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Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) are considered one of Europe's top clubs with the firepower they have at their disposal. It has only got better for them with Lionel Messi's arrival from Barcelona last summer.
Over the years, some brilliant players have played for the French club and played a significant role in their success. The club have been brutally dominant in Ligue 1 and have been strongly pushing to win the Champions League as well.
Paris Saint-Germain are attracting big players
Over time, the French giants have made a big name for themselves. They lost in the 2019-20 Champions League finals 1-0 against Bayern Munich. Otherwise, they would have surely been more lethal in attracting the big names in the football world.
Some fine players have already played for the club as PSG continue to aspire for more footballers to play for them. Here, we take a look at the greatest XI ever to play for the French club in their history so far.
Formation: 4-3-3
GK: Bernard Lama
The French goalkeeper joined PSG in 1992 from RC Lens to replace the great Joel Bats. He was well versed with Ligue 1 given that he already had more than 200 appearances for Lille prior to the move.
Bernard Lama had an instant impact as he helped the club win the Coupe de France in his very first season. The following campaign he was instrumental in winning the league as well. But his most productive output was in helping Paris Saint-Germain win the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in the 1995-96 season.
RB: Marquinhos
The Brazilian defender has been a massive asset for PSG ever since he joined them in 2013. His smart tackling, amazing aerial abilities and wonderful positioning has immensely helped the backline.
Marquinhos can play as a right-back, a centre-back and also as a defensive midfielder. He has been helpful in winning six league titles, six Coupe de France, six Coupe de la Ligue and six Trophee des Champions. He's only 27 and still a vital player for PSG in their ambition to become one of the best clubs in Europe.
CB: Thiago Silva
Another Brazilian on this list is the legendary Thiago Silva. The commanding centre-back played eight seasons with PSG, winning many accolades.
His dominant performances at the back helped the club win the league in seven of their eight seasons. Thiago Silva's leadership was a delight to behold. It was disappointing when the Brazilian was allowed to leave on free and join Chelsea in the summer of 2020.
CB: Jean-Marc Pilorget
The legendary centre-back has made the most number of appearances for PSG, having played 435 matches. During his 14 seasons with the club, Jean-Marc Pilorget experienced it all ever since he joined in 1975.
The Frenchman was an amazing tackler with fine anticipation and reading abilities. He did not get as much recognition as other great PSG players have received over the years but remains a big player in the club's history.
LB: Maxwell
Maxwell has played for some of the biggest clubs in Europe. He was lucky to have played for Paris Saint-Germain for six seasons at the end of his career. He joined the club in 2012 and was with them until he retired.
His attacking and stylish play on the left flank was a delight to watch. Maxwell was part of a team that had some world-class players and started a spell of dominance domestically. He won the league four times with PSG.
CM: Marco Verratti
Paris Saint-Germain have seen some amazing midfielders play for them in the club's history. One of the finest midfield players to play for them is Marco Verratti.
The Italian has been an important player for the French club ever since he joined them in 2012. Since then, he has been with PSG and continues to be instrumental on the pitch. His skillful passing, impressive reading and fine creative abilities make Verratti's role very crucial.
He has won seven Ligue 1 titles, six Coupe de France, six Coupe de la Ligue and eight Trophee des Champions trophies with Paris Saint-Germain. Over the years, Verratti has been able to establish himself as one of the most effective playmakers in the world.
Time and again, the Italian midfielder has been linked with a move away from Paris. Luckily for the French club, a transfer deal hasn't materialized. It will be interesting to see how long Verratti plans to stay and more importantly, how much he'll be able to help PSG achieve success.
CM: Rai
Paris Saint-Germain have a history of having some amazing Brazil players play for them and Rai is surely one of them. The attacking midfielder joined them in 1993 from Sao Paulo and was significantly instrumental in the club's success over the next five seasons.
Rai's playmaking skills were of big help to PSG and he was more often than not the link between attack and defense. In his five seasons with the club, he scored 74 goals and registered 30 assists.
The Brazilian midfielder's ability to score goals at the most crucial of times came in very handy for PSG. Despite Rai not having as much success as most players on this list, his contributions in a short span earn him a place.
CM: Safet Susic
Safet Susic played a big role in helping Paris Saint-Germain win their first ever Ligue 1 title. To date, he holds the record for highest number of assists for the club with 103 assists.
He often played as a playmaker but was also seen playing as a second striker at times. In his 344 appearances for the club, Susic scored 85 goals and registered 103 assists.
He was named as the best foreign player to play for PSG in 2010. Although that title seems debatable now, Susic's contributions to the club remain invaluable.
RW: Kylian Mbappe
Paris Saint-Germain are facing a huge dilemma ahead of themselves with Kylian Mbappe running out of contract in the summer. The Frenchman looks Madrid bound with some strong and clear interest from Real Madrid from the past year.
With so much unpredictability on his future, it will only spice up things over time. Mbappe has been absolutely brilliant for PSG in attack. Using his blistering pace, amazing dribbling and brilliant goal-scoring abilities, the French forward has been unstoppable at times.
In his 201 appearances so far in all competitions for Paris Saint-Germain, Mbappe has scored 152 goals and registered 77 assists. The former Monaco forward has been much more productive than his team-mate Neymar (140 goal contributions in 130 appearances).
LW: Edinson Cavani
Edinson Cavani was a goal-scoring machine while at Napoli. In 2013, the Uruguayan was signed by Paris Saint-Germain to be brutal in front of goal.
With his phenomenal finishing, amazing aerial abilities and superb positioning, Cavani was a real asset in the attack. He scored 200 goals and registered 43 assists across all competitions in just 301 appearances for the French club.
The Uruguayan striker had a sensational partnership with Zlatan Ibrahimovic as goals galored when the duo played together. It was surprising how Paris Saint-Germain let Cavani leave on a free in 2020.
ST: Zlatan Ibrahimovic
No player has possibly been more successful with different clubs than Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been. The Swedish striker has enjoyed an impressive spell at almost every top European club he has played for in his career.
His tall and strong physique, combined with amazing technique and a brilliant eye for goal, helped Ibrahimovic rule the French league. During his four-season spell, the former Ajax striker scored 156 goals and registered 61 assists in 180 appearances.
He was named Ligue 1 Player of the Year thrice while playing for PSG. Ibrahimovic did a sensational job with the French club and was responsible for bringing a good amount of success.
