UEFA's Ultimate Team of the 21st Century

[SirBalon 2,607]

UEFA's Ultimate of Ultimate Teams

UEFA traditionally offer their Ultimate Team of the Year around about this time every 12 months and this year coupled with that they've decided to also announce their Ultimate of Ultimates...  In other words their opinion on the best XI in the 21st Century.

There's a lot of household names there and they've put some of the out of position so as to fit in all those they wanted to...  Maybe some of you think there are omissions, so who would you take out to put in.

There's a lot of debate here for sure and a curious thing is that there are no Manchester United players unless you consider Cristiano as part of any United team.  For me personally the most contentious part is Gerrard in for Scholes.

Players selcted

• Iker Casillas (GK) - Real Madrid
• Carles Puyol (CB) - FC Barcelona
• Gerard Piqué (CB) - FC Barcelona
• Philipp Lahm (LB) - Bayern Munich
• Sergio Ramos (RB) - Real Madrid CF
• Xavi (CM) - FC Barcelona
• Steven Gerrard (RM) - Liverpool FC
• Andrés Iniesta (LM) - FC Barcelona
• Thierry Henry (LF) - Arsenal FC
• Cristiano Ronaldo (RF) - Real Madrid CF
• Lionel Messi (CF) - FC Barcelona

[Stan 10,387]

Ultimate shite.

No Ronaldo or Ronaldinho are the glaring omissions. 

Take out Gerrard for Scholes for sure. 

 

[SirBalon 2,607]

13 minutes ago, Stan said:

Ultimate shite.

No Ronaldo or Ronaldinho are the glaring omissions. 

Take out Gerrard for Scholes for sure. 

 

What would you do to add Ronaldo and Ronaldinho?

I'm also thinking Roberto Carlos

[Steve Bruce Almighty 2,849]

21st century, or to put another way the best team of the last 17 years 

[Stan 10,387]

4 minutes ago, SirBalon said:

What would you do to add Ronaldo and Ronaldinho?

I'm also thinking Roberto Carlos

Take out Henry. 

If not Scholes, then take out Gerrard for Ronaldinho. 

Carlos is a great shout actually. I love Lahm but happily sacrifice him for Roberto Carlos. 

I'm not sure about Puyol and  Pique. 

[Mel81x 2,190]

Hmmm no Maldini in that backline. Don't know about that one.

[LFCMike 1,686]

How is this selected?

[SirBalon 2,607]

3 minutes ago, Stan said:

I'm not sure about Puyol and  Pique.

I'd swap Piqué for Maldini (just about though because Maldini's best years were much earlier) but Puyol for me is one of the greatest centre-backs of all time let alone the last 17 years of football.

[SirBalon 2,607]

1 minute ago, LFCMike said:

How is this selected?

coaches, captains and selected journalists within the UEFA zone.

[SirBalon 2,607]

Personally I'd have this;

CASILLAS

LAHM / DANI ALVES  -  MALDINI  -  PUYOL  -  ROBERTO CARLOS

XAVI

SCHOLES     -     INIESTA

MESSI     -       RONALDO    -    C. RONALDO

[Stan 10,387]

Maldini came to mind as well but for the same reasons he was more classic 90s than 00s.

My other choices were Nesta or Cannavaro. 

[Panna King 871]

1 hour ago, SirBalon said:

UEFA's Ultimate of Ultimate Teams

UEFA traditionally offer their Ultimate Team of the Year around about this time every 12 months and this year coupled with that they've decided to also announce their Ultimate of Ultimates...  In other words their opinion on the best XI in the 21st Century.

There's a lot of household names there and they've put some of the out of position so as to fit in all those they wanted to...  Maybe some of you think there are omissions, so who would you take out to put in.

There's a lot of debate here for sure and a curious thing is that there are no Manchester United players unless you consider Cristiano as part of any United team.  For me personally the most contentious part is Gerrard in for Scholes.

Players selcted

• Iker Casillas (GK) - Real Madrid
• Carles Puyol (CB) - FC Barcelona
• Gerard Piqué (CB) - FC Barcelona
• Philipp Lahm (LB) - Bayern Munich
• Sergio Ramos (RB) - Real Madrid CF
• Xavi (CM) - FC Barcelona
• Steven Gerrard (RM) - Liverpool FC
• Andrés Iniesta (LM) - FC Barcelona
• Thierry Henry (LF) - Arsenal FC
• Cristiano Ronaldo (RF) - Real Madrid CF
• Lionel Messi (CF) - FC Barcelona

Van Nistelrooy was better in the Champions League then Henry,  I believe Van Nistelrooy was 2nd in the list of scores behind Raul before Messi and Ronaldo came along. 

