Best international football XI of all time

International football, while played sparsely, pits the best of one country against another. And with the Euros running at the moment, here is the 11 of the best international players if all time. 

GK: Iker Casillas (Spain)

Casillas is one of the greatest goalkeepers to ever play the sport, and leading the national team to two Euros and one World Cup in four years, he edges it out over the rest. 

DF: Carlos Alberto (Brazil)

Alberto played as a right-back or even a right wing-back and scored one of the greatest World Cup final goals in the history of football. 

DF: Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany)

‘Der Kaiser’ won the World Cup and Euros winner in the space of just two years, and Beckenbauer is probably the greatest defender that international football has ever seen.

DF: Daniel Passarella (Argentina)

Scoring 22 goals from 70 games from defense, and winning two World Cups in 8 years, Passarella makes the last of the defense. 

MF: Garrincha (Brazil)

Garrincha is among the finest footballers ever produced by Brazil, and his contributions for the national team are untouchable, with two World Cup winners’ medal as well as a Golden Boot and Golden Ball in the competition. 

MF: Lothar Matthaus (West Germany/Germany)

Considering the German played in three consecutive World Cup finals and won the Euros, his international record is absolutely legendary. 

MF: Diego Maradona (Argentina)

The 1986 World Cup was where Maradona established himself as a legend, winning the tournament almost single handedly, along with the goal of the century. 

MF: Michel Platini (France)

Forty-one goals in 72 caps is a mind-bending return for a midfielder, but it’s Platini’s historic haul of nine strikes in just five games(!!!) to steer France to Euro 1984 glory that earns him the selection.

FW: Miroslav Klose (Germany)

Klose is hailed as one of the greatest players in the World Cup, scoring 15 goals across four tournaments and winning one of them to add to his glory. 

FW: Pele (Brazil)

To this day, Pele is believed to be one of the best players in the world. And the fact that he has 3 World Cup medals to his name further establishes himself as the greatest in the international sport. 

FW: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)

CR7 is Portugal’s highest scorer of all time, and having led them to the 2016 European Championships, he completes the 11 of the best international players of all time.