Ballon d’Or Dream Team: Messi, Ronaldo, Pele, Maradona feature in all-time XI

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have a combined 11 Ballon d’Ors. (Reuters)

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were named alongside legendary players like Pele, Diego Maradona, and Ronaldo Nazario in France Football’s Ballon d’Or Dream Team on Monday.

La Ballon d’Or Dream Team en une de @francefootball demain dans vos kiosques et disponible en numérique ici: https://t.co/RrFtSRTYjW#BOdreamteam pic.twitter.com/5qUYulJSeJ

— France Football (@francefootball) December 14, 2020

The first-team squad, which features players in a 3-4-3 formation, has Ronaldo Nazario as the central striker with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo on either side. The three players have a combined 13 Ballon d’Ors between them.

Messi has netted 642 goals across 746 appearances for Barcelona, which is one short of Pele’s all-time record at one club. On the other hand, Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 754 goals in his club/country playing career with 450 of them coming during his time at Real Madrid.

On the other hand, Ronaldo Nazario played for both Barcelona and Real Madrid during his heyday — scoring 47 goals in 49 Catalan appearances and 104 goals in 177 outings for Los Blancos.

⭐ After the votes of 140 journalists from all around the world, here is the #BOdreamteam with 11 best players of all time, following by the second and the third team squad !⭐ pic.twitter.com/jC95nllz9A

— France Football (@francefootball) December 14, 2020

Pele and Maradona, who were both crucial in their country’s FIFA World Cup triumphs, featured in the lineup as two attacking midfielders on both the flanks.

Xavi Hernandez and former Germany captain Lotthar Matthaus were chosen as the two defensive midfielders, providing the backbone to the midfield. Behind them, Franz Beckenbauer, Paolo Maldini, and Cafu feature as the three centre-backs.

Lev Yashin, the Russian goalkeeping great, was pipped ahead of Gianluigi Buffon and Manuel Neuer as the best goalkeeper of all-time. The latter two featured in the second and third teams respectively.

Ronaldo and Messi react to being included in France Football’s all-time Ballon d’Or Dream Team ???????? pic.twitter.com/YiIO4Yc6e6

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) December 14, 2020

The second team squad featured other legendary players like Johan Cruyff, Ronaldinho, Zinedine Zidane, Alfredo di Stefano, Andrea Pirlo, Roberto Carlos, and Franco Baresi.