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The Champions League has provided us with some stunning moments over the past two decadesPicking a best ever XI to have played in Europeans Premier competition is no easy task. The European Cup was redesigned as the Champions League in 1992 and there have been some truly amazing players who have dazzled all of us with their skills.Some of the worlds greatest players have left their indelible stamp on this tournament and the Champions League has given us some really memorable moments.Zidane, Ronaldinho, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronaldo Nazario, Ryan Giggs, Lionel Messi are just some of the legends who have played in this competition and some of these players do not even make the reserves.Formation: 4-3-3
#1 Iker Casillas - Goalkeeper
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Iker Casillas or ‘San Iker’ as he is popularly known is one of the greatest ever goalkeepers of our generation. Although Casillas has seen his powers wane in the last two seasons, football aficionados will remember the time when scoring against Casillas was almost an impossible task.
Casillas has a host of records in the Champions League such as being the youngest ever goalkeeper to play in a Champions League final. He also is the goalkeeper with most appearances in the Champions League which shows his consistency and longevity at the top of the game. The Spaniard also has the most number of clean sheets in the Champions League.
In his prime, he was an athletic keeper, known in particular for his outstanding speed, agility, reflexes, consistency and shot-stopping, as well as his positioning, concentration, penalty-saving and leadership. Casillas lost won the Champions League trophy for Real Madrid in their famous La decima triumph against rivals Atletico Madrid in 2014.
Although there have been some great goalkeepers like Gianluigi Buffon, Manuel Neuer and Oliver kahn, no one has been as successfull as Iker Casillas in the Champions League.
#2 Paolo Maldini - Left back
AC Milan legend Paolo Maldini’s inclusion in this team is a no-brainer, The Italian played an astonishing 25 seasons of his career at the same club – AC Milan and he won the Champions League five times with the Italian giants!
Maldini was renowned for his technical ability, athleticism, sliding tackles, stamina, and fast energetic forward runs as a left-back. He was also an excellent crosser of the ball, and was an effective attacking threat, scoring and assisting several goals throughout his career.
Maldini was a symbol of his club and the Italian national football team. He was renowned for his consistency, versatility and longevity, breaking into the Milan starting lineup as a teenager and remaining there throughout his career until he retired at the age of 41.
The Italian has appeared in a record 8 Champions League finals and has won 5 of them making him a true Champions League legend.
#3 Carles Puyol - Centre back
Former Barcelona captain, Carles Puyol makes the team as one of the two centre-backs at the heart of the defence. A firm fan favourite for his fighting displays, Puyol always gave more than a 100% every time he played for Barcelona and Spain.
Regarded as one of the best defenders of his generation, Puyol was known for his commanding presence in the air, his composure on the ball and his intense commitment and ruggedness. According to Barcelona's head doctor, he was "the strongest, who has the quickest reactions, and who has the most explosive strength."
A true leader and a motivator, Puyol was one of those players who worked unbelievably hard to make the most of his talents. Puyol himself modestly said:
"I don't have Romario’s technique, [Marc] Overmars' pace or [Patrick] Kluivert's strength. But I work harder than the others. I'm like the student who is not as clever, but revises for his exams and does OK in the end."
Three Champions League wins with Barcelona shows that Puyol definitely did much better than OK in the end.
#4 Alessandro Nesta - Centre back
Another AC Milan legend makes it to the defensive line up of our dream team and few can argue about Nesta’s position in this team. The Italian centre-back had a fruitful 10-year spell at AC Milan where he won the Champions League twice in 2003 and 2007 along with a heart-breaking loss to Liverpool in the finals of the 2004/05 Champions League.
Despite being a strong and imposing physical presence, he was also an extremely elegant player, with excellent ball skills, vision and passing ability for a defender, which allowed him to bring the ball out of the defence.
In addition to his technical and physical ability, Nesta also possessed an excellent positional sense and an acute tactical ability to read the game, and he excelled at tightly marking opposing players, and at preventing and anticipating attacking plays.
Nesta along with Puyol at the centre of the defensive back four would certainly make life difficult for any forward.
#5 Philipp Lahm - Right back
Bayern Munich captain Philipp Lahm takes the right-back position. Although playing as a defensive midfielder under Guardiola in the last two seasons, Lahm primarily made his name as a right-back, performing at a very high level consistently for Bayern Munich.
Although Lahm is right-footed, he is able to play on both sides of the pitch. He often cuts from the flank to the inside of the pitch to either shoot and/or pass. He is renowned for his pace, stamina and precise tackling abilities as well as his small stature, giving him the nickname the "Magic Dwarf".
The consistency and brilliance of Lahm is highlighted by the fact that the German made UEFA team of the year 5 times in eight years in 2006, 2008, 2012, 2013 and 2014.
Having suffered heartbreak in the 2010 and 2012 finals, the German finally laid his hands on the Champions League trophy in 2013 when Bayern Munich beat Borussia Dortmund 1-0 at Wembley.
#6 Clarence Seedorf - Central midfielder
Considered to be one of the greatest Dutch players of his generation, Clarence Seedorf has had a truly stunning career in the Champions League. Seedorf is the only player to win the Champions League at three different clubs having won in 1995 with Ajax, 1998 with Real Madrid and in 2003 and 2007 with AC Milan.
The Dutchman played vital roles in all the four Champions League triumphs in his career and at the end of the 2006–07 season, Seedorf was voted the best midfielder of the Champions League.
Seedorf was a well-rounded, hardworking, and versatile player, who was gifted with strength, pace, stamina, and notable physical attributes, which allowed him to play anywhere in midfield, and contribute both offensively and defensively. In addition to his athletic characteristics, and his ability to break down opposing plays, he was an elegant, creative player, and an excellent dribbler, possessing excellent technique, ball skills, and vision.
