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IFFHS World Team Of The Decade (2011-2020) Has Been Announced

IFFHS World Team Of The Decade (2011-2020) Has Been Announced

Only one Premier League player makes the cut of the best XI of the last 10 years.

Alex Reid

Alex Reid

The 'World's Men's Team of the Decade' has been announced by the IFFHS and only one Premier League player makes the final XI.

Cutting down the world's best from the last 10 years is a near-impossible task. But Liverpool's defensive colossus Virgil van Dijk makes the grade alongside Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos.

That means Barcelona and Spain star Gerard Pique controversially misses out at centre-back.

Further forward, the likes of Luis Suarez, Neymar, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Gareth Bale, Sergio Aguero, Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery are all absent despite some outstanding displays over the past decade.

However two of the attacking spots pick themselves - Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo - so that leaves space for only one more forward. And Bayern Munich's Polish goal machine Robert Lewandowski gets the nod up top.

IFFHS

The midfield is equally competitive. Luka Modric is another player with a Premier League connection, having started the last decade with Tottenham, but he's there for the Real Madrid form which helped him to a Ballon d'Or in 2018.

The Croatian is joined by two World Cup winners: Andres Iniesta and Toni Kroos. That means no place for Iniesta's teammate Xavi - although he did turn 31 at the start of the decade, so getting towards the end of his peak years.

At right-back, Philipp Lahm - one of three Germany internationals - edges out Dani Alves. But Marcelo does make it one Brazilian in the team at left-back, while Manuel Neuer takes the goalkeeper shirt.

The full International Federation of Football History & Statistics 'World Team Of The Decade' is below.

GK: Manuel Neuer

RB: Philipp Lahm

CB: Sergio Ramos

CB: Virgil van Dijk

LB: Marcelo

CM: Toni Kroos

CM: Andres Iniesta

CM: Luka Modric

FW: Cristiano Ronaldo

FW: Robert Lewandowski

FW: Lionel Messi

Does this match your best XI of the past 10 years? Let us know in the comments.

All imagery: PA Images/IFFHS

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Topics: Football News, Football, Premier League, Team Of The Year