The FIFA dream team is a carefully chosen showcase of the world’s best soccer players. Selecting eleven players out of hundreds of potential candidates isn’t easy, but there are definitive factors one can use.
For our ultimate team, we’ve looked at FIFA rankings, online sports betting, individual player stats, and Ballon d’Or. The final selections are featured below, using an offense-based 3-4-3 formation.
Goalkeeper: Lev Yashin
Lev Yashin is the only goalkeeper to receive the Ballon d’Or, putting him leagues ahead of any other keeper. He’s got the most penalty saves ever (150) and over 250 clean sheets, with four FIFA World Cup appearances during his career.
The Soviet-born player is widely regarded as the first aggressive goalkeeper who could control the defensive strategy of his team and play out of the box when needed. Ultimately, he set the precedent followed by the best goalkeepers of today.
Left-back: Paolo Maldini
Paolo Maldini was the foundation of AC Milan’s defense for 25 years. He captained Italy for eight years, making him one of the most consistent and reliable defenders in history.
Maldini achieved 126 caps for Italy, but that’s nothing compared to his league career. With over 900 appearances, he remains the most capped AC Milan player ever and is one of only a handful of players with over 1,000 career caps.
Center-back: Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Beckenbauer started out as a midfielder originally, but his switch to a defensive role was the best decision of his career. He was a game-changer in every sense of the word, credited as the first sweeper in modern-day football.
He’s one of only three men who have won the FIFA World Cup, both as a player and as a manager. His leadership at Bayern Munich led to three consecutive European Cups, making him the first player to do so as captain.
Right-back: Cafu
Cafu is the most-capped Brazilian player of all time. He’s the only player in history to appear in three consecutive World Cup finals, winning both the 1994 and 2002 tournaments.
Cafu’s league achievements include two Hall of Fame honors, one for Roma and one for AC Milan. Clearly, his strength as a defensive player made him the indomitable anchor of many a backline.
Left-mid: Pelé
With an average of nearly one goal for every game played, Pele is undoubtedly one of the world’s greatest players. The Brazilian’s legacy led to Time magazine naming him as one of the most important figures of the 20th century.
Pele is one of only two players to be awarded the FIFA Player of the Century award, the other being Diego Maradona. He’s the top all-time goalscorer for Brazil with 77 goals, and the only player in the world with three World Cup trophies.
Center-mid: Xavi
Xavi played 133 football games for Spain, with over 1,000 official appearances throughout his career. He has everything you need from a midfielder, and his reliability led to one of the most successful periods in Spanish football.
The Spaniard won three international tournaments during a four-year period. He was the IFFHS World’s Best Playmaker four times for his efforts, eventually retiring with an additional eight La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League titles.
Center-mid: Lothar Matthäus
Lothar Matthäus is the only German player with a FIFA Men’s World Player of the Year award. He’s also the only German to participate in five FIFA World Cups, winning the 1990 tournament as captain of West Germany.
To this day, Matthäus still holds the record for the most World Cup games played. He’s the player you turn to when you need pinpoint passes and flawless plays, making him the ideal choice for a box-to-box midfielder.
Right-mid: Diego Maradona
Despite a troubled personal life, Diego Maradona’s pro career is the stuff of legends. The Argentinian, nicknamed “The Golden Boy”, was a prolific playmaker whose vision and leadership made him one of the most coveted players in history.
Maradona was responsible for setting the world record transfer fee not once but twice. He played for six clubs during his 23-year career and led Argentina to their last World Cup victory back in 1986.
Left-wing: Christiano Ronaldo
Second only to Messi in terms of Ballon d’Or’s won, Christiano Ronaldo is a Portuguese superstar with more than 800 career goals, over 1,100 caps, and multiple records to his name.
Ronaldo beat Ronaldinho and Henry to the left-wing spot, mainly due to his ongoing career and untarnished record. He holds 32 trophies in total, including seven league titles and five UEFA Champions League trophies.
Striker: Ronaldo
Nicknamed R9 and ‘The Phenomenon’, Ronaldo was once an extremely talented Brazilian striker with the innate ability to dazzle any defense. He was named the FIFA World Player of the Year three times, also winning the Ballon d’Or twice.
One injury after another led to his career-ending far too soon, but there’s no doubt that Ronaldo was a one-of-a-kind player. He transformed the role of the traditional striker, setting crowds alight with his multifaceted playstyle.
Right-wing: Lionel Messi
Many soccer fans agree that the best player in the world is Lionel Messi, holder of the current records for the most Ballon d’Ors, the most goals in La Liga, and the most international goals for a South American.
Messi has won the Ballon d’Or an astonishing seven times. His ability to hit the back of the net is downright uncanny, and he has a tendency to turn defenders into playthings, breezing by the strongest backlines with an air of effortless grace.
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