The 'Ballon d'Or Dream Team' Has Been Announced And It's Filled With Legends

 

France Football have finally named their 'Ballon d'Or Dream Team' and it is brimming with football legends.

The 2020 Ballon d'Or was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic's impact on world football and to make up for it, a new award was created.

A shortlist was put together which 140 different journalists to vote for the greatest players in every position on the pitch.

Lining up in a 3-4-3, XI players have emerged from an original list of 110 to be named the greatest of all time.


Check out the full list below.


Goalkeeper: Lev Yashin

Defender: Cafu

Defender: Paolo Maldini

Defender: Franz Beckenbauer

Midfield: Pele

Midfield: Xavi

Midfield: Lothar Matthaus

Midfield: Diego Maradona

Forward: Lionel Messi

Forward: Ronaldo Nazario

Forward: Cristiano Ronaldo


There can be little argument against any player included in the team, with them all having played and won honours at the highest level.

Lev Yashin was nicknamed the 'Black Spider' during his playing days and was known for having incredible reflexes and an unrelenting presence between the sticks.

A three man defence of former AC Milan duo Cafu and Paolo Maldini alongside Franz Beckenbauer would send a shiver down attacker's spine.

Cafu and Beckenbauer are former World Cup winners, while Maldini is the definition of a one club man.

He won the lot across 25 years and 902 appearances for Milan.

Midfield sees Lother Matthaus and Xavi deep together, with Pele and Diego Maradona in attacking roles.

Maradona tragically died on November 25 and his loss is still felt by the football world.

Pele is often regarded as the greatest ever and has three World Cup medals to his name.

Two men who are often compared to Pele are Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, the only two active players to make the list.

Ronaldo has won five Ballon d'Or's while Messi has six, and the pair have pushed one another nonstop over the last 15 years.

Up front alongside them is Ronaldo Nazario, who forged a legacy as one of Europe's most prolific forwards.

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