All-time combined Argentina-Brazil XI

Before we begin, just a word of warning: not everyone is going to be happy with the selections made here, but an effort has been made to be as inclusive and open-minded as possible with the choices made.Selecting an all-time Argentina XI is difficult enough on its own, the same can be said for Brazil. Combining the two together? Sure, it is a fun endeavour, but it is also quite the head-wrecking exercise. Suffice to say, yours truly felt a tad like Jack Torrence from the Shining at one or two points during the composition. Thankfully, though, the end product is here and exit from the Overlook Hotel is now a reality.The players opted for here lean heavily towards those who have left a lasting legacy on the game, although pure skill, effectiveness and third-party opinion have all also been taken into account. This XI has been designed with compatibility in mind and the players selected, many of whom are unsurprisingly attack-minded, have been chosen based on the likelihood that they would work together in a certain system (the precise formation of which will be detailed in the final slide.)Will both Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona make the cut? Will there be any room for modern hero, Neymar Jr? Will any unfamiliar faces pop up? Take a read to find out.Do not forget, this list is intended to foster discussion as much as it is to provide a definitive shortlist, so feel free to share your own opinions.

#1 Goalkeeper: Gilmar

Be honest: when one thinks of South American football, conservative shot-stoppers don’t immediately spring to mind. Instead, images of free-flowing, attacking football enter our imaginations as blue, white and yellow blurs streak through our minds. However, even the most offensive of teams need a top-quality goalkeeper between the posts as a last insurance policy.

Argentina’s Ubaldo Fillol comes a close second for this spot due to his magnificent performances as the custodian of the tournament during La Albiceleste’s 1978 World Cup-winning heroics, but it’s Gilmar dos Santos Neves who claims his place as our no.1 on this occasion.

A two-time winner of the World Cup (in 1958 and 1962) with Brazil, the late Gilmar is the only Brazilian or Argentine goalkeeper to have played an integral part in two title-winning campaigns with the national team and due to this he takes his place between our hypothetical posts.

His goalkeeping prowess is well-renowned worldwide, but the Independent’s Ivan Ponting put it best when he wrote in an obituary: “Tall, slim and with the clean-cut, handsome looks of a matinee idol, Gilmar cut a figure of dignified authority, his unflappability in the heat of the most hectic action as imposing as his puma-like agility.”

#2 Left back: Roberto Carlos

For a period of about 10-12 years, Roberto Carlos was untouchable as the world’s best left-back. Far more adept at conjuring attacking football than he was at producing displays of defiant defending, he was the archetypal Brazilian full-back. Performing with playful abandon, he owned the left flank when he was at the peak of his powers.

A veritable Canarinha, Carlos brought the necessary samba skills to the table whenever he took to the field and he gets the nod ahead of the legendary, pioneering Nilton Santos for his goal-scoring ability as well as his immensely long playing career.

Because although Santos was an inspiration to so many, came long before the ex-Real Madrid man and won two World Cup trophies, Carlos embodied the flair of Brazilian football to a higher degree and he won more trophies than his predecessor. Couple these traits with the fact the Brazilian set-up have struggled to replace the Sao Paulo-born star since his retirement and it’s clear he has had a defining impact on Brazilian football like no other left back the country has ever seen.

After all, who can possibly forget the 113 career goals Carlos scored (per Squawka), his penchant for physics-defying free kick goals or his 125 international caps (17 of which came on the biggest stage of them all)? A magnificent talent and a real joy to behold when in full flight.

#3 Centre back: Daniel Passarella

Oddly enough, this is one of the more difficult positions to fill. Down through the years there have been some top-class centre backs for both nations, but this one simply has to go to the Argentina master that is Daniel Passarella.

Not only did he captain his home nation to victory at the 1978 World Cup, but FIFA.com have described him as “the most prolific centre-back in Argentinian history” due to the fact he nabbed 22 goals in 70 international appearances. A River Plate legend, he spent 11 years at the club, winning three Argentinian championships along the way.

Traditionally, of course, Brazil have normally produced swashbuckling full-backs, so it was always going to be an Argentine who claimed this spot, despite the best efforts of Aldair, Luis Pereira and Lucio.

#4 Right back: Cafu

This one will come down to a matter of taste more so than straight-up statistics, records and numbers. For many, this is a battle between Carlos Alberto and Cafu.

The conventional football fans among you might well prefer the stylings of Carlos Alberto – playing football long before Cafu was even born, he was a member of the prestigious 1970 World Cup-winning side and he put the finishing touch to arguably the greatest-ever goal scored.

However, injury prevented him from enjoying much further success in the eye-catching yellow shirt and capturing the Jules Rimet trophy as captain was as good as it got for him. Obviously, that doesn’t take away from his incredible talents, but it means that Cafu could achieve more – and so he did.

Indeed, it was the ex-AC Milan star’s impressive fitness levels and dynamic work ethic that made him such a huge success, so much so that Sir Alex Ferguson once quipped: “I remember Cafu who was up and down the touchline at 38 – it was like the guy had two hearts."

