Ahead of this summer’s competition, Darren Bent announced his all-time World Cup XI, choosing an exciting team brimming with Brazilian quality.
With the grandest football show just weeks away, the former England international, who scored four goals in 13 caps for his nation, spoke exclusively to Daily Mail Sport at TOCA Social.
Bent assembled a very offensive team in a 4-2-2-2 shape using players he believes are the best to have ever participated in the World Cup. In order to fit as many attackers as possible into the team, he chose a noticeable deficiency of midfielders.
Bent chose German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who won the 2014 World Cup, without hesitation. “Incredible 2014 World Cup win,” Bent told Daily Mail Sport. “Goalkeeper is one of the toughest positions on the pitch in this challenge.” Longevity as well; despite retiring after the previous Euros, he will be in the squad for this one.I consider Manuel Neuer to be the best goalie of all time.
Bent chose two mainstays for the backline in nearly everyone’s World Cup XI. He possesses the renowned center back Franz Beckenbauer and two-time champion Cafu at right back.
Darren Bent, a former England striker, revealed his all-time World Cup starting lineup to Daily Mail Sport.
Roberto Carlos, a fellow countryman on the other side of Cafu, was a defender who “was ahead of his time” and possessed “everything as a modern-day full-back,” according to Bent.
Fabio Cannavaro, who led Italy to the most recent of their four World Cup victories in 2006, was possibly his most controversial choice among the back four.
Bent continues, “He [Cannavaro] sometimes goes under the radar with Nesta, Maldini, and Baresi when you think of Italian defenders.”
“But when Cannavaro wins the Ballon d’Or at center back, I think you have to put someone in the conversation.”
The formation becomes fascinating in the midfield as Bent tries to fit as many forward players as possible into his lineup.
He chooses a different kind of two-man midfield pivot. It features two of the most sophisticated and aggressive players this game has ever seen, rather than your average box-to-box or holding player.
According to Bent, “you can’t have a World Cup team without Diego Maradona in it,” which is why Maradona, who nearly single-handedly won Argentina the 1986 World Cup, is included in the midfield.
“Until Lionel Messi came along, Zidane was the greatest player that ever lived, for me,” adds Bent, referring to the 1998 champion and France legend Zinedine Zidane alongside El Pibe de Oro, which translates to “Golden Boy” in Spanish.
In addition to his 1998 performance in the championship game, they persuaded him to return in 2006 after he had retired from the national team, and he was great.
Bent has added four members of Brazil’s World Cup-winning squad from 2002.
“We are aware of the headbutt that occurred in the final, but his performance against Brazil in the semifinal and the panenka in the final were truly incredible.”
Two more, this time in the shape of two Barcelona legends, stand in front of those two game wizards. Many people, including Bent, believe that Lionel Messi is the best player of all time. On the other hand, the Englishman prefers Ronaldinho, his predecessor in Catalonia: “When I watch football, this is how I want to see football being played.” “That’s Ronaldinho,” Bent goes on.Although his longevity may not have been as long as it could have been, he remained at the top for four years. Some may argue that other players have received greater recognition than him.
“I don’t believe I ever witnessed a player achieve what he can do with a football between roughly 2002 and 2006. He would move past them with his body. I adore Ronaldinho so much.
Ronaldo, also known as R9, and Pele, two of the most iconic strikers in the history of this sport, complete the lineup.
With their addition, this team now contains five Brazilians, which is also a record for the amount of World Cups the country has won.
Pele, the legendary striker who scored 12 goals in just 14 tournament games, led the line in three of those. Ronaldo led the other two teams, and ‘O Fenomeno’ scored three more World Cup goals than his idol.
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