France Football have already named the goalkeeper and three defenders chosen for the Dream Team, with the midfielders and forwards set to follow this evening.
France Football have begun to announce the names of the chosen players for the prestigious Ballon d’Or Dream Team.
With no Ballon d’Or award this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the organizers felt it was a fitting moment to choose a team made up of the Best XI in history. Ten nominations were chosen for each position, with final team chosen beya judging panel made up of 140 football journalists from around the world, including Diario AS honorary editor, Alfredo Relaño.
Like the nominations, France Football have decided to stagger the names of the chosen players and this Monday afternoon have announced the goalkeeper and three defensive nominees in the all-star team.
Beating out the likes of Iker Casillas, Gianluigi Buffon, Gordon Banks and Peter Schmeichel, the late great Lev Yashin was chosen as the Ballon d’Or Dream Team goalkeeper. The former Dynamo Moscow player, who was known as the Black Spider, remains the only keeper to have won a Ballon d’Or, which he claimed in 1963. Yashin passed away 1990 at the premature age of 60.
Moving to defence, Brazil legend Cafú has been nominated as right back ahead of other candidates such as Philipp Lahm, Lilian Thuram and compatriots Carlos Alberto and Djalma Santos. The former AC Milan player lifted the World Cup with Brazil in 2002 and remains the most capped Brazil international of all time with 142 appearances.
Cafú is joined by another Milan legend in defence, with Paolo Maldini the expected choice at left back after a stellar career with Italy and the Rossoneri. In the centre of defence, Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos has lost out to German great and two-time Ballon d’Or winner Franz Beckenbauer, who scooped the prize in 1972 and 1976. Among the other central defensive candidates was Franco Baresi, Marcel Desailly, current Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman and England World Cup winner Bobby Moore.
The names of the four midfielders and three forwards will also be revealed this evening...