World XI of the Year - 2012

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FIFA and FIFPro have announced the 55 top players in Football, so I figured we'd all come up with our own "Best XI of the Year" in a formation of our choice.

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Italy, Juventus), Iker Casillas (Spain, Real Madrid), Petr Cech (Czech Republic, Chelsea), Joe Hart (England, Manchester City), Manuel Neuer (Germany, Bayern Munich)

Defenders: Jordi Alba (Spain, Barcelona), Gareth Bale (Wales, Tottenham Hotspur), Giorgio Chiellini (Italy, Juventus), Ashley Cole (England, Chelsea), Dani Alves (Brazil, Barcelona), David Luiz (Brazil, Chelsea), Patrice Evra (France, Manchester United), Rio Ferdinand (England, Manchester United), Mats Hummels (Germany, Borussia Dortmund), Branislav Ivanovic (Serbia, Chelsea), Vincent Kompany (Belgium, Manchester City), Philipp Lahm (Germany, Bayern Munich), Marcelo (Brazil, Real Madrid), Javier Mascherano (Argentina, Barcelona), Pepe (Portugal, Real Madrid), Gerard Pique (Spain, Barcelona), Carles Puyol (Spain, Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Spain, Real Madrid), John Terry (England, Chelsea), Thiago Silva (Brazil, Paris St-Germain)

Midfielders: Xabi Alonso (Spain, Real Madrid), Sergio Busquets (Spain, Barcelona), Cesc Fabregas (Spain, Barcelona), Steven Gerrard (England, Liverpool), Eden Hazard (Belgium, Chelsea), Andres Iniesta (Spain, Barcelona), Frank Lampard (England, Chelsea), Luka Modric (Croatia, Real Madrid), Mesut Ozil (Germany, Real Madrid), Andrea Pirlo (Italy, Juventus), Franck Ribery (France, Bayern Munich), David Silva (Spain, Manchester City), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany, Bayern Munich), Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast, Manchester City), Xavi Hernandez (Spain, Barcelona)

Forwards: Sergio Aguero (Argentina, Manchester City), Mario Balotelli (Italy, Manchester City), Karim Benzema (France, Real Madrid), Edinson Cavani (Uruguay, AS Napoli), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast, Shanghai Shenhua), Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon, Anzhi Makhachkala), Radamel Falcao (Colombia, Atl?tico Madrid), Mario Gomez (Germany, Bayern Munich), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden, Paris Saint-Germain), Lionel Messi (Argentina, Barcelona), Neymar (Brazil, Santos), Robin van Persie (The Netherlands, Manchester United), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, Real Madrid), Wayne Rooney (England, Manchester United), Luis Suarez (Uruguay, Liverpool).

You can vote for the best XI of the year right here.

 

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My XI: 4-3-3

-----------Casillas-----------
Alves--Ramos--Pique--Marcelo
------------Pirlo------------
-------Xavi------Iniesta-------
Messi-------RVP-------Cristiano

 

[Champagnepapi]

few changes i made from the XI of Epic.
My XI: 4-3-3

-------------Casillas-------------
Alves----Sergio Ramos --Pique----Pepe
--------------Pirlo----------------
-------Xavi---------- Mesut Ozil-------
---Lionel Messi ------Neymar------Cristiano---

 

[Ahmad94]

My XI: 4-3-3

-------------Casillas-------------
Alves----Ramos--Pique----Marcelo
--------------Pirlo----------------
-------Xavi----------Iniesta-------
---Messi------RVP------Cristiano---

You need Ozil in there. And Buffon may be older but I prefer him to Casillas

 

[shravi]

-------------Hart------------
Alves--Ramos--Kompany--Alba
-------------Pirlo-------------
-----Fabregas----Iniesta------
Messi------Falcao------Ronaldo

 

[puddleduck]

.

It surely shows how little some of the people who make these shortlists actually know when Gareth "I last played at left back about 3 years ago" Bale is in the defenders category

 

[shravi]

A lot players are just in there because they're good footballers, not because they were good footballers in the past year. Sort of defeats the purpose.

 

[ste_mc_efc]

.

It surely shows how little some of the people who make these shortlists actually know when Gareth "I last played at left back about 3 years ago" Bale is in the defenders category

ferdinand has really set the world alight in the last 12 months too.

I'm not saying baines should be in there, but he has had a better 2012 than evra and had more minutes in defence last night than bale has in the whole 2012.

 

[shravi]

I'm not saying baines should be in there

He should. He was quite clearly better than Evra. By a mile.

 

[thedon5]

He's been better than Ashley Cole as well. Mind you Cole did win the CL though.

 

[Haarithan]

What a joke of a list. Funny how Pisczek, Baines and Agger all didn't get mentions there, while Evra did.

 

[thedon5]

Agger was perhaps injured for a bit too long for club. That's maybe why. His performances for Denmark alone deserve a nomination though.

 

[Sulaiman7]

My XI

-------------Casillas------------
Dani Alves--Sergio Ramos--Pique--Alba
-------------Xabi Alonso-------------
-----Xavi----Iniesta------
Messi-------Karim Benzema-------Ronaldo

 

[thedon5]

Neymar can't be taken seriously, he didn't go to the Euros obviously and doesn't even play in Europe. Silva had a poor 2012. Extremely poor.

 

[Sulaiman7]

El Shaaraway has played magnificently thus far .