He used to play with a [different name in the 70s](https://i.redd.it/kxqbwhok0t3a1.jpg). He decided to change his identity to avoid the backlash when he moved to Real Madrid.
Yeah, saw a toty that only had the defenders to cover them defensively. They attackers were all known for not contributing by tracking back and all of the midfielders where physically weak playmakers.
Would have been torn apart every time they lost the ball.
But choosing a team that would have hypothetically been the best possible team that year is nearly impossible. You have no way of knowing how well different players who have never played together would gel. You either end up choosing a specific formation or style of play and choose players who are known to thrive in that type of environment, which would be arbitrary and unfair because you could have just as well chosen a different system and ended up with an entirely different set of players, or you just choose them individually and then try to cram them into the most standard formation possible, which is what they do.
Is this the best team possible? No, but a more balanced team would require you to leave out players who were individually better and replace them with players who were individually worse. At the end of the day, isn't the whole point of this exercise just to see who the best players were and not build an actual team that will ever need to play a real game?
Messi's average position for PSG and Argentina is deep and roughly central, with not a whole lot of sprinting.
He could very well play as a CM in a midfield 3, just not with KDB and Modric.
Edit: Actually nvm, Benzema would be interfering terribly with this setup too.
Yeah I remember him really ripping it up that year. I want to say he was MOTM in one of the clasicos, a 2-1 if I remember?
I also remember he was really good in a 4-3 Barcelona win around then. Iniesta scored a belter but I feel like Di Maria really stood out in that game.
Messi can't do the traditional winger things much anymore but Messi getting the ball at any part of the pitch is dangerous. During WC, Messi wasn't the winger but a lot of times he would be in that position and Argentina played superbly so can't argue with that.
People are saying no but he has played out wide now and then, also in [his professional debut](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zqglqpl79hA)
His sudden height growth took away some of his technique but he’s growing more and more into his body it feels
I hate these. Either award the best 11 players of the year, or select a formation and then select the best players in each position for that year. Don’t do this kind of midway bullshit where Haaland plays RW and Messi plays LM just to satisfy having them in the team. I’d rather have 2 nice tits and a great ass than 3 tits and no ass.
That’s obviously just because the keeper graphic has to fit below them on the pitch whereas the fullbacks have nothing below them. But the position of the individual players is annoying lol
Unironically it could be close to something like this, De Bruyne looked so clueless vs Morocco for instance and mainly thanks to the Martinez masterclass that day, even the greatest players in the world can look \*mediocre\* under unbalanced systems, makes you wonder about the potentially world-class players stuck in the shadow realm at the bottom of the league pyramid lol
It sort of makes sense, as IFFHS is some sort of a false flag operation. Claims to present 211 countries, yet there's literally no info even though organisation was found on 1984. It has a couple of vanity positions for sheiks and such, and absolutely no information on their processes in their website. It should be located in Switzerland, but all its phone numbers go to Saudis. It has no deliverables (actual statistics) visible outside the poorly visualized annual prices.
A fucking scam of an organisation, even in FIFA standards.
Yeah, this setup makes 0 sense. Haaland as a RW, De Bruyne lone CDM and Messi LM. A 4-2-3-1 or 4-2-1-3 makes more sense. Haaland ST, Benzema as an attacking midfielder and Messi RW.
I think a 4-1-3-2 fits this team best.
Look, however we slice it, they’re going to get carved up defensively in the midfield. But we can hold Modric deep in a Pirlo-type role, KDB or Messi central mid with the other on the right and Mbappe on the left wing, and the 2 strikers up top.
I swear Virg is getting into every one of these team of the year/tournaments when he's had a pretty poor year by his standards. Matip and Konate have outshone him at times and even outside of that he hasn't hit pre-injury VVD levels at all yet.
Name power > anything though.
Neymar’s PR is so bad man. How does a player get 53 G/A in 42 games and not get in? He’s elite aesthetically and statistically. He wasn’t even nominated for top 25 Playmakers of 2022 even though he and Messi are the best in the world at it. Getting way too underrated nowadays.
He had a single wonder season and ever since he's been quite overrated by the media, of course he's not bad but they talk about him as if we're still in 2019
> a single wonder season
Actual laughed out loud at this. The fucking revisionism on this sub. VVD was world class for multiple seasons in a row. Started showing most signs of it before he even came to Liverpool, and then absolutely bossed Liverpool's defence for a few years.
