Benitez as Real Madrid manager in the 2014-15 season, Zidane took world football by storm once again, this time as a manager. The Frenchman became only the seventh player after the likes of Miguel Muñoz, Giovanni Trapattoni, Johan Cruyff, Carlo Ancelotti, Frank Rijkaard and Pep Guardiola to win the competition as a player and a manager, as he etched his name into football history.
What followed next was beyond his wildest dreams, as Real Madrid became the first team in the Champions League era to win the competition three seasons in a row. By virtue of his achievements, Zidane effectively became a four-time winner of the competition as a player and a manager and cemented his status as one of the great managers in his young career as a coach.
Not too many personalities in the history of the sport have had such startling contributions to the game as a player and a manager, as Zidane's legacy continues to grow with each passing season.
The Frenchman is one of the greatest footballers of all time and is all set to follow a similar path as a manager, having returned to Real Madrid in March 2019.
Also Read: Top 10 Juventus players of all time
