'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Fernando Torres is one of the best strikers of his generation. 'El Nino', as he was nicknamed, will forever be remembered as the man who put an end to Spain's 44-year long wait for a major international trophy.
Fernando Torres started his career at Atletico Madrid and was named the captain of the side when he was just 19. The striker then moved on to join Liverpool 2007 before controversially making the move to London to join Chelsea in 2011.
Four years with Chelsea was followed by a trip to Milan to join AC Milan before returning back to his boyhood club Atletico Madrid in 2014. After 3 and a half seasons Torres bid farewell to Atleti before joining J-League side Sagan Tosu in 2018. The 35-year old spent 2 seasons with the Japanese side before calling it a day.
Fernando Torres made a total of 866 career appearances scoring 298 goals for both club and country. The Spaniard won the FA Cup, Europa League, Champions League, 2 European Championships and the World Cup during his career. The 35-year old greatest regret though will forever be his inability to win a domestic league title with any of his clubs.
Here, we take a look at the best XI that El Nino has played alongside.
Goalkeeper
Iker Casillas
Fernando Torres has been lucky enough to have played under many great goalkeepers during his playing career. The 35-year old played with Petr Cech during his time at Stamford Bridge, he played with Pepe Reina in Liverpool and Spain and recently with Jan Oblak during his return to Atletico Madrid.
Iker Casillas, though, will remain the best shot-stopper to have played with the striker. The Porto goalkeeper and Torres were part of the golden generation of Spain that took the World by storm. The duo won 2 European Championships and the World Cup together before and were teammates between 2003 and 2014.
Defence
Ashley Cole
One could make a case for Jordi Alba. but the Barcelona man was not at the peak of his powers while Torres was still playing for Spain.
Ashley Cole was one of the best-left backs of his era. He was part of arguably the greatest Chelsea defensive line of all time along with John Terry, Ivanovic and Petr Cech. Ashley Cole, who last played in the playoff final for Derby, was already the first choice left back when Fernando Torres joined the Blues in 2011.
Torres and Cole spent 3 and half seasons together before the Spanish international moved to AC Milan. The duo won the FA Cup, Champions League and the Europa League together.
John Terry
Arguably one of England's and Chelsea's greatest ever centre backs, John Terry was the captain of the Chelsea side when Fernando Torres joined the Blues in 2010. The former England captain spent 19 years at Stamford Bridge right through the Academy till he left for Aston Villa in 2017.
Just like with Ashley Cole, Fernando Torres spent 3 and a half season with John Terry winning the FA Cup, Champions League and the Europa League.
Carlos Puyol
A one-club man and one of the greatest defenders of his generation, Carlos Puyol was at the heart of the defence that won the 2008 European Championship and the 2010 World Cup.
The Barcelona icon and Fernando Torres spent 10 years in the same national colours between 2003 and 2013 before the central defender called it a day following serious injury issues. The duo won the World Cup and the 2008 Euros but Puyol was ruled out of the 2012 edition with an injury.
Juanfran
The only player in the list with whom Fernando Torres played with in both Atletico Madrid and Spain jersey. Juanfran like Torres is a legend at the Wanda Metropolitano but unlike Torres started his career at bitter rivals Real Madrid before joining Atletico Madrid from Osasuna in 2011.
Juanfran, who left Atletico at the end of this season, spent just two years with Torres in the national colours while they spent 4 years together at Atletico Madrid. The duo won the 2012 European Championship and the 2017/18 Europa League together.
Midfield
Fernando Torres is one of the luckiest ever strikers to have played the game. The 35-year old was part of some of the greatest midfielder players to have graced the football pitch. The World Cup winner was a part of the golden generation of the Spanish side which was filled with world-class midfielders and he also had the privilege of playing with two of the greatest midfielders ever produced by England.
Some very big names like Xabi Alonso, David Silva, Sergio Busquets and a few more miss out on this list.
Xavi Hernandez
One of the all-time greats in world football and the midfield general of the famous Spanish all-conquering side. Xavi Hernandez played 11 years of his 14 years in Spanish colours together with Fernando Torres.
It was Xavi Hernandez who provided the assist for Fernando Torres in 2008 that helped Spain win their first ever major championship in 44 years. The duo won 2 European Championships and the 2010 World Cup together.
Frank Lampard
The greatest goalscoring midfielder of all time in the Premier League, Frank Lampard was already the vice-captain of the Blues when Fernando Torres arrived in 2011. One of the finest ever midfielder produced by England, Lampard and Torres spent 3 and a half seasons together before the pair of them left Stamford Bridge in 2014.
Like Ashley Cole and John Terry, Lampard and Torres won the FA Cup, Champions League and the Europa League together.
Steven Gerrard
Another contender for who could arguably be given the title of the greatest midfielder ever to be produced by England, Steven Gerrard was the captain of the side when Fernando Torres first joined the Premier League in 2007 with Liverpool.
The former England captain enjoyed an impressive partnership with the Spaniard as the duo thrived in each other's company. Despite having one of the most effective midfielder-striker combinations in the Premier League, the duo could never guide Liverpool to a piece silverware together.
Attacking midfielder
Andreas Iniesta
The man who scored the most important goal ever in the history of Spanish football at the FNB Stadium in South Africa. Andreas Iniesta is perhaps the only name that could be added in place of any one of the midfield trio mentioned before.
Andreas Iniesta and Fernando Torres played together for a very long time. The duo was part of the Spain side that won the U-16 European Championship in 2001. Torres and Iniesta played with alongside each other for 13 years across various age groups before joining the senior team.
Andreas Iniesta and Fernando Torres won the U-16 Euro Championship, U-19 European Championship, 2 European Championships and the World Cup.
Strikers
Raul
Arguably the greatest striker to have come out of Spain, Raul Gonzalez and Fernando Torres played alongside each other for 4 years before the new Real Madrid Castilla manager decided to call it a day in international football in 2007.
One of the leading figures in Spanish football, Raul is perhaps one of the unluckiest players not to have been part of the Golden Generation. The duo never managed to win any titles together.
David Villa
David Villa is one of the very few players to have won every major title in the world of football. The 37-year old and Fernando Torres joined the national team in almost the same time and formed one of the greatest ever striking partnership the world has ever seen in international football.
The duo player 10 years together in the Spanish national colours and guided the La Roja to a European Championship and a World Cup. The Vissel Kobe man was unlucky to not have been part of the 2012 European Championship winning team after failing to recover from injury.
