Jamie Carragher names his best-ever World Cup XI, fielding no more than one player from each country

JAMIE CARRAGHER named his best-ever World Cup XI with just one player per country allowed.

And he made the controversial call to drop both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi from the team.

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The Portuguese representative is forward Eusebio, who leads the line in a 4-2-3-1 formation for Carragher.

Eusebio scored all nine of his World Cup goals as he led his country to the semi-finals in 1966, including four in a stunning 5-3 win over North Korea from a 3-0 deficit in 25 minutes.

The clinical striker is backed by three of football’s greatest of all time.

Argentina’s right-back features none other than Diego Maradona, who led his country to glory in 1986 – thanks in part to his famous brace against England.

The magician has scored eight goals in his 21 competitive appearances and is considered one of the best ever.

Along with Maradona, Pele is another of the biggest icons in the sport.

The Brazilian is the only player to have won three World Cups, is the youngest winner and goalscorer and is arguably the best World Cup player ever.

To complete a fearsome front four for Carragher is Dutch outsider Johan Cruyff.

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He led the Dutch to the final in 1974 with the beautiful art of football, but the Oranje failed, losing to West Germany in the final.

Two of the great passers seen in the game deliver the ball in elite attack.

The ultimate technician Xavi, winner of the 2010 World Cup, is on the team for Spain.

And alongside him is his former El Clasico rival and 2018 finalist Luka Modric.

In fact, the Croatian is the only active footballer in the eleven – and is in Qatar for the current tournament.

The back four features some of the game’s titans including 1998 winner Lilian Thuram, 1974 winner Franz Beckenbauer, 1966 winner Bobby Moore and 1994 runner-up Paolo Maldini.

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Thuram made 142 appearances for France in 14 years, scoring twice – incredibly both in the 1998 2-0 semi-final win over Croatia.

One of only three men to win the World Cup as a player and as a coach, Beckenbauer is the dominating defender who led West Germany from the dugout in 1990.

England’s player is none other than the only captain to win the World Cup – Moore was the pivot at the heart of defense when the Three Lions clinched the Jules Rimet trophy on home soil 58 years ago.

Maldini, meanwhile, may not have won the World Cup for four-time winners Italy but still gets the nod for Carragher as one of the best left-backs in the game.

And this all-star team also appears to need a goaltender – although one doubts he’d be very busy.

The man chosen is Denmark’s hero Peter Schmeichel, who only played in one World Cup – he reached the quarter-finals in 1998 – but is considered by many to be the No. 1 goalkeeper of all time.

Ironically, his son Kasper played more – representing the Danes in Russia and Qatar.