Scorer of some extraordinary long range goals in his career, Seedorf is definitely one of the greatest players ever to play in the Champions League.
#7 Xavi Hernandez - Central midfielder
Considered by many to be the greatest Spanish player ever, Xavi Hernandez is truly one of the best midfielders to ever play the game. One of the most successful players in the Champions League era, Xavi has won the trophy an astonishing 4 times with Barcelona with the most recent triumph coming in 2015 against Juventus where he was the club captain.
Xavi's vision, pinpoint accurate passing and world class ball control allowed him to dictate the flow of play while rarely relinquishing possession. His ability to control some matches has earned him the sobriquet, "The Puppet Master".
Pulling the strings in midfield, Xavi was the lynchpin in Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering Barcelona team. Xavi’s impact in the Champions League can be seen by the fact that he was picked in the UEFA team of the year five years consecutively from 2008 to 2012.
Having made more than 180 assists in his stellar career, Xavi is truly one of the all-time Champions League greats.
#8 Zinedine Zidane - Attacking midfielder
Zinedine Zidane was a footballer who defined an era. Renowned for his elegance, vision, ball control and technique, Zidane was named the best European footballer of the past 50 years in the UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll in 2004.
One of the best players to ever play the game, Zidane won the UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid in 2002 scoring a wonder goal against Bayer Leverkusen in the final. The impact of Zidane on the game can be best described by his peers.
Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic commented “Zidane was from another planet. When Zidane stepped onto the pitch, the ten other guys just got suddenly better. It is that simple.”
While choosing between Zidane and Ronaldinho was really tough for this spot, Zidane edged him out because of his wonder goal in the Champions League final. Ronaldinho himself was a huge admirer of Zidane and he had stated:
"Zidane is one of the best footballers of all time, one of my idols. He had such elegance and grace, a wonderful touch and superb vision."
A midfield of Xavi, Seedorf and Zidane in our dream team is truly the stuff of dreams.
#9 Raul Gonzalez - Centre forward
Real Madrid legend Raul is one of the most prolific goalscorers in the Champions League. Raul won the Champions League thrice with Real Madrid in 1998,2000 and 2002. The Spaniard is also the most capped player in Real Madrid’s history with a staggering 741 appearances.
A prolific goalscorer and a highly creative forward, Raúl is regarded as one of the greatest and most consistent strikers of his generation. Raúl was a quick, left-footed player, who was capable of scoring both in and outside the penalty area with his accurate and powerful shot.
In addition to these characteristics, Raúl is remembered for his leadership and discipline; throughout his extensive career, he never received a red card, and he was rarely booked. For his technical skills, elegance and performances, he was nicknamed "El Ferrari," or "The Ferrari," by Fernando Hierro.
Raul is third on the list of all-time Champions League goal scorers with 71 goals in Europe’s premier club competition.
#10 Lionel Messi - Right winger
The only footballer ever to win the Ballon d’Or five times, Lionel Messi is an absolute phenomenon. The diminutive Argentine has been Barcelona’s main man since 2008 and has put in some spell bounding performances in the Champions League.
His pace and technical ability enable him to undertake individual dribbling runs towards goal, in particular during counterattacks, usually starting from the halfway line or the right side of the pitch. Tactically, Messi plays in a free attacking role; a versatile player, he is capable of attacking on either wing or through the centre of the pitch.
Although Pep Guardiola played him as a false 9, Messi under the stewardship of Luis Enrique now plays on the right wing. Positions do not seem to matter for the Argentine maestro as he is deadly no matter which position he plays.
Currently the second highest goalscorer in the Champions League with 82 goals, Leo Messi is truly one of those players to have redefined football. Having already won the Champions League four times with Barcelona, Lionel Messi and Co are likely to win the Champions League crown again in the near future.
#11 Cristiano Ronaldo - Left winger
One of the two stand out footballers of this generation along with Lionel Messi, Ronaldo is one of the greatest players ever to play the beautiful game. Ronaldo has been a regular in the UEFA team of the year with 11 appearances including 10 consecutive appearances from 2007-2016 with the other coming in 2004.
Currently the top goal scorer in the Champions League with 96 goals, Ronaldo’s goal scoring exploits have been mind boggling. He is able to play on either wing as well through the centre of the pitch, making him a versatile attacker, capable of playing in any offensive position.
Ronaldo is known to be mentally sharp, with good vision and positioning, often predicting certain plays. He also possesses quick reactions, balance, and agility. Having a burning desire to be the best, Ronaldo has worked hard to hone his undoubtedly prodigious talent and become one of the greatest players ever to grace this game.
Although the 11 is now over, we include 7 of the best remaining in our Reserves list. These footballers are truly unlucky not to be in the 11. Also find out how the 11 will line up and who will be the manager of this amazing team!
#12 Manager and Substitutes
Carlo Ancelotti is the manager of this dream team as he is the manager with the most Champions League trophies. Ancelotti has won three Champions League titles, two coming with AC Milan and one with Real Madrid. The Italian holds a special place in Europe’s premier club competition having won it both as a player and manager.
All these players on the reserves list would have walked into any team at their prime. Most of them just missed out on a spot because of longevity or not being as effective in the Champions League as other competitions. Here is the star-studded bench for our Champions Leagueall time XI:
Gianluigi Buffon
Roberto Carlos
Andres Iniesta
Ricardo Kaka
Ronaldinho
Ryan Giggs
Andriy Shevchenko