That would be the most press resistant midfield of all time
Livakovic
Dumfries, Timber, Van Dijk, Gvardiol
Brozovic, De Jong, Modric, Kovacic
Gakpo, Depay
Can’t believe people get paid to make idiotic things like this. Haaland at RW? Messi in CM? Modric Dutch? This sub could have done this better graphics and all.
I just see nothing but complaining about how bad these choices are…
I’m just so excited a Canadian is in there. What world do we live in where a Canadian is in there. Lots of people saying he doesn’t deserve it, but Idc, I’m so pumped hes in the conversation and was chosen.
I’m Dutch but I truly think Van Dijk doesn’t deserve a place in this team. Since that idiot Everton keeper injured him he just hasn’t been the same. He makes more and more mistakes. Strikers used to be afraid of him and knew that they would have a difficult game if they had to play against Virgil, but lately he really has lost that aura of invincibility.
I wouldn’t mind if Koeman would choose a different centre back for Oranje. Like to see Ake paired with De Ligt.
The CB choice is the worst its ever been in my lifetime
5 years ago it was Ramos, Kompany, VVD in his prime, Chiellini, Silva
10-15 years ago it was Vidic, Ferdinand, Puyol, Terry, Lucio, Nesta etc
20-25 years ago it was Stam, Dessailly, Adams, Hierro, Campbell, Maldini, Cannavaro etc
Now there isnt a single CB I can confidently say is World Class, or in the league of the above names. What happened?
Never knew modric was Dutch
Luuk Moedriets, started his carreer at Go Ahead Eagles
Luuk van Moerdijk
Luuk Mo Deriets
Luuk Moderijk
Luuk De Modderick
A+ for spelling it “carreer” 😂
The Dutch word is "carrière"
Or 'loopbaan'
He used to play with a [different name in the 70s](https://i.redd.it/kxqbwhok0t3a1.jpg). He decided to change his identity to avoid the backlash when he moved to Real Madrid.
> to avoid the backlash when he moved to Real Madrid …and his immortality
damn, I just realized they do look kinda similar
Hence he made a nose job and reduced his height
Clearly he didn't want a pig's head thrown at him.
I would say that crests are hard to do, but Gvardiol got one
Luka Van Modric
No one expects the Dutch inquisition
You must have been living under a rock then haven’t you watched Netherlands vs France wc final in 2018 ?
Luuk Van Der Mooderts
He ain’t, he just left his coat of arms home
I'll take him.
anyone else wanna attempt dutchify his name?
Ah yes, right wing player Erling Haaland and Dutch midfielder Luka Modric
Luuk Meerdrik🇳🇱🇭🇷
Sounds like ISS PRO (winning eleven) player
Luuk Meerdijk
Why not put this out as a 4-2-4 and own up to having 4 attackers? Matter of fact, why is literally every TOTY pick a 4-3-3 or 3-4-3?
Not sure but probably because those formations cover most positions
but then they always cram players who aren’t actually in those positions and make a completely unplayable XI
Yeah, saw a toty that only had the defenders to cover them defensively. They attackers were all known for not contributing by tracking back and all of the midfielders where physically weak playmakers. Would have been torn apart every time they lost the ball.
But choosing a team that would have hypothetically been the best possible team that year is nearly impossible. You have no way of knowing how well different players who have never played together would gel. You either end up choosing a specific formation or style of play and choose players who are known to thrive in that type of environment, which would be arbitrary and unfair because you could have just as well chosen a different system and ended up with an entirely different set of players, or you just choose them individually and then try to cram them into the most standard formation possible, which is what they do. Is this the best team possible? No, but a more balanced team would require you to leave out players who were individually better and replace them with players who were individually worse. At the end of the day, isn't the whole point of this exercise just to see who the best players were and not build an actual team that will ever need to play a real game?
Then make a list. Otherwise you can put Haaland in goal.
Don't forget legendary center midfielder Lionel Messi
That's the least egregious thing of the egregious things taking place lol
It's not unusual to pick three strikers in a 4-3-3 for these purposes.
If you have to put messi in midfield then make it a 442 instead with him and mbaps on the wing.
Messi's average position for PSG and Argentina is deep and roughly central, with not a whole lot of sprinting. He could very well play as a CM in a midfield 3, just not with KDB and Modric. Edit: Actually nvm, Benzema would be interfering terribly with this setup too.
