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It's often a mystery how players can rely on a particular preferred foot throughout their footballing careers.
Players such as Angel Di Maria and Arjen Robben, for instance, have known to be extremely reliant on their left foot since they broke onto the scene. However, they have had fantastic careers with several trophies across different leagues, including UEFA Champions Leagues. They've also played in World Cup finals.
On the other hand, some players are on the opposite end of the spectrum as they are genuinely ambipedal. They can move either way and use their left or right foot, such as Santi Cazorla, Toni Kroos, Neymar Jr, and more recently, Mason Greenwood.
Due to the variety of players Europe has to offer, the question begs to be asked — what would happen if a left-footed team plays against a right-footed one?
Here, we attempt to construct two full XIs built on players that prefer their left foot and players who rely on their right.
Left-footed XI
Goalkeeper: Ederson
Manchester City's Brazilian shot-stopper Ederson Moraes has made headlines for his high-profile errors a few times over the last few years. However, he is a quality goalkeeper and arguably possesses the best distribution of any keeper in Europe. He relies on his left foot to launch counter-attacks with raking passes into the attacking third.
Defence: Robertson, Laporte, Chiellini, Marcelo
There is a relative dearth of left-footed centre-halves, but among the existing crop, Aymeric Laporte is one of the most reliable defenders in the world. Pep Guardiola hopes to build a defence around the Frenchman because of his immaculate technique on the ball and to win it back from the opponents.
His partner, Georgio Chiellini, is one of the most seasoned defenders of the decade. The veteran Italian is an old-school centre-half whose no-nonsense approach to defending has won plaudits from all over the world. Laporte is a superb passer of the ball and in assured in defence, complementing Chiellini well. The Juventus man is solid in the air and is relentless in the tackle.
Andy Robertson of Liverpool has established himself as one of the premier left-backs in Europe and warrants a place in the XI. The newly-crowned Premier League champion is one of the best attack-oriented full-backs in the world.
His counterpart, Marcelo, needs little introduction. The Brazilian is an era-defining left-back and has set the benchmark for attacking full-backs over the last decade. He has been an integral part of the Real Madrid side that won four Champions League titles in the last decade.
Midfield: Silva, Alaba, Bernardo
While David Alaba has predominantly played at left-back and central defence in his career, he can slot into the midfield as well. The Austrian played at the base of midfield for his country on many an occasion. Alaba has appeared in midfield in no less than 40 occasions for both Bayern Munich and Austria and is set to be at the base of this midfield.
The two players Alaba will be anchoring the midfield for are Man City's master and apprentice duo David and Bernardo Silva. The Spaniard and the Portuguese do bear a number of resemblances which extend beyond their same last name. They can work in tandem and help knit attacks to elegantly pick apart opposition defences.
David Silva is one of the most successful foreign imports the Premier League has ever seen. He would hope that Bernardo, having learnt from David for over three years now, could take over the mantle as City's left-footed wizard in midfield. The two Silvas form the creative hub of this team.
Attack: Griezmann, Salah, Messi
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah has risen to become one of the most lethal forwards in world football under Jurgen Klopp. His searing pace, ball control, and composure in front of goal help him beat defenders and find the back of the net regularly. He is the ideal left-footed player to spearhead this attack.
Speaking of ball control and composure, Barcelona's majestic captain Lionel Messi takes up the right-hand side of the attack. The Argentine would perhaps be the first name on the teamsheet and could combine excellently with both Bernardo and Marcelo on the right flank.
His ability to cut in and find spaces in between the lines is unparalleled, and Salah could have a field day playing ahead of Messi. The 33-year-old could drop deeper and allow the two forwards to converge ahead of him as well.
Messi's Barcelona teammate, Antoine Griezmann, rounds off this left-footed attack. The World Cup-winner has had a difficult 2019/20 campaign, but on his day, he is truly a special player. The Frenchman can wreak havoc with Salah as a two-pronged strike force with Messi them. Alternatively, he could drop deeper and combine with David Silva and Robertson.
On paper, the team would look like this:
Honourable mentions: Paulo Dybala, Gareth Bale, Alphonso Davies, Hakim Ziyech, Angel Di Maria, Jordi Alba
Right-footed XI
Goalkeeper: Oblak
While there is a lot of competition for this slot from Alisson Becker, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, and others, Jan Oblak is generally considered to be the best in the world. The Slovenian has been the best goalkeeper in the world for a few years now. His breathtaking reflexes and shot-stopping ability are nearly unmatched.
Defence: Carvajal, Ramos, Van Dijk, Alexander-Arnold
Since his debut, Trent Alexander-Arnold went from being an exciting academy graduate to one of the most integral members of Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool. The Englishman already broke several records and could go on to become one of the best right-backs of the 21st century, given that he's still just 21.
While his counterpart Dani Carvajal might not be a prodigy, he's one of the most seasoned full-backs in Europe and plays with his heart on his sleeve. The Spaniard was crucial for four of Real Madrid's UCL title wins and is comfortable on both the defensive and offensive fronts.
