Only one active player makes the cut
Who is the best defender of all time? There are a multitude of factors that make that an almost impossible question to answer, given the changing nature of the game over the decades, the fact it is more of a team effort than attacking, and the scarcity of footage that exists of football from yesteryear compared to today.
It’s arguably pointless to analyse Bobby Moore and compare him to, say, Sergio Ramos. Football was basically a different sport when Moore played.
Alas, France Football, who are in charge of the Ballon d’Or awards, are doing exactly that.
The magazine are creating a Ballon d’Or Dream Team, effectively an all time world XI, starting with 10 nominees for each position. 170 journalists from around the world will vote on each position to create the final, winning team.
The nominations for goalkeepers and right-backs are already in, with just two active keepers – Gigi Buffon and Manuel Neuer – and no active right-backs nominated.
The list of centre-backs up for nomination was then announced on Monday morning, with Sergio Ramos the only player still playing to make the list. This shouldn’t really come as a surprise – he’s won five league titles, four Champions Leagues, a World Cup and two European Championships. And he’s still going at 34.
The full list of centre-backs is as follows:
Franco Baresi, 1978 – 1997
AC Milan and Italy
Franz Beckenbauer, 1964-1983
Bayern Munich, New York Cosmos, Hamburg and West Germany
Fabio Cannavaro, 1992 – 2011
Napoli, Parma, Juventus, Inter, Real Madrid, Al-Ahli and Italy
Marcel Desailly, 1986 – 2005
Nantes, Marseille, A.C. Milan, Chelsea, Al-Gharafa, Qatar SC and France
Ronald Koeman, 1980 – 1997
Groningen, Ajax, PSV, Barcelona, Feyenoord and Holland
Bobby More, 1958 – 1978
West Ham United, Fulham, San Antonio Thunder, Seattle Sounders, Herning Fremad, Carolina Lightnin’ and England
Daniel Passarella, 1974 – 1989
Sarmiento, River Plate, Fiorentina, Inter and Argentina
Matthias Sammer, 1985 – 1998
Dynamo Desdren, Stuttgart, Inter, Borussia Dortmund and Germany
Gaetano Scirea, 1972 – 1988
Atalanta, Juventus and Italy
Sergio Ramos – 2004 – present
Sevilla, Real Madrid and Spain
The 10 nominees as best centre back of all time ! #BOdreamteam https://t.co/dOeHb2zxwR pic.twitter.com/8Ub7FYKy0Y
— Ballon d'Or (@ballondor) October 5, 2020