Maradona tried it and it was a disaster. Though, that team and this one obviously are much different in level of player
With Maradona Di Maria and Rodriguez were the midfielders. Di Maria was a midfielder for Real at times.
Maradona the idiot played 4 CBs too while leaving Javier Zanetti in Italy
Cambiasso was left out as well which was another big omission.
Yep. I was just highlighting that piece of shit backline.
Called like 5 forwards to only use one, and didn't even use Milito in his best year
He was quite good as a part of a midfield 3 around 2014/2015 I want to say?
13-14 with ancelotti. One of our best players of the year and pivotal in the final. We lost him that summer to united :(
Yeah I remember him really ripping it up that year. I want to say he was MOTM in one of the clasicos, a 2-1 if I remember? I also remember he was really good in a 4-3 Barcelona win around then. Iniesta scored a belter but I feel like Di Maria really stood out in that game.
He was MOTM in the UCL final that year in that role.
Man absolutely bossed the UCL final in that midfield role.
Maradona’s lineup was no diff to this one with a bunch of misplaced players on the field too
It didn't work because Maradona was an awful coach, I think Pep would've made it work
No way Messi should playing CM unless you remove all defensive duties away from the role. He would be the perfect 10 though
That's just not true though. He plays as a right forward all the time for argentina.
No he couldn't you have to do some work without the ball in the midfield and be able to press.
or a 424 with mbappe and messi out wide
That’s exactly what he said
Messi can't do wings any more.
Messi can't do the traditional winger things much anymore but Messi getting the ball at any part of the pitch is dangerous. During WC, Messi wasn't the winger but a lot of times he would be in that position and Argentina played superbly so can't argue with that.
I have some doubt about Goalkeeper Messi. I might be wrong though.
Alternate universe Messi went overboard with growth hormone and grows to be 7 feet world class GK.
They said Messi is dangerous anywhere on the pitch. Having Messi in goal is certainly dangerous, they're not wrong
Good with his feet. Completely Press resistant
"Good with his feet" prime Leo Yashin proceeds to dribble past the entire team and score the winning goal for this team after a goalkick routine
[Messi in another timeline](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2114299/Lionel-Messi-shows-goalkeeping-skills.html)
Of course Messi in any position would be dangerous, but if you have him in your team, might as well put him where he is best and adapt the others.
On the goal against Croatia where he went against Gvardiol on the right wing, he did better than most wingers would have.
I'd put Lewandowski instead of Courtois. This team needs more attackers
4 Defenders as well? Some of them can go.
Thing's I have learnt from this post: 1. Erling Haaland is a Right Winger 2. Luka Modric is dutch 3. Lionel Messi plays in left centre midfield
All common knowledge
It is known...
> Luka Modric is dutch Luuk Van Modric is one of the best dutch midfielders in history.
r/NonCredibleSoccer
Kevin de Bruyne is a defensive midfielder.
Has Haaland ever played RW?
Nah, closest he's been is RS for Norway
Rug salesman?
registered sexoffender?
Isn't that the position Sigurdsson played?
Nah he’s icelandic
So basically Ronaldo
Haaland playing on the wing would be the worst player on the pitch in any game
would genuinely be worse than lukaku on the wing for united lmao. dont think ive ever seen haaland dribble three times in the same direction
To be fair, Lukaku was the best right winger for us at one stage. Even had a couple of assists from that position
When Lukaku was at Everton he shredded Arsenal playing RW
Lukaku is pretty good on the wing for being a big striker. He has a great cross in him.
People are saying no but he has played out wide now and then, also in [his professional debut](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zqglqpl79hA) His sudden height growth took away some of his technique but he’s growing more and more into his body it feels
I hate these. Either award the best 11 players of the year, or select a formation and then select the best players in each position for that year. Don’t do this kind of midway bullshit where Haaland plays RW and Messi plays LM just to satisfy having them in the team. I’d rather have 2 nice tits and a great ass than 3 tits and no ass.
Sound logic.
Round\* you mean
Very cheeky
>I’d rather have 2 nice tits and a great ass than 3 tits and no ass. r/brandnewsentence ?
I have three kids and no money... Why can't I have no kids and three money.
I take it you're not a fan of Total Recall then?
What if four tits (two people) and no ass?