Virgil van Dijk has established himself as the best centre-back in the world over the last couple of years. The towering Dutchman looks like he could play a full 90 minutes without breaking a sweat, which is a testament to his reading of the game. He came close to becoming the first defender since Fabio Cannavaro to lift the Ballon d'Or in 2019, finishing only behind Messi.
His partner, Sergio Ramos, is undoubtedly one of the greatest defenders that Europe has seen since the turn of the century. The Spain and Real Madrid captain could complement Van Dijk superbly and is one of the best in the world with the ball at his feet.
Midfield: Pogba, Casemiro, De Bruyne
Casemiro is the defensive lynchpin that allows Real Madrid to commit bodies further up the pitch. The Brazilian has been a colossal figure for Zinedine Zidane's midfield and has been the best defensive midfielder in the world in 2019/20.
In this team, he will be tasked with providing cover for two of Manchester and Europe's finest midfielders in Kevin De Bruyne and Paul Pogba. The Belgian has been rampant this season, having racked up more assists than anyone in England. On current form, he is arguably the best midfielder in the world, let alone England.
His counterpart in midfield, Pogba, is one of the most well-rounded players in the world. His surreal ability on the ball combined with his unbelievable physique allows him to dominate opposition midfielders. A combination of these two Manchester-based midfielders would perhaps be too much for any team to handle. They could complement each other beautifully and could wreak havoc through the middle.
Attack: Ronaldo, Lewandowski, Neymar
There were no doubts over former Real Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo's place in this team. He is the highest active goalscorer in the world who has won practically every trophy he's competed for. The Portuguese demi-god is set to play off a more central striker in this setup, much like he has as recently as the 2019/20 campaign.
Robert Lewandowski has been tipped by many as a realistic contender for the Ballon d'Or this year should Bayern win the UCL. The Polish frontman has been simply unstoppable this campaign, having scored over 50 goals in all competitions. Lewandowski enjoyed his career-best tally and is arguably the best striker in the world on form.
Little needs to be said about Paris Saint-Germain superstar Neymar, who could practically fit into either the left or right-footed XI. However, he does generally prefer using his right foot while dispatching penalties or free-kicks. Neymar is one of the most entertaining players to watch in the world and was in sublime touch before the Ligue 1 was suspended. He could drop deep and create for Ronaldo and Lewandowski or go on the outside and beat his man.
On paper, this is how the team could line up:
Honourable mentions: Karim Benzema, Kylian Mbappe, N'Golo Kante, Alisson Becker, Sadio Mane, Eden Hazard, Kalidou Koulibaly
Left-footed XI vs Right-footed XI: The Verdict
On paper, we have two stellar teams competing for glory. Both teams have an abundance of combined trophies and laurels to show for, including UCL titles, World Cups, league titles, and others.
However, upon delving deeper into a potential match-up between them, the differences in quality begin to arise. This is particularly the case when compared man-for-man.
For all his talents with the ball at his feet, Ederson's shot-stopping ability is not comparable to that of Oblak's. The Atletico Madrid keeper is simply a sensational goalkeeper and commits far fewer errors that lead to goals than Ederson.
The right-footed team's defence would certainly outshine that of the left-footed side, given the presence of both Ramos and Van Dijk. The pair are arguably the two finest central defenders on the planet at the moment, given their recent achievements. They have a higher chance of shutting out an attack compared to Laporte and Chiellini.
Ronaldo's right-footed XI could also potentially outshine Messi's left-footed wizards in midfield. In a man-for-an comparison, both Pogba and De Bruyne are superior players to Bernardo and David Silva on current form. The right-footed pair are phenomenal in their own right and are likely to run riot in the middle.
Casemiro is arguably the best defensive midfielder in the world alongside N'Golo Kante. Alaba's talent could be overshadowed by the Brazilian's immense presence and tactical awareness.
The battle of the full-backs could practically go either way. Marcelo will be up against his teammate Carvajal, while Robertson will face off with Alexander-Arnold. In comparison to the other areas of the pitch, this duel is relatively well-balanced one.
The attacks are perhaps the most comparable areas in both teams, given the spectacular firepower on either side.
Neymar occupies the same spot as Messi does on either team, sparking a reunion of the former master and apprentice duo. The Brazilian could potentially go on to reach the heights his former teammate did, but as of now, Messi stands alone.
Lewandowski will be up against Mo Salah in the central spot, and while the latter has been a sensational player for Liverpool, the former edges this one out. As a pure central striker, Lewandowski has been in a league of his own this year and is the best in the world in that position.
With all due respect to Griezmann, Ronaldo is not comparable to the Frenchman given his legendary career. The Portuguese is said to be one of the greatest players to have ever set foot on a football pitch, and unfortunately for Griezmann, takes this spot with ease.
Overall, although it would be an explosive match-up between the two stellar sides, Cristiano Ronaldo's right-footed XI has an abundance of unmatched quality. Be it with Van Dijk in defence, De Bruyne in midfield or a devastating frontline; they could be expected to register a win against Lionel Messi's left-footed XI.
Final result: Right-footed XI emerge victorious.
