UEFA has unveiled their Ultimate all-time XI of the Champions League using players who have made the regular Team of the Year most often in each position since the turn of the century.
Of course, the UCL all-time top-scorer Cristiano Ronaldo has always been top on the list of everything related to the European club competition showpiece in the past two decades, and he’s expectedly grabbed the headline of the all-time XI too.
There’s also a certain Lionel Messi, who has won the Champions League four times, sitting only next to Ronaldo in the star-studded fantasy team.
In reflection of the two Spanish sides immense dominance on the continent over the past 10-15 years, eight of the the 11 players in the all-time line-up played for either Real Madrid or Barcelona.
GOALKEEPER
Iker Casillas – 6
The Real Madrid legend has appeared in the UCL Team of the Year in not less than six occasions (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012). He’s notably won the trophy three times, and when he wasn’t donning the Real Madrid shirt, he was also quite exceptional for the Spanish national team – helping them to glory at two Euros (2008 & 2012) as well as their first FIFA World Cup title in 2010.
It’s however worthy of note that he beat another legend in the shape of Gianluigi Buffon – who has also appeared five times – to getting the berth in this all-time XI.
DEFENDERS
Sergio Ramos – 8
A key member of Zinedine Zidane’s flawless squad that completed the tough-to-beat three-peat of the Champions League (2016-2018), Ramos is one of the names you would have predicted to surely make the cut for this Ultimate team. He has appeared in the TOTY a massive eight times (2008, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18) – only superhumans Ronaldo and Messi have featured more often.
Gerard Pique – 5
Pique has been nominated for the TOTY nine times and has made the team in five of those (2010, 11, 12, 15, 16).
Carles Puyol – 6
The former Barcelona captain had a trophy-laden career and enjoyed more of his success from 2005 onwards, until his retirement in 2014. He won the Champions League thrice with the Blaugrana in 2006, 2009 & 2011, as well as the 2008 Euros and the 2010 World Cup.
Philipp Lahm – 5
Comfortably Bayern’s greatest defender of all-time, Lahm held down his left-back position for the Bavarians and Germany for up to a decade. He made the TOTY five times between 2005 and 2015. Worthy to note that another fullback legend, Dani Alves also made the TOTY five times but Lahm (and Pique) edge the Brazilian with superior number of nominations.
MIDFIELDERS
Steven Gerrard – 3
The only Englishman on the list, Gerrard is only one of the seven midfielders who have been selected for the TOTY three times. Just as Lahm & Pique, the Liverpool legend beat all others on number of nominations. He was chosen in 2005, 2006 & 2007.
Xavi Hernandez – 5
Xavi made the TOTY for five consecutive years (2008, 09, 10, 11, 12).
Andres Iniesta – 6
Just like Xavi, Iniesta was a regular name in the TOTY since he first made the cut in 2009. From thence, he also appeared in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016.
FORWARDS
Cristiano Ronaldo – 14
You might not be strongly opposed if you argue he’s the greatest Champions League player ever. 132 goals, 5 titles; Ronaldo is simply the best in this competition. He has been chosen for the TOTY a record 14 times (2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019). He’s also the only player on this all-time XI to have gotten selected for the TOTY at more than one club team. In fact, it’s three teams in his case – Man United, Real Madrid and Juventus.
Lionel Messi – 11
Once Messi made the cut in 2008, it was almost impossible to dislodge him in the subsequent editions. He was notably selected in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019. Only in 2013 did he miss out.
Thierry Henry – 5
Henry got nominations in the very first six editions of the vote, from which he made the final selection five times (2001, 02, 03, 04, 06).
The UCL Team of the Year is squarely determined by fans’ votes and the selection for the 2020 edition has already commenced. In the meantime, what do you make of this XI? Any cruel miss, who should have made the cut if other parameters were used?
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