Match of the Day's 60th anniversary celebrations may have ended a few weeks ago, but with this week being an international break I've decided to some top 10's on international topics that Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards have discussed on their podcast Match of the Day top 10.
Today's top 10 is World Cup winners.
CONTENDERS:
Brazil - 1970
Italy - 1982
Argentina - 1986
West Germany - 1990
Brazil - 1994
France - 1998
Italy - 2006
Spain - 2010
Germany - 2014
France - 2018
LINEKER, SHEARER AND RICHARDS' TOP 10
Spain - 2010
Brazil - 1970
France - 1998
Italy - 2006
France - 2018
Germany - 2014
Argentina - 1986
Brazil - 1994
West Germany - 1990
Italy - 1982
MY TOP 10
Brazil - 1970
Spain - 2010
France - 1998
Germany - 2014
France - 2018
Italy - 2006
Argentina - 1986
West Germany - 1990
Brazil - 1994
Italy - 1982
THE VERDICT:
This is a tough category as all the teams in this list had exceptional players and were exceptional teams. But If I had to pick a winner, it would be the Brazil side from 1970. I wasn't around back then but I have heard about how good they were. Pele was the star of the team and it was that year where he was in his prime and at his brilliant best. Jairzinho ended up with the golden boot, but Pele was still the main man because of what he did on the pitch.
Spain became the dominant force in international football when they won the World Cup in 2010 which was them in their prime. They had the best keeper in the world at the time in Iker Casillas, two of the best defenders in Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique, the best midfielder duo in Xavi and Andres Iniesta and arguably the best striker in the world in David Villa. I was shocked when they lost their opening game to Switzerland but after that set back, they kicked on and played some lovely football with the wonderful players they have.
France's 1998 winning side had top class players all over the pitch including the likes of Zinedine Zidane, Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and Marcel Desailly. That has to be their greatest ever side because of the calibre of players they had and the overall strength of their squad. They tore Brazil apart in the final that year before going on to win the Euros two years later.
Germany's 2014 winning side had to be in the top five because they had quality players in every department. They had the keeper in the world at the time in Manuel Neuer, who was the best player at the tournament, three of the best defenders in Philipp Lahm, Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels plus they had top players in midfield and attack including Bastian Schweinsteiger, Toni Kroos and Thomas Muller. They could dish out some heavy score lines on teams as well like that one they dished out on Brazil in the semi finals where they won 7-1.
I had France down to win the World Cup in 2018 and I was proven right. They had quality players in every position and especially in attack. Olivier Giroud might not have scored or had a shot on target, but he acted as a bouncer for Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe, who announced himself on the world stage at this tournament. N'Golo Kante did what he does best in winning the back countless times and his ability to do that gave Paul Pogba the freedom to really express himself and play a key role.
Italy's 2006 side had a super strong defence as they conceded just twice all tournament. Captain Fabio Cannavaro won the Ballon D'Or later that year presumably for the role he played in the Italians winning the tournament. He had Marco Materazzi alongside him in defence with Gianliugi Buffon behind them keeping the ball out of the net. They also had two top midfield players in Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso who provided the flair and tenacity to the team. They miss out on the top five because the France and Germany teams of 2018 and 2014 respectively had more goals in them.
Argentina's 1986 winning side was largely down to Diego Maradona, who scored one of the greatest goals of all-time against England in the Quarter Finals where he dribbled past loads of England players on his way to putting the ball in the net. I wasn't around back then, but from what I have heard, he pretty much carried Argentina to glory that year.
West Germany's 1990 winning side come above both Brazil in 1994 and Italy in 1982 and I see more top class players in their team. Fabio Rossi was the only real standout from Italy's 1982 side that I could think of whilst Brazil's 1994 side wasn't as talented as the other teams that won the World Cup. Lothar Matthaus and Jurgen Klinsmann are the two top players from Germany's 1990 side that come to mind and both of them were instrumental to their win that year. Both players were their top goal scorers and Matthaus later went on to win the Ballon D'Or that year.
OTHER POTENTIAL CONTENDERS: Argentina - 2022, Brazil - 2002 and England - 1966
I assume that this list was done before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. If it had been done after, Argentina's 2022 winning side might've made the cut. Their win was in some way a replica of Spain's win in 2010 in that they lost their first game and got better as the tournament progressed. Lionel Messi was obviously the star of that side and I was happy that he finally won the World Cup that year, a trophy he'd been after all his career. He came up with many moments of magic during that tournament and all of them played a key role in them wining the tournament.
Brazil's 2002 side was very unlucky not to make the shortlist because it is for me their second greatest side. Cafu, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Roberto Carlos, the list is endless. Ronaldo was their star of the show at this tournament which was the one where he was in his prime and absolutely unstoppable. I might've had this near the top had it been on the list.
You might think that I'm being biased when I think that England's 1966 side should be on this list. Most of the teams on this list might have better technical players that England's 66 side did, but I still think that they could've been on the list. When I look at that side I think of Gordon Banks, Booby Moore, Bobby Charlton and Geoff Hurst, who scored a hat trick in the final against West Germany. All of them were top players and the key players in the side.
コメント