World Cup all-time team

The World Cup, ever since its inception, has provided a platform for the world's best players to carve their name into footballing history.

The first World Cup in 1930 saw 13 nations travel to Uruguay with the tournament growing from there to a 48-team tournament in 2026.

Below, we've put together the best XI from World Cup history.

GK - Gianluigi Buffon (Italy)

World Cup appearances: 4
World Cup matches: 14
World Cup wins: 1

Pipping compatriot Dino Zoff to the spot in goal is Gianluigi Buffon. First called up to the World Cup for 1998, the second-choice goalkeeper for the tournament never actually got onto the pitch, but was promoted to first-choice stopper four years later.

Buffon saved a controversial penalty against co-hosts South Korea in 2002 but was powerless to stop their elimination via golden goal as Italy suffered a premature exit.

But the 2006 edition in Germany saw Buffon at his best, earning a Man of the Match award following the hard-fought win over Australia in the last-16, making a crucial save in the final from Zinedine Zidane en route to victory. Buffon kept five clean sheets and was named in the Team of the Tournament.

RB - Cafu (Brazil)

World Cup appearances: 4
World Cup matches: 20
World Cup wins: 2

While Carlos Alberto has claims to the right-back spot, Cafu gets the nod as the record-breaking right-back who remains the only player to have played in three consecutive World Cup finals.

Cafu was part of the 1994 side that beat Italy on penalties in the final, losing in 1998 to hosts France, before returning as part of a true golden generation in 2002. The Brazil side featuring the likes of Rivaldo, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho were skippered by Cafu, beating Belgium, England, Turkey and Germany en route to victory, conceding just one goal in the knockout rounds.

CB - Bobby Moore (England)

World Cup appearances: 3
World Cup matches: 14
World Cup wins: 1

While Bobby Moore was never the most physically gifted defender, his immaculate reading of the game and ability on the ball made him one of the best defenders to have played the game.

Moore captained England to their only World Cup in 1966, even laying on two assists in the final, yet his defining moment in the tournament arguably came four years later.

When facing the legendary Brazil team of the day, Moore was being taken on by Jairzinho, only to stop the winger dead in his tracks. Still now referred to as the perfect tackle, it remains one of the defining images of the World Cup.

CB - Fabio Cannavaro (Italy)

World Cup appearances: 4
World Cup matches: 18
World Cup wins: 1

Making his debut at the 1998 World Cup, Fabio Cannavaro took the armband in 2002 and rose to the occasion for the Azzurri with a series of impressive displays, despite their contentious exit from the tournament at the hands of South Korea for which Cannavaro was absent.

But Cannavaro experienced his finest hour in 2006. A 5ft 9in colossus, Cannavaro led the defence that conceded just two goals in the entire tournament, neither of which were from open play, and one of which was scored by an Italian.

Cannavaro would not only go on to lift the World Cup, but won the Ballon d’Or in recognition of his performances.

LB - Paul Breitner (West Germany)

World Cup appearances: 2
World Cup matches: 14
World Cup wins: 1

One of the game’s firebrands, Paul Breitner was one quarter of the formidable back line alongside Franz Beckenbauer, Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck and Berti Vogts that kept four clean sheets en route to the 1974 final, where they’d down the Total Football Netherlands 2-1, in part thanks to Breitner’s equalising penalty.

Owing to his strong-headed nature, Breitner would subsequently withdraw from consideration from the West Germany team and boycotted the 1978 World Cup held in Argentina but was recalled in time for the 1982 World Cup in Spain.

Although West Germany would lose the 1982 final to hosts Italy, Breitner, now deployed in midfield, did become the second player after Pele to score in two World Cup finals.

CM - Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany)

World Cup appearances: 3
World Cup matches: 18
World Cup wins: 1

One of the greatest players to have ever played the game for his roles both in midfield and in defence, Franz Beckenbauer could so easily have been a World Cup winner in 1966 but for a controversial decision that saw England take a 3-2 lead in extra-time.

Beckenbauer would suffer more heartbreak in 1970. After inspiring a win from 2-0 down against England in the quarter-finals, Beckenbauer opted to play on with a dislocated shoulder in the unforgettable semi-final against Italy, losing 4-3 in extra time.