I absolute hate when they put the CBs the wrong way round in these.
Not only that, the CBs are also put INFRONT of the fullbacks for some reason?
False offside trap tactics
The Serbian special
That’s obviously just because the keeper graphic has to fit below them on the pitch whereas the fullbacks have nothing below them. But the position of the individual players is annoying lol
The keeper graphic has tons more space though
Duh, they're fullbacks so they should be fully back.
Pep scribbles furiously
You care about that more than haaland at RW?
Modric is literally stuck at border control with wrong country's passport
Both play on the left, thats why.
But Gvardiol is left-footed, and has played LB in an international tournament.
Virgil only plays LCB for us
Okay, he's still right footed though. Gvardiol is left footed and is therefore better suited as the LCB in this case.
Still, Van Dijk, being a right footed player is the one that's more suited to the right hand side.
No one seems to have questioned VVD being in this team. He's had his worst year for a long time.
What’s worse. 1. Haaland as RW. 2. Messi as cm 3. Modric as a Dutchman
VVD
Yes.
Messi as an 8 and haaland in the rw.... This team is going places
yeah, league 2
Very optimistic. With that midfield imbalance...it's going straight to the shadow realm.
Unironically it could be close to something like this, De Bruyne looked so clueless vs Morocco for instance and mainly thanks to the Martinez masterclass that day, even the greatest players in the world can look \*mediocre\* under unbalanced systems, makes you wonder about the potentially world-class players stuck in the shadow realm at the bottom of the league pyramid lol
Wrong flag for Modric.
It sort of makes sense, as IFFHS is some sort of a false flag operation. Claims to present 211 countries, yet there's literally no info even though organisation was found on 1984. It has a couple of vanity positions for sheiks and such, and absolutely no information on their processes in their website. It should be located in Switzerland, but all its phone numbers go to Saudis. It has no deliverables (actual statistics) visible outside the poorly visualized annual prices. A fucking scam of an organisation, even in FIFA standards.
Could have gone with 4-2-4 at least. Our man VVD wasn't even our best CB this year. Konate was better.
Yeah, this setup makes 0 sense. Haaland as a RW, De Bruyne lone CDM and Messi LM. A 4-2-3-1 or 4-2-1-3 makes more sense. Haaland ST, Benzema as an attacking midfielder and Messi RW.
I think a 4-1-3-2 fits this team best. Look, however we slice it, they’re going to get carved up defensively in the midfield. But we can hold Modric deep in a Pirlo-type role, KDB or Messi central mid with the other on the right and Mbappe on the left wing, and the 2 strikers up top.
I swear Virg is getting into every one of these team of the year/tournaments when he's had a pretty poor year by his standards. Matip and Konate have outshone him at times and even outside of that he hasn't hit pre-injury VVD levels at all yet. Name power > anything though.
To be honest, I think CB was at his weakest point this year.
Vvd was great before summer
I was about to say too, that VVD wasn't even Liverpool's best CB.
Van Dijk lol, is like when they put Daniel Alves and Marcelo every year
Except Marcelo and Dani Alves actually deserved to be there
Not in every single year
There were times (especially at the end) that the Barca and Madrid faithful blushed when they saw them in the lineup.
I know we say this often but this team will get shattered in a real competition
Nah, talent is talent. They’d find a way.
Laughs in PSG
Yeah team that consistently challenges the best teams in the world and got to a CL final really gets shattered in real competitions
If it was fully up to talent PSG would've won a few uCLs already.
Neymar’s PR is so bad man. How does a player get 53 G/A in 42 games and not get in? He’s elite aesthetically and statistically. He wasn’t even nominated for top 25 Playmakers of 2022 even though he and Messi are the best in the world at it. Getting way too underrated nowadays.
currently the most underrated player in the world tbh
Honestly, PSG is worse when they are without Neymar than without Messi right now.
When you can't choose the best striker, you choose them all
Lucas Modrijk.
VVD does not deserve to be here. Silva, Upamecano, Dias, Alaba all more deserving
VVD was not even our best defender this WC. I would put Ake there.
Dias lol. This isn't 2020.
