It’s the old continental debate: who would win in a clash between South America’s best starting eleven and a European all-star team? With these two continents dominating the World Cup – South America’s Brazil is the most successful side while the last three winners were from Europe – fans continue to debate who would win in this clash.
With both continents’ 2018 World Cup participants having been complete, we have chosen a best starting eleven from both continents. This means players who will not take part in the tournament in Russia are not eligible, such as Alexis Sanchez, Gareth Bale, and Leonardo Bonucci.
With that being said, we give you our pick for best starting XI for South America and Europe.
South America
Lineup: Ederson; Marcelo, Dani Alves, Marquinhos, Godin; Casemiro, Paulinho, Coutinho; Messi, Neymar, Cavani
Goalkeeper
Ederson has done well at Man City so far, and thus we have given him the nod although he is not a starter at Brazil
Defense
Marcelo and Dani Alves in the full-back roles were no-brainers. We have also chosen Marquinhos and Diego Godin for the center-back partnership.
Midfield
Casemiro will be the defensive midfielders, while Paulinho will be the box-to-box man. Philippe Coutinho, on the other hand, will be the attacking midfielder looking to assist South America’s attacking trio.
Attack
Neymar and Lionel Messi spearhead the attack, but Luis Suarez doesn’t join the two to complete MSN. Instead, Edinson Cavani gets the nod over his fellow Uruguayan due to the PSG man’s electric form.
Europe
Lineup: Neuer; Alderweireld, Ramos, Boateng, Kurzawa; Kante, Kroos, De Bruyne; Cristiano, Hazard, Lewandowski
Goalkeeper
Europe is blessed with world-class custodians. De Gea, Lloris, and Courtois are excellent options, but we opted for Neuer due to his experience and consistency.
Defense
In Alderweireld and Kurzawa, we have two of the most in-form European full-backs. Ramos, despite his relapses in concentration, is a world-class defender who has an eye for goal. Alongside him will be Germany’s Jerome Boateng.
Midfield
Kante is the man to shield Europe’s defense. There are several midfield talents in this continent, but we opted for the pass-master Toni Kroos and the excellent Kevin De Bruyne.
Attack
Imagine Cristiano Ronaldo and Eden Hazard running at defenders? That sight is enough to struck fear in the hearts of many. They are not in top form as of now, but when at their best, the two are unplayable.
It was a close race between Lewandowski and Harry Kane for the lone-striker role, but we opted for the Polish forward due to his experience. Plus, the Bayern Munich ace has scored more in the domestic league and World Cup qualifying than the Englishman.
Who will win?
We have given you the best starting eleven for both South America and Europe. Let us know who you think will win in this clash. Also, don't miss Friday's World Cup group stage draw where every participating nation will know their first round opponents for next year's competition.
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