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An all-time XI in football, which doesn't include Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, is very, very rare. Fans were recently stunned when former Premier League star Mario Balotelli snubbed Crisitiano from his Ultimate XI in football.
Former Manchester City player Mario Balotelli has always found his way into controversies. The Italian forward was considered one of the finest strikers in the world when he was in his prime. Now, the Balotelli has yet again captured the attention of the football world with the players that he has chosen for his Ultimate XI.
In a career that has lasted over 14 years, Balotelli racked up 141 goals for Italy and a handful of clubs. Balotelli's best spell was with Manchester City, where the Italian shined under the guidance of Roberto Manchini. He was in the thick of many controversies throughout his career and seems to have stirred up another one.
Balotelli decided to snub Cristiano Ronaldo from his Ultimate XI. The fact that the Italian did that with the Portugal captain, who is considered by many to be the greatest player of all time, has irked many fans.
Mario Balotelli's Ultimate XI has many Italians in it including Andrea Pirlo, Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Nesta, and Antonio Cassano. PSG superstar Lionel Messi found a place in Balotelli's Ultimate XI which has also not gone well with many Cristiano Ronaldo fans.
Mario Balotelli's Ultimate XI in football:
GK - Julio Cesar;
DEF -Maicon, Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Nesta, Maxwell;
MID - Andrea Pirlo, Steven Gerrard, Yaya Toure, Antonio Cassano;
ATT - Lionel Messi, Ronaldo Nazario
After naming the team during a conversation with Thierry Henry on Puma Football's Instagram page, Balotelli went on to comment about his Ultimate XI. The Italian stated that he has a good team even after excluding the likes of Henry and Cristiano Ronaldo. Balotelli said:
"Pirlo guarantees you ten goals a year, Yaya can do it all. That's a good team I think, although I left you (Henry) out, I left (Ronaldo) out."
Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo still delivering in clutch moments!
Even though Balotelli snubbed Cristiano from his ultimate XI, many experts and fans do not go with the same emotion. The Portuguese talisman has been at the top of his game for more than 15 years. At the age of 36, Cristiano is currently playing in the most competitive league in Europe. But these barriers haven't stopped the five-time Ballon D'Or winner from scoring goals for fun.
Since signing for Manchester United last summer from Juventus, Cristiano Ronaldo has pretty much carried the Red Devils on his shoulders. Ronaldo has scored 14 goals for the Red Devils in 20 games this season, an impressive stat for a 36 year old.
The Portugal captain will now focus on helping Manchester United win a cup and save his national side from the embarrassment of missing the World Cup 2022 in the coming months.