In fact, Cafu is the only player to ever appear in three showpiece World Cup finals, winning two of them only to lose the 1998 final against a Zinedine Zidane-led France. All in all, Cafu is a one of a kind and deserves his spot in this combined XI due to his amazing achievements, longevity and success. Astounding.

#5 Central midfielder: Javier Zanetti

Often, when the discussion surrounding the best South Americans takes place, it is the latin flair and fire of intuition and telekinetic football that takes pride of place.

It’s difficult to ignore it, to tell the truth. However, there is a great deal to be said for endurance, stamina and perseverance in the face of ageing and constant expectation to perform – all of which, and more, Javier Zanetti managed to accomplish throughout his long and glittering career.

Guarding our back three, the Inter Milan legend fends off competition from fellow Argentine (and four-time national footballer of the year) Juan Roman Riquelme as well as ousting the likes of Sergio Batista and Ricardo Giusti. He also makes it in ahead of Brazil’s Didi. The reason? Zanetti recorded 145 international caps making him the country’s historic record holder, was the most influential central midfielder the country has ever seen, and he won 16 major honours at club level.

The world-class midfielder never got his hands on the World Cup trophy from his two tournaments in 1998 and 2002, but he did manage to rattle the net once from his eight appearances. More impressively, he won five Serie A titles, the Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, amassed 1,104 competitive matches under his belt (the sixth-highest of all time across the globe) and was a key fixture in the country’s set-up as he proved his capacity to work tirelessly, fuelled by a desire to add stability and balance.

Sure, he finished his career at right-back and played a number of his games for club and country in that position, but he’s had his fair share of action in the middle and has shown that he can plug that gap just as well as anybody else from the two teams to have pulled on the jersey.

#6 Left midfielder: Alfredo Di Stefano

Alfredo Di Stefano (centre) played for 3 countries Argentina, Colombia and Spain

Some people might take umbridge with the fact Alfredo Di Stefano is being selected as an Argentine footballer, but it’s worth remembering that he was born in Buenos Aires, despite representing Spain and, for a time, Colombia. Selected as a left midfielder here, his versatility enabled him to roam the pitch to play virtually anywhere with equal amounts of class and brilliance.

Not only this but the Real Madrid legend lined out for Argentina on six occasions. The majority of his international caps came for Spain as he picked up 23 there after becoming naturalised, but his Argentine roots remain a huge part of his legacy.

Indeed, his four years with River Plate were a genuine success prior to his eventual move to Europe as he won two national league titles with them. Along with this, he played a pivotal role in Argentina’s 1947 Copa America victory (called the South American Championship at the time) as he recorded six goals in six matches after injuries to a number of key players saw him rise up the ranks from a reserve squad member to one of the stars of the team.

Of course, it was with Los Blancos that the “Blonde Arrow” enjoyed his most successful spell as he won an unrivalled five European Cups on the trot, one continental Cup, eight La Liga titles and was a two-time winner of the European Player of the Year gong.

#7 Central attacking midfielder: Zico

Zico is a name that rolls easily off the tongue, and he has become synonymous with the true spirit of Brazilian football. Although his days of dazzling the world of football have long since faded from public view, it’s clear he enjoyed some fine days as a free-flowing attacker. The memories we have of his cultivated performances continue to ring true, because at the end of the day, we’re unlikely to ever see a footballer quite like him again.

Dubbed “The White Pele”, Zico was undoubtedly one of the best players the game has ever seen and he is the joint-top Brazilian scorer in the World Cup qualification phase with 11 goals. However, it is his astonishing 476 career goals, many of which came for Flamengo in his homeland, that often catches the eye.

Strikingly, he is the man who can boast a record of having scored the most amount of goals in the Maracana (333, to be precise) Along with this, he churned out a number of excellent individual performances in Europe with Udinese Calcio.

Although he never won the World Cup it’s clear that he had so many other pinnacles in his international career, and the 48 goals he managed for the national team in 71 appearances is nothing to be sniffed at.

It is for his ability to conjure something out of nothing that he makes the cut, particularly when situated in front of goal with a set-piece up for grabs. Included here ahead of the legendary Romario, Bebeto, Ronaldinho and so many others, he might have scored less than some but his plethora of skills and strengths make him an easy choice.

The wonder-goals he scored, the productive trickery he displayed and the telepathic relationships he formed with his team-mates in 1978 and 1982, and beyond, all go some way to showing just how in-tune he was with his surroundings. He really did control the game. Awesome.

#8 Right midfielder: Garrincha

Some people say that there have been only two occasions when a player single-handedly won a World Cup trophy (we’ll get to the other in our next slide), but Garrincha is one of those rare breed who is associated with such a feat.

At first sight, it might seem unbelievable for a player of his ilk to take control of proceedings all of his own, for you see, the player was born with leg defects from birth which would have hindered many from playing sport – not so with one of Brazil’s greatest ever wingers. In fact, he used it to his advantage down through the years, often bamboozling defenders with some mazy runs and insane dribbling.

