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The beautiful game has been graced by many fine players across positions over the years.
The likes of Pele, Diego Maradona, Gerd Muller, Eusebio, Franz Beckenbauer, Paolo Maldini and Lev Yashin are widely regarded as some of the best players in their respective positions. The same also holds true for a few players who are still active in the game.
On that note, let's take a look at the best active XI in the game at the moment. A 4-3-3 formation has been considered for this hypothetical team. So without further ado, let's get started:
Goalkeeper - Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid/Slovenia)
Jan Oblak is widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the game at the moment.
The 28-year-old custodian is a vital cog in Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid, making over 300 appearances across competitions. Last season, Oblak played a key role in the Rojiblancos' first La Liga triumph in seven years. He played in all 38 league games, conceded just 25 goals and kept a league-high 18 clean sheets.
Oblak, who has kept an impressive 125 clean sheets in La Liga, has also sparkled in international football. He has registered 20 clean sheets in 40 games for Slovenia.
Left-back - Andy Robertson (Liverpool/Scotland)
Andy Robertson is currently one of the finest attacking left-backs. In just four seasons at Liverpool, Robertson has tallied an impressive 37 assists across competitions, with 35 of them coming in the Premier League.
During this period, the 27-year-old has helped Liverpool to a Champions League and Premier League title in successive seasons. Robertson has struck up a prolific partnership with right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold (more about him later).
Robertson has largely struggled to replicate his Liverpool numbers for Scotland, though. He has racked up just five goal contributions (two goals, three assists) in over 50 games.
Centre-back - Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool/Netherlands)
Virgil van Dijk is one of the best ball-playing centre-backs in the game at the moment.
The Dutchman has been a colossal presence at the back for Liverpool since his arrival at the club in January last year. Van Dijk did not miss a league game in consecutive seasons as Liverpool finished a close second to Manchester City in 2018-19 before going all the way a year later.
He has also helped Liverpool to successive Champions League final appearances, with the Reds losing to Real Madrid in 2018 and beating Tottenham Hotspur in 2019. An early season-ending injury to Van Dijk wrecked Liverpool's defense last season; the Reds were in alarming freefall before they recovered to finish a distant third.
His return this season has immediately transformed Liverpool's fortunes as the club sit joint top of the Premier League table. Van Dijk recently tallied 100 Premier League games for Liverpool, winning a staggering 76 of them.
Van Dijk, who is strong in the air and has rarely been dribbled past, has also performed strongly for the Netherlands.
Centre-back - Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Leonardo Bonucci is one of the most decorated defenders still active in the game. The 34-year-old centre-back is one of the first names on the team sheet for both Juventus and Italy.
Bonucci, who has made close to 450 appearances for the Bianconeri, played a key role in Italy's triumphant Euro 2020 campaign. Along with his defensive partner Giorgio Chiellini, Bonucci wasn't dribbled past the entire tournament and didn't made an error leading to an opposition shot either.
The nine-time Serie A winner has scored key goals for club and country throughout his career. At Euro 2020, Bonucci became the oldest player to score in a European Championship final.
Right-back - Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool/England)
Trent Alexander-Arnold is one of the most exciting full-backs in the game at the moment.
His tireless runs down the flanks lend width to Liverpool's attack. Recently, the 22-year-old became one of the youngest players to register 35 assists in the Premier League. Alexander-Arnold has blossomed into a world-class full-back after the arrival of Andy Robertson.
The Englishman and Robertson form one of the most devastating full-back partnerships in the history of the game. Alexander-Arnold provided an impressive 13 assists in Liverpool's triumphant Premier League campaign in 2019-20.
# Defensive Midfielder - Casemiro (Real Madrid/Brazil)
Casemiro is one of the best defensive midfielders in the game at the moment. The 29-year-old has been a key player for Real Madrid since his arrival at the club almost a decade ago.
Together with Luka Modric and Toni Kroos (more on him later), Casemiro has formed one of the most potent midfield tridents in the game. The Brazilian has impressed at both ends of the pitch, registering 55 goal contributions. But it is in defensive midfield where Casemiro has been at his best, breaking up opposition plays and kickstarting attacks for his team.
