There is no definitive answer when naming the best football XI of all-time, and talkSPORT Drive learnt this live on air.
Andy Goldstein and Darren Bent have devised their own teams after Piers Morgan shockingly omitted the legendary Lionel Messi from his.
David Beckham, Gary Neville and another Man United legend placed in all-time World XI
“He’s not even the best Argentinian of all-time, [Diego] Maradona is clearly a much better player,” he explained on talkSPORT Breakfast.
Gordon Banks, Franco Baresi, Zinedine Zidane and Cristiano Ronaldo, featured instead, and it led Drive having a go themselves.
Goalkeeper
Bent: Goalkeeper was hard for me, but I’ve gone for Manuel Neuer.
Great goalkeeper, original sweeper keeper, many league titles with Bayern, Germany, World Cup, what a goalkeeper he was. People forget he started at Schalke, and that’s where Bayern got him from.
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Goldstein: You’re going to think I’m mucking about with some of mine, but I’m genuinely not. I’ve gone for Peter Schmeichel in goal.
I think he’s the greatest goalkeeper I’ve ever seen. I know there’s that debate in the Premier League, ‘Was he better than Petr Cech?’ I always put him above Petr Cech.
When I was a kid growing up, a lot of people liked Peter Shilton, he never did it for me, and that was off the back of Gordon Banks. I was a bit too young for that… Pat Jennings was always the greatest.
But for me, Peter Schmeichel, without a shadow of a doubt, the greatest goalkeeper ever.
Defenders
Bent: Let’s go full-backs first. I’ve gone for Cafu and Roberto Carlos.
I mean, Cafu won the World Cup twice and was a runner-up in 1998 against France, absolutely incredible. Won the Champions League and Serie A with AC Milan as well.
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When you talk about working in tandem, left-back Carlos, a Galactico with Real Madrid, and Cafu for Brazil. I thought you can’t pick one without the other, I think they both have to come as a pair.
Goldstein: I’ve gone for [Patrice] Evra at left-back…
Bent: What?
Goldstein: And right-back, there’s a reason I’ve gone for this player, because he worked so well with…
Bent: Nah, Andy, Andy, Andy, Andy, stop. Ashley Cole was better than Evra…
Goldstein: I’ve got Patrice Evra, right? Because I loved Patrice Evra at left-back, I think he was a brilliant player.
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Bent: Oh my God…
It was at this point that a long debate emerged as Goldstein wanted to name Manchester United legend Gary Neville at right-back.
Bent couldn’t believe what he was hearing and after some back and forth, they finally moved onto the centre-backs.
Goldstein vs Bent on Neville vs Cafu
Goldstein: Right-back…
Bent: Gary Neville. You’re telling me Gary Neville is the greatest right-back in world history?
Goldstein: Because, I’m going to reveal now, because of his link-up play… I don’t think any two players have ever linked up as well as Gary Neville and David Beckham.
Bent: No… One second…
Goldstein: So I’ve gone for, hear me out, G. Nev right-back, and then Becks right wing.
Bent: No, no, no, listen to me… You’re telling me Gary Neville’s the greatest…
Goldstein: It’s my choice.
Bent: No, listen to me, I’ve asked you a question.
Goldstein: As a team player.
Bent: No. In an all-time world XI, you’re telling me Gary Neville’s the greatest right-back in world history?
Goldstein: Because of his link-up play with Becks.
Bent: Is he better than Cafu, one to one?
Goldstein: I didn’t see Cafu every week on Match of the Day.
Bent: Is he better than Cafu?
Goldstein: From what I’ve seen, yeah… When do you watch Cafu, every four years?
Bent: No, watched him at AC Milan, Champions League, winning it.
Goldstein: Oh, you watched it, did you?
Bent: Yeah… Wait there, Gary Neville’s better than Cafu?
Goldstein: In my team, yeah.
Bent: Is he better than [Javier] Zanetti, Inter Milan?
Goldstein: In my team, does he link… I didn’t see Zanetti and Beckham, I didn’t see them.
Bent: Gary Neville’s better than Cafu…
Goldstein: Your words and mine.
Bent: No, not mine.
Goldstein: Centre-halves, I’ve gone for Bobby Moore and Rio Ferdinand.
Bent: Rio? You know how much I love Rio, you’re saying Rio is the greatest centre-half of all-time?
Goldstein: One of… Bobby Moore. I’ve tried to get that a little bit English there, that’s what I’ve done.
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Bent: I’ve gone for Paolo Maldini… [Fabio] Cannavaro, one of only three defenders to win the Ballon d’Or.
Midfielders
Goldstein: I’ve gone for four across. I’ve gone Becks on the right…
Bent: Becks is one of the greatest players of all-time…
Goldstein: He’s the best crosser of a football…
Bent: No, that wasn’t the question…
Goldstein: The best at something has to be in this best-of team, so Becks without a doubt, that’s why Neville’s in there. Then I’ve got [Diego] Maradona and [Zinedine] Zidane in the middle, and [Johan] Cruyff on the left.
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You can’t argue with that, Johan Cruyff left foot, Maradona has got to be in the team, Zidane has got to be in the team.
Bent: Those three I can get, but the other one…
Goldstein: He’s the best crosser of the ball we’ve ever seen…
Bent: You’re having a laugh. Anyway, my three are Zidane obviously, Iniesta and I’ve dropped in there Maradona, as a three.
Attackers
Bent: My three up front, the one behind the two strikers, I’ve got no width, I’ve got Messi in the hole, eight Ballons d’Or, one World Cup.
Behind the two Ronaldos, R9 Brazilian and Cristiano.
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Goldstein: So, I didn’t put Cristiano in, because Piers Morgan’s sycophantic love has made me sort of start to hate Ronaldo.
I didn’t want to feel like that, but because he’s always… I appreciate both of them have been brilliant, but he won’t accept Messi.
Ronaldo’s Man United and I’m Man United, but he’s made me go, ‘If you won’t do that, I won’t do that.’ So I’ve not put Ronaldo in. I’ve got R9 and Messi up top, or Messi just behind him.
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So out of the two teams, only Zidane, Maradona, Messi and Ronaldo were the players that the pair could agree upon.
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Each team had completely different choices for the goalkeeper and defenders.
However, both squads boast ridiculous amounts of talent and success, with many of them regarded as legends of the game.
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