The venerable magazine polled a panel of experts to pick an all-time soccer XI. Here’s who our lads went for.
It’s the time of the year when the world’s football journalists turn to features like this to pad out the closed season. And World Soccer is no exception, as they asked a panel of football writers and ex-pros to pick their all-time soccer XI.
The final list, after all the votes were counted, was Lev Yashin, Cafu, Paolo Maldini, Bobby Moore, Franz Beckenbauer, Johan Cruyff, Alfredo di Stefano, Zinedine Zidane, Diego Maradona, Pele, Lionel Messi. Not too bad I think you’ll agree.
So, who did our lads go for? Well Packie Bonnar’s team had a much more Irish/Celtic feel. The Donegal man went for: Jennings, McGrain, Moore, McGrath, Maldini, Maradona, Keane, Cruyff, Messi, Pele, Best. He was the only person to pick Roy Keane.
Ex-Ireland boss Brian Kerr plumped for: Yashin, Cafu, Beckenbauer, Carlos Alberto, Maldini, Best, Cruyff, Zidane, Maradona, Pele, Messi.
And RTE’s Jimmy Magee picked: Schmeichel, Carlos Alberto, McGrath, Beckenbauer, Maldini, Cristiano Ronaldo, Pele, Maradona, Cruyff, Ronaldo, Messi
Paddy Agnew, who you may know from his work in the Irish Times, had a slightly different, but equally impressive, team: Jennings, Thuram, Beckenbauer, Moore, Maldini, Cruyff, Neeskens, Zidane, Messi, Maradona, Van Basten.
To check out all the teams selected, just click here.