[Panna King 871]

27 minutes ago, SirBalon said:

Personally I'd have this;

CASILLAS

LAHM / DANI ALVES  -  MALDINI  -  PUYOL  -  ROBERTO CARLOS

XAVI

SCHOLES     -     INIESTA

MESSI     -       RONALDO    -    C. RONALDO

Seedorf should easily be in there ahead of Scholes,  Seedorf is one of the legends of the Champions, been in 6 finals and won the trophy with 3 different teams. 

[Panna King 871]

These things are only picked on moments rather that performances over the length of time,   to have Gerrard in the team of the last 17 years is a joke, he is only remembered for the team of 2005 thats it,  Liverpool have not always been in the Champions league season after season.    Also to have Henry in their is very laughable,   he had his moments with Arsenal but only won it once with Barcelona. 

[Cicero 3,759]

There' the argument for Ronaldo too as he' never won it.

Seedorf is nailed in for me. 

[Panna King 871]

4 minutes ago, Cicero said:

There' the argument for Ronaldo too as he' never won it.

Seedorf is nailed in for me. 

Seedorf not been in there is just a joke,  he is the most successful player of the Champions League history due to winning it with a number of clubs plus his final appearances also. 

[SirBalon 2,607]

1 minute ago, VanPaddy said:

Seedorf not been in there is just a joke,  he is the most successful player of the Champions League history due to winning it with a number of clubs plus his final appearances also. 

Do your XI then mate... It'll be interesting to see how you shift the side.  This isn't easy and those who made the vote for UEFA to publish this have compromised many things so as to fit trademark names in.

[Cicero 3,759]

Eto'o

C.Ronaldo--------------------Messi

Iniesta---Xavi---Seedorf

Maldini----Puyol---Pique----Alves

Casillas

Easily 

[SirBalon 2,607]

Seedorf is an interesting one but for me Scholes was superior.  Obviously that's a very personal opinion because Paul Scholes really is one of my favourite players.  But @Cicero is very good on that one!

[Cicero 3,759]

4 minutes ago, SirBalon said:

Seedorf is an interesting one but for me Scholes was superior.  Obviously that's a very personal opinion because Paul Scholes really is one of my favourite players.  But @Cicero is very good on that one!

We are judging by Champions League influence, not who are the superior players. Ronaldo would then easily be ahead of Eto'o 

[God is Haaland 575]

1 hour ago, Stan said:

Ultimate shite.

No Ronaldo or Ronaldinho are the glaring omissions. 

Take out Gerrard for Scholes for sure. 

 

I agree. Also Buffon and Neuer are better than Casillas.

[SirBalon 2,607]

Just now, Cicero said:

We are judging by Champions League influence, not who are the superior players. Ronaldo would then easily be ahead of Eto'o 

But do you think those who voted in this only considered Champions League status?

For me their original list seems to have taking a number of things into consideration.

[Cicero 3,759]

7 minutes ago, SirBalon said:

But do you think those who voted in this only considered Champions League status?

For me their original list seems to have taking a number of things into consideration.

Those are the same mongs who continue to have Ronaldo win the Balon d'Or

[SirBalon 2,607]

6 minutes ago, Cicero said:

Those are the same mongs who continue to have Ronaldo win the Balon d'Or

Well they've even compromised positions...  They've put Ramos as a right-back where he hasn't played since 2007 and in that sense this would be Lahm's position or Dani Alves depending on the preference.  Then so as to fit in Henry they've put Cristiano on the right where he played for United and yet put him in a Real Madrid kit.

[Panna King 871]

19 minutes ago, BartraPique1932 said:

I agree. Also Buffon and Neuer are better than Casillas.

Van der Sar is better than Casillas also. 

[SirBalon 2,607]

Just now, VanPaddy said:

Van der Sar is better than Casillas also. 

I get it mate, but that's ridiculous.

[Panna King 871]

34 minutes ago, SirBalon said:

Do your XI then mate... It'll be interesting to see how you shift the side.  This isn't easy and those who made the vote for UEFA to publish this have compromised many things so as to fit trademark names in.

----------------------Buffon

Lahm---------Ramos---Puyol--Maldini

---------------------Xavi---------------------------

------------Zidane----Seedorf

Messi--------Raul---------C.Ronaldo

 

[Panna King 871]

5 minutes ago, SirBalon said:

I get it mate, but that's ridiculous.

 it was a joke.

[SirBalon 2,607]

Just now, VanPaddy said:

----------------------Buffon

Lahm---------Ramos---Puyol--Maldini

---------------------Xavi---------------------------

------------Zidane----Seedorf

Messi--------Raul---------C.Ronaldo

 

You prefer Zidane to Iniesta?

[Panna King 871]

Just now, SirBalon said:

You prefer Zidane to Iniesta?

Yes of course, otherwise I wouldn't of put him in there.