Johan Cruyff’s best XI in football history doesn’t include Messi or Ronaldo
If there was ever a man who knew one or two things about football, it was Johan Cruyff – and his chosen best XI in the sport’s history certainly ruffled feathers.
The gifted player turned managerial genius is one of the iconic figures of the game having not only succeeded on the pitch but also revolutionised the game from the sidelines.
The architect of modern Barcelona, his style of football is just as prominent today as it was during his era and won La Liga on four occasions.
Having passed away in 2016, his autobiography ‘My Turn’ was posthumously released and in it, Cruyff listed what he believed was the best XI to ever play the game.
Here’s who made the cut:
Goalkeeper: Lev Yashin
Starting between the sticks and Cruyff plumped for Soviet Union keeper Yashin.
Born in Moscow, he played his entire career for Dynamo Moscow but it was his exploits for his national team that made him noticed on the world stage.
Yashin appeared in three World Cups and won gold at the 1956 Olympics – nicknamed the ‘the Black Panther’ due to his all-black kit. He is reported to have saved 150 penalties in his career.
Interestingly, Cruyff picked him not only for his ability but also his off-field persona: “It can hardly do any harm to have a reassuring father figure to bring all those stars down to earth,” Cruyff wrote.
Defenders: Carlos Alberto, Franz Beckenbauer and Ruud Krol
Cruyff opted for a back three with Beckenbauer occupying the centre-back spot.
The German is considered to be one of the greatest players of all time and won the World Cup, Euros and Ballon d’Or. The defender was also the pioneer of the libero role.
On the flanks, Cruyff went for Brazil’s 1970 World Cup-winning captain Carlos Alberto and his former Netherlands team-mate Krol.
Midfielders: Pep Guardiola, Garrincha, Bobby Charlton, Alfredo Di Stefano, Piet Keizer
Sitting in holding midfield is current Manchester City manager Guardiola, who played under Cruyff at Barcelona.
The Catalan got the nod due to his ability to bring the ball from defence to the midfield and kick off attacks, a key ability the now-manger has deployed in his own teams.
Ahead of Guardiola is Di Stefano and Charlton. While both were incredible individual players, Cruyff sought to praise the way they could work as a midfield pair and said “tactically and technically brilliant” players would “fit together well physically.”
On the wings, Cruyff went for double World Cup winner Garrincha on the right and his former Ajax team-mate Keizer on the left.
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Forwards: Pele, Diego Maradona
Not a bad strike force eh?
While Messi and Ronaldo miss out, in their place comes Pele and Diego Maradona, two of the undisputed legends of the game.
Both shone brightest at the World Cup with Pele winning it three times with Brazil, the first coming when he was just 17.
His goalscoring record is also absurd, scoring 1,281 goals in 1,363 – albeit some of those have been hard to verify.
As for Maradona, he practically singlehandedly brought World Cup glory to Argentina in 1986.
At club level, he became an icon in Naples as they won Serie A in 1987 and 1990. Such was his impact on the city, they renamed this stadium after him following his death in 2020.
Fittingly, the two shared the award of FIFA Player of the Century.