Now skippering the side in 1974 as a sweeper, Beckenbauer’s West Germany conceded in just two of their six games on the run to the final, one of which after they’d already qualified to the second round. Beckenbauer and his colleagues nullified the threat of Johan Cruyff in the final as West Germany finally lifted the World Cup.

CM - Lothar Matthaus (West Germany/Germany)

World Cup appearances: 5
World Cup matches: 25
World Cup wins: 1

Lining up in midfield is fellow German Lothar Matthaus, whose international career was closely linked with Beckenbauer.

Making his name as an all-action midfielder, Matthaus made fleeting appearances in 1982 before becoming more established in 1986 as West Germany were beaten in the final by Diego Maradona’s Argentina, playing under Beckenbauer as coach.

Four years later, still managed by Beckenbauer, Matthaus was handed the armband, scoring four goals en route to the final. In a repeat of the 1986 final, West Germany got the better of Argentina, with Matthaus taking the World Cup, and winning the Ballon d’Or.

Matthaus, like Beckenbauer, would drop deeper on the pitch to a sweeping role in his later years, eventually setting the record for the most World Cup matches played with 25.

AM - Lionel Messi (Argentina)

World Cup appearances: 5
World Cup matches: 26
World Cup wins: 1

Seemingly destined to remain in Diego Maradona’s shadow in the eyes of Argentinians, Lionel Messi had done just about everything at the World Cup but win it.

He’d made a final, been named the Player of the Tournament, but his inability to get Argentina over the line would forever be held against him, and heading into 2022, it looked like his best chance had been and gone, particularly having lost to Saudi Arabia in the opening game of the tournament.

But Messi would score in the round of 16, the quarter-finals and semi-finals, and opened the scoring in the final. Pegged back by France, Messi scored his seventh goal of the tournament in extra time and scored Argentina’s first penalty in the shoot-out.

The 2022 World Cup final saw Messi eclipse Matthaus as the player with the most World Cup appearances with 26, and finally realise a lifetime’s ambition.

AM - Diego Maradona (Argentina)

World Cup appearances: 4
World Cup matches: 21
World Cup wins: 1

While Kylian Mbappe might provide a little more balance to this mythical XI off the left, it’s impossible to leave either of the Argentine duo out, with Diego Maradona playing as a second number 10.

Making his debut in 1982, Maradona scored twice in the first group stage before being essentially kicked out of the tournament, seeing red in the second group stage.

But Maradona came of age in 1986, carrying Argentina to the World Cup. Maradona would score twice in the quarter-finals against England – albeit once with his hand… – including the ‘Goal of the Century’ and twice more in the semi-finals.

Although he didn’t score in the final, Maradona laid on the assist for the decisive third goal as Argentina beat West Germany 3-2.

ST - Pele

World Cup appearances: 4
World Cup matches: 14
World Cup wins: 3

The boy who would become king, Pele took the world by storm at the age of 17. Despite arriving at the tournament carrying an injury, Pele laid on an assist in Brazil’s final group game, netting his first goal in the quarter-finals, scoring a hat-trick in the semi-finals and adding two more in Brazil’s 5-2 win over hosts Sweden in the final.

An injury kept Pele out of much of the 1962 tournament, which Brazil went on to win, before more underhanded tactics to the world’s best player saw Brazil exit in 1966.

Pele returned for his fourth World Cup in 1970, joining up with one of the greatest football teams in history. Pele would score four goals (including the opener in the final) as well as laying on a remarkable six assists.

ST - Ronaldo (Brazil)

World Cup appearances: 3
World Cup matches: 19
World Cup wins: 1

After Pele, came Ronaldo. Another teenage wonder who took the world by storm, Ronaldo was named in the Brazil World Cup squad at the age of 17 but remained a spectator as the Selecao triumphed in the USA.

Come 1998 and Brazil once again boasted the best player in the world. Ronaldo would score four goals and lay on three assists en route to the final against hosts France when disaster struck. A convulsive fit on the eve of the game saw Ronaldo dramatically pulled from the side before later being reinstated, only to look a shadow of himself as France won 3-0.

Four years later came Ronaldo’s redemption. The years between World Cups had been plagued by career-threatening injury, but Ronaldo recovered to score eight goals in the tournament, including both in the final as Brazil beat Germany 2-0.

Ronaldo added three more in 2006 to become the all-time record World Cup goalscorer, later being overtaken by Miroslav Klose.