The four-time Champions League winner has also been a key player for Brazil. Casemiro recently helped Brazil to the Copa America 2021 final, where the Selecao were beaten by Argentina by a solitary goal.
# Central Midfielder - Toni Kroos (Real Madrid/Germany)
Toni Kroos has been a key performer for club and country over the years. The 31-year-old largely operates from the deep-lying playmaking role and orchestrates play from the middle of the park.
A set-piece specialist, Kroos is renowned for his metronomic passing ability and knack for scoring key goals. Last season, Kroos was the first to register 50 chances in La Liga, doing so with a staggering pass accuracy of 94%. He also scored a free-kick goal against Real Madrid's arch-rivals Barcelona.
The four-time Champions League and 2014 FIFA World Cup winner has also impressed for Germany. Kroos made his 106th appearance at Euro 2020 before announcing his retirement from international football.
# Attacking Midfielder - Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City/Belgium)
Kevin De Bruyne has been a key performer for club and country for quite a while. The 30-year-old is the crown jewel of Pep Guardiola's star-studded Manchester City team.
De Bruyne has played a key role in City's three Premier League triumphs in the last four seasons. The midfield metronome has tallied more than 100 assists across competitions for City, with most of them coming in the Premier League. De Bruyne has also chipped in with 67 strikes across competitions.
Like a few others on this list, De Bruyne has also impressed in international football. In 84 games for Belgium, the midfielder has racked up 22 goals and 40 assists.
# Left Winger - Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United/Portugal)
Cristiano Ronaldo is arguably one of the best players to have graced the beautiful game. During an illustrious, nearly two-decade-long career for club and country, he has scored goals and won titles galore. Although Ronaldo is a versatile scorer, he has had his most success as a left winger.
The five-time Champions League and Ballon d'Or winner is the all-time top scorer in Real Madrid and Champions League history. Despite being on the wrong side of 30, Ronaldo has shown no signs of slowing down any time soon.
After winning his first Capocannonieri award last season, Ronaldo returned to Manchester United after 12 long years. He has hit the ground running at Old Trafford, scoring in all three games he has played for the club. He recently joined Lionel Messi (more on him later) as the only two players to score against 36 different teams in the Champions League.
Ronaldo (111) also recently became the most prolific scorer in international football, breaking a tie with Ali Daie (109) by scoring a brace for Portugal.
# Centre-Forward - Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich/Poland)
Robert Lewandowski is the hottest striker on the planet at the moment. The prolific Pole has plundered goals galore, especially in the last few years.
Last season, Lewandowski broke the late Gerd Muller's record of most goals (40) in a Bundesliga season. The most prolific foreign scorer in Bundesliga history is closing in on 300 Bundesliga goals; he is already up to seven for the season and 11 in all competitions.
The nine-time Bundesliga winner has registered a fantastic 305 goals and 65 assists in only 336 games for Bayern Munich across competitions. Lewandowski has also been a prolific scorer for Poland, netting 72 times in 125 games.
Also Check Out: Robert Lewandowski Net Worth
# Right Winger - Lionel Messi (PSG/Argentina)
Lionel Messi is widely regarded as one of the best players to have played the beautiful game.
One of two players to score 100 Champions League goals, Messi has been a key performer for club and country. He tallied almost 1100 goal contributions (672 goals, 305 assists) during a highly successful 17-season stint with Barcelona. The six-time Ballon d'Or winner has won two continental trebles, ten La Liga and four Champions League titles, as well as eight Pichichi awards.
Messi moved to PSG on a free transfer this summer, but is yet to open his account for his new club after three games. Nevertheless, the 34-year-old is expected to flourish in the league once he rediscovers his mojo.
Argentina's all-time top scorer also led from the front in the Albiceleste's triumphant Copa America 2021 campaign. Messi scored four goals and bagged five assists to secure his first major international trophy.