In 1962, he became the joint-top scorer at the Chile World Cup, but it wasn’t purely his strikes that helped the Canarinha claim the Jules Rimet trophy – rather, it was Garrincha’s unlikely stylings, endeavour and pure skill as he was named the ‘Player of the Tournament’. Indeed, with Pele injured, the free-spirited Garrincha was able to take centre stage for the national team like never before, and boy he didn’t disappoint.

All in all, knee injuries, his eclectic lifestyle and alcoholism played their part in hindering his career, and more tragically his life, but the unorthodox right-sided midfielder remains a constant reminder of how to succeed in the face of adversity, as his record of only featuring on the losing side for Brazil just once – in his final game – clearly attests to.

#9 Attacking midfielder: Diego Maradona

What can be said about the football player Diego Maradona that has not been said before? It would have been tantamount to sin to omit him from our team, so he obviously takes his place in the centre of this particular operation.

As previously mentioned, there have been two occasions when a player was heavily referred to as having single-handedly won a World Cup trophy but “El Diez” is one of those rare breed who is associated with such an amazing feat.

Some will argue that the most exuberant player in Argentinian history wasn’t all he was cracked up to be. An interesting argument comes from Liam Corbett on the Average Opposition blog where the author disputes the one-man team argument that many rely on to solidify their claims that the ex-Napoli man was one of the greatest of all-time.

However, the fact remains that Argentina have not won a World Cup since Diego’s heroics in 1986 and Napoli have not won the Serie A or the Europa League since he helped them do so; he was a magician, a cataclysmic player and a one of a kind who holds the record of playing the most number of World Cup matches as captain.

#10 Attacking midfielder: Lionel Messi

A superstar. A power player. An icon of the game. Lionel Messi is each of these things and so much more.

A legend of Argentina, he is widely regarded as being Maradona’s spiritual successor, but it seems clear to so many that though both are classified as diminutive footballers, it’s Messi who looks on course to leave a more impressive mark on the game.

Of course, his lack of success at the World Cup to date has, for many, left a black mark beside his name, but that should take nothing away from his individual prowess. He might not have so far been able to single-handedly deliver that trophy, but there is still time for fireworks on that front.

A real dynamo in attack, his special talents often defy explanation and superlatives – so let’s let his records speak for themselves, shall we?

So far, he has 58 international goals, having overhauled Gabriel Batistuta’s all-time national record of 56 strikes. “La Pulga” is the only player to win five Ballon d’Or trophies.

He is the only man to score 50 La Liga goals in one season and he has won La Liga seven times as well as clinching the Champions League on four occasions. We could go on, but the list of his records are exhausting to detail, which just goes to illuminate how many he has to his name.

Messi gets the nod ahead of Osvaldo Ardilles in our starting XI.

#11 Striker: Ronaldo

What’s that you say? No Pele?

I can already hear the shouts of derision: “This is an utter travesty! Pele deserves to be included. He is a footballing treasure!” To a certain extent, yours truly agrees. However, there are only eleven places, and Ronaldo is a personal choice in many ways.

Though many people wheel out the argument that Pele scored over 1,000 career goals, the reality of it is that many of those were in friendlies and unofficial matches, and the real figures sits closer to around 757 than anything else. Another one that pops up is that he won three World Cup titles. While this is true, he played only a marginal role in their 1962 triumph. Although Pele was a highly intelligent player, still boasting a terrific goal-scoring record, Ronaldo gets the nod for so many other things besides net-rattling.

For starters “Il Fenomeno” bagged more World Cup goals than his countryman, he began his international career at a younger age and struggled with career-threatening injuries far more often – at one point, he was even sidelined for close to two years, all of which hindered his capabilities to a certain extent. What’s more, the ex-Real Madrid and Inter Milan striker took it upon himself to test his powers in Europe. Pele did not.

Also missing out is Gabriel Batistuta. This choice is equally difficult to make, but we’ll let the man’s own words clarify this one: “For me, Ronaldo is football.” Enough said, really.

In truth, there are arguments and counter-arguments for either player, but the reality is that it often comes down to intuition – and on this occasion, Ronaldo wins out.

#12 Formation

So, here you have it, our combined Argentina-Brazil XI. For the most part, it looks a pretty darn-good team, and although opinion will certainly differ right across the board, it’s hard to argue that this isn’t a special sight to behold.

Opting for a rather unorthodox 3-1-3-3 formation, it gives the natural attacking disposition of the side plenty of room to go forward. Indeed, one gets the impression this side wouldn’t really need much of a defence, they’d monopolise possession and bombard the opposition goals so much.

Just below the formation graphic, take a look at our substitutes – who will make the bench?

Not a bad team, eh?

Substitutes bench: Pele, Ardilles, Carlos Alberto, Didi, Gabriel Batistuta, Ubaldo Fillol, Ronaldinho.