The best team in Champions League history voted by GiveMeSport has caused controversy.
The 2024/25 Champions League is the 33rd season since the tournament was renamed to its current name in 1992. This is the tournament with the highest professional quality in world football at the club level, where superstars such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and many other legends have shined.
Ronaldo and Messi are the two greatest strikers in Champions League history
Not long ago, GiveMeSport selected the greatest lineup in the history of the Champions League according to the 4-3-3 formation. According to this newspaper, the 11 names were selected based on 5 criteria including: counting only from 1992 onwards, the number of championships and goals in the Champions League, iconic moments and the overall legacy in the Champions League.
Ronaldo – Messi honored
It’s no surprise that both Ronaldo and Messi are included. They are arguably the two most iconic figures in Champions League history.
Ronaldo has won five Champions League titles (four with Real Madrid, one with Manchester United) and is also the tournament’s all-time top scorer with 140 goals in 183 appearances. CR7 has also created many iconic moments in the Champions League, including a hat-trick against Atletico Madrid in 2016/17 and a stunning bicycle kick against Juventus in 2017/18.
In midfield, Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard is named despite only winning one Champions League title in his entire playing career. GiveMeSport explains: “Despite only having one Champions League trophy, Liverpool legend Gerrard has created some of the most iconic moments in the history of the competition.
Gerrard won a Champions League title in 2005
Gerrard played a key role in one of the most famous and memorable Champions League finals ever in 2005 against AC Milan in Istanbul, Turkey, when his Liverpool side came back from 3-0 down to beat a star-studded AC Milan side on penalties.
However, the explanation of GiveMeSport did not convince fans. In the comment section, a reader sarcastically said: “No Zidane, Kroos or Xavi but Gerrard”, accompanied by 3 laughing icons tilting their heads and crying.
Another reader wrote: “The Gerrard position is a joke. If you want to put a British person in that team it has to be Bale.”
A third reader commented: “What does Gerrard have over the list of one-time champions? If forced to pick a British player in the team, Gerrard would be behind Lampard or Scholes, I completely disagree.”
| The greatest lineup in Champions League history voted by GiveMeSport (4-3-3)
Goalkeeper: Iker Casillas Defenders: Philipp Lahm, Sergio Ramos, Paolo Maldini, Marcelo Midfielders: Steven Gerrard, Andres Iniesta, Luka Modric Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Lionel Messi |
