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Right Back: Dani Alves
Daniel Alves is one of the most decorated footballers on the planet, having picked up a massive haul of trophies with Sevilla, Barcelona, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain - with only a World Cup with Brazil missing from his rich trophy cabinet.
His passing and crossing from the right make him an exciting attacking option when required. That is underscored by the coordination he has with the wingers he plays with - Messi and Neymar in particular.
Alves is composed in defense and is a major threat in attack, and he accumulates a high number of assists every season.
Still one of the best right-backs in the world despite his age, Alves was expected to start in the same position for Brazil. He could have provided them with the width and energy from the right-side of the pitch.
But the 35-year-old, who was having a fine season with Brazil, picked up an unfortunate knee injury during the Coupe de France final. This saw him miss out on the chance to lead his nation to World Cup glory.
Center-Back: Diego Godin
Diego Godin is regarded as one of the best defenders in the game currently. The Uruguayan has been immense at the back over the past six years and has been instrumental in Atletico Madrid's rise, both domestically and in Europe.
Godin was at Atletico even before Diego Simeone's arrival, and has been the rock in the middle of the compact defense.
He notably scored the goal that clinched Atletico Madrid the La Liga title in 2013/14 on the final day of the season against Barcelona. He also went on to score in the UEFA Champions League final to put Atletico ahead, a game they would go on to lose 4-1 in extra time.
The 32-year-old won his second UEFA Europa League title this year, and was also named in the 'Squad of the Season'. Godin also led Uruguay to the World Cup quarterfinal, where they lost to eventual champions France, to cap off a memorable season.
Center-Back: Nicolas Otamendi
Manchester City began the season with uncertainties in the defense, as their center-back had failed to deliver the previous season and the full-backs were new recruits.
Nicolas Otamendi, however, brushed aside those fears. He had a magnificent club season, where he hardly put a foot wrong despite not having a permanent center-back partner beside him.
The Argentine was a rock in the City defense, particularly in the league, and he improved his ability to pick out passes from the back this season - a feature that Guardiola has a fascination for. His physical presence means that he's also a great header of the ball, and he chipped in with four goals in the season.
Though Otamendi had a fantastic club season, he is still prone to the occasional rash moment, and his worst side was on display during the Champions League tie against Liverpool and Argentina's disastrous World Cup. Otamendi was expected to be the leader in Argentina's defense, but he was poor at the back, both with the ball at his feet and while defending.
Left Back: Marcelo
The choice for the left-back was probably the easiest to make because you can’t choose anyone else over the man who has been named in the FIFProXI three years running. That man has also played a crucial role in Real Madrid’s hat-trick of three UEFA Champions League titles.
Marcelo has been the best left-back in the world for a while now.
Having joined the club over a decade back, he has played 452 games for Real Madrid so far and is one of the fan favorites. The 30-year-old stands every chance of breaking the record held by Roberto Carlos for most appearances for Real Madrid by a foreign player (527).
Marcelo is a player who is in the mold of Roberto Carlos, as he is a left-back who terrifies the opposition defense. He is capable of providing overlapping runs to give width to the attack and he also drifts inwards and creates danger from there.
He has the technical ability that can be associated with most number 10s. He contributes crucial goals and assists for the Los Blancos, and his chemistry with Cristiano Ronaldo was an absolute treat for the eye.
