FourFourTwo's best team ever: Our ultimate XI of the last 30 years

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Presenting the best team ever - of FourFourTwo's lifetime, at least: an XI who have defined the past 30 years of football

CB: Sergio Ramos

Sergio Ramos celebrates Spain's Euro 2012 final win over Italy at the final whistle.

Sergio Ramos celebrates Spain's Euro 2012 final win (Image credit: Getty Images)

A World Cup, two Euros titles, four Champions Leagues, five La Liga titles, two Ligue 1 titles, four Club World Cups, three UEFA Super Cups, along with a host of Spanish and French domestic cup competitions.

Many can’t reel off all Sergio Ramos’s honours without needing to draw breath, far fewer can boast anything close to the achievements he has to his name. That he kept his place through multiple iterations of successful Real Madrid sides is little surprise given the all-round nature of his game, a rare trait for a centre-back.

The past 30 years in football have seen defenders evolve from the toughest brute forces on the pitch to being valued more for their technical ability and tactical awareness in the modern day. If you’re looking for one figure to bridge the gap between those two distinct eras in defending, look no further than Ramos.

A master of the ‘dark arts’, the Spaniard’s disciplinary record is not far off the sort of numbers you’d expect if you dropped Vinnie Jones into the age of VAR; Ramos smashed just about every record there is on the number of cards collected by a single player. But he was so much more than a thuggish force. He was just as adept on the ball as challenging for it, which also allowed him to play at full-back and in midfield at various points. He could whip a mean delivery into the box, netted three free-kicks and was partial to a Panenka; a rare master of all trades.

“Factoring everything together to evaluate a defender, then Sergio Ramos is the most complete,” Los Blancos manager Carlo Ancelotti said. “He’s got a bit of everything: technical ability, strength, personality and leadership.”

Isaac Stacey Stronge

Mark White
Mark White
Content Editor

Mark White has been at on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, first as a staff writer before becoming content editor in 2023. An encyclopedia of football shirts and boots knowledge – both past and present – Mark has also represented FFT at both FA Cup and League Cup finals (though didn't receive a winners' medal on either occasion) and has written pieces for the mag ranging on subjects from Bobby Robson's season at Barcelona to Robinho's career. He has written cover features for the mag on Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard, and is assisted by his cat, Rosie, who has interned for the brand since lockdown.

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