Messi, Ronaldo and Maradona included in ‘Ballon d’or Dream Team’

Maradona-Messi-Ronaldo

Ballon d’Or organisers France Football has announced their Ballon d’Or Dream Team, and it features some very big names.

The Magazine opted to announce the best X1 instead of the annual Ballon d’Or award following the cancellation of the award because of the pandemic.

They announced the dream team, which featured the late Diego Maradona and Brazil legend Pele on Monday evening at this year’s Ballon d’Or ceremony. The team was selected from a list of football legends, past and present by a team of journalists from 170 countries across the world.

Russia’s legendary goalkeeper Lev Yashin was selected in goal to cement his status as the greatest No 1 of all time. The Russian is the only keeper to have won the Ballon d’Or—doing so in 1963.

In defence, a back-three of Franz Beckenbauer, Cafu and Paolo Maldini was selected. 

Franz Beckenbauer who is a former Bayern Munich and Germany player remains the only defender to win the Ballon d’Or on two separate occasions. Alongside him are Maldini and Cafu, who never won the award, but are both regarded as one of the finest players in their positions. 

The four-man midfield featured Xavi Hernández, Lothar Matthaus, Pele and the late Diego Maradona.

Lothar Matthaus who won the award in 1990 was selected in the defensive midfield position. The German was an ever-present player in the Bayern and Germany team that won everything in front of them in his time.

Xavi who won the World Cup and European Championship with Spain and lined up for one of Barcelona’s greatest ever team joined Matthaus in the midfield. Pele and Maradona, two players considered the best-ever completed the midfield four, with both players winning four World Cups between them.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronaldo Nazario and Lionel Messi make up a lethal front three which has 14 Ballon d’Or awards between them till date.