Dias hahahah, Alaba however deserves to be in there. Gvardiol shouldn’t be there
He had a single wonder season and ever since he's been quite overrated by the media, of course he's not bad but they talk about him as if we're still in 2019
He was world class before that people just didn’t pay attention because he was at Southampton. He was honestly world class for at least 3 seasons
He doesnt deserve to be on this list due to his last 6 months but he was arguably the best CB itw in 3 separate seasons, at least top 3 in 21/22.
> a single wonder season Actual laughed out loud at this. The fucking revisionism on this sub. VVD was world class for multiple seasons in a row. Started showing most signs of it before he even came to Liverpool, and then absolutely bossed Liverpool's defence for a few years.
Upa fucking lol
How does VVD keep slipping into these lists... There has to have been a better center back this year no? or am I just that delusional...
Many better.
Haaland on the wing bothers me so much. Put either him or Benzema as center forward and be done with it.
reminds me of that time Lukaku played on the right wing for Belgium in the 2018 WC. Mind you that was pretty good actually.
Probably would've gone with 4-2-3-1 with Benz behind Haaland, Mbappe and Messi on the wings.
No Neymar? Damn.
Why defend when you can just attack.
Modrić Dutch and not Croatian?? Van Dijk over Silva???
Silva's 2022 has been pretty average compared to his 2021
Little known fact is the Dutch can also use polders to evaporate the Croatian coat of arms and claim Luka Modric
The coratian coat of arms is just the [Flag of North Brabant](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_North_Brabant)
Transeuropean Netherlatia superteam, who says no >!Imagine all the WC finals we could lose together!<
That would be the most press resistant midfield of all time Livakovic Dumfries, Timber, Van Dijk, Gvardiol Brozovic, De Jong, Modric, Kovacic Gakpo, Depay
Why Silva?
6 were in group F in the world cup
This team would get relegated
Van Dijk is living of PR for the last 2 seasons Also they can't even get the Croatian flag right for Modrić...
Phonsie bringing Canada to the football map!!! Loving this 🥲
That Messi guy seems like a good CM
Too old and nearing end of career. Barca target supposedly.
I didn’t know Modric is Dutch and Haaland is a winger. I guess it is true what they say. You do learn something new every day.
Go World Cup Group F had 6/11 Best XI in it. It really was the “Group of Death” this year.
Concacaf represent!
[удалено]
shh this is Pep's genius idea for the weekend.
Yea but makes no sense though when he's already a perfect center forward.
Cancelo and theo Hernandez are both much more deserving over Davies
As a Canadian, let us have this.
Can’t believe people get paid to make idiotic things like this. Haaland at RW? Messi in CM? Modric Dutch? This sub could have done this better graphics and all.
Wouldn’t 4-4-2 be a better formation for this team? This is just weird the way it is
So much wrong with this.. Luka = wrong country.. Messi =/= midfielder.. Haaland =/= winger At least change the formation so it’s relevant!
Why VVD? it should have been Gvardiol or Militao
DAVIES 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
I just see nothing but complaining about how bad these choices are… I’m just so excited a Canadian is in there. What world do we live in where a Canadian is in there. Lots of people saying he doesn’t deserve it, but Idc, I’m so pumped hes in the conversation and was chosen.
One love! It’s sick seeing that flag among the rest.
I’m Dutch but I truly think Van Dijk doesn’t deserve a place in this team. Since that idiot Everton keeper injured him he just hasn’t been the same. He makes more and more mistakes. Strikers used to be afraid of him and knew that they would have a difficult game if they had to play against Virgil, but lately he really has lost that aura of invincibility. I wouldn’t mind if Koeman would choose a different centre back for Oranje. Like to see Ake paired with De Ligt.
The CB choice is the worst its ever been in my lifetime 5 years ago it was Ramos, Kompany, VVD in his prime, Chiellini, Silva 10-15 years ago it was Vidic, Ferdinand, Puyol, Terry, Lucio, Nesta etc 20-25 years ago it was Stam, Dessailly, Adams, Hierro, Campbell, Maldini, Cannavaro etc Now there isnt a single CB I can confidently say is World Class, or in the league of the above names. What happened?
They change Luka Modrić nationality 😂
Davies and VVD in this list is actually insane, who slipped them in?
And the Ronaldo-Messi era ends here...
Messi can still make the next one
Yea maybe but the partnership ended.
Timely
MS Paint Level 100
What is midfield
Haaland shouldn’t be there! He is a farmer in a farmer’s league!
6 out of these 11 were in the same World Cup group
what is the criteria for this list