France Football magazine found a way to compensate for the cancellation of the traditional Golden Ball award. As the French publication decided not to award this year the best player of the season, considering that the world football calendar was badly affected by the pandemic of Covid-19, the magazine decided to create the Golden Ball Dream Team, an election of the 11 best players of history, by position.
Ten names will be indicated by sector of the field, in a 3-4-3 formation. The lists will be released in three weeks. The first, this second, has only defensive players, with seven Brazilians nominated: Djalma Santos, Carlos Alberto Torres and Cafu compete on the right side, while on the left appear Nilton Santos, Júnior, Roberto Carlos and Marcelo.
The nominees for four midfield positions – two midfielders and two midfielders – will be revealed next Monday, the 12th, and competitors for the three attack positions – from the right, left and center forward – will leave on the 19th, a week later .
We sum up all the nominees reveal of today ! #BOdreamteam
Next steps :
12th of October : 20 defensive midfields and 20 offensive midfields
19th of October : 10 right forwards, 10 centre forwards and 10 left forwardsStay tuned ! pic.twitter.com/hjZ7FFlDD2
The election will be made according to the same rules as the traditional Golden Ball, with the votes of 170 experts chosen by France Football, and the Dream Team of football history will be revealed in December. The magazine also opened a poll on its website for the popular election, which will have no influence on the official result.
Meet the nominees of the defense positions:
Gordon Banks (ING), Gianluigi Buffon (ITA), Iker Casillas (ESP), Sepp Maier (ALE), Manuel Neuer (ALE), Thomas N’Kono (CAM), Peter Schmeichel (DIN), Edwin van der Sar (HOL ), Lev Yashin (RUS) e Dino Zoff (ITA).
Giuseppe Bergomi (ITA), CAFU (BRA), CARLOS ALBERTO TORRES (BRA), DJALMA SANTOS (BRA), Claudio Gentile (ITA), Manfred Kaltz (ALE), Philipp Lahm (ALE), Wim Suurbier (HOL), Lilian Thuram (FRA) and Berti Vogts (ALE)
Franco Baresi (ITA), Franz Beckenbauer (ALE), Fabio Cannavaro (ITA), Marcel Desailly (FRA), Ronald Koeman (HOL), Bobby Moore (ING), Daniel Passarella (ARG), Matthias Sammer (ALE), Gaetano Scirea (ITA) and Sergio Ramos (ESP)
Andreas Brehme (ALE), Paul Breitner (ALE), Antonio Cabrini (ITA), Giacinto Facchetti (ITA), JÚNIOR (BRA), Ruud Krol (HOL), Paolo Maldini (ITA), MARCELO (BRA), NILTON SANTOS (BRA ) and ROBERTO CARLOS (BRA)
