England legend Stuart Pearce has become the latest star to pick his all-time World Cup XI as the clock ticks down to the start of the biggest tournament ever.
The 64-year-old, who played 78 times for the Three Lions between 1987 and 1999, sat down exclusively with Daily Mail Sport to talk all things England, which will be published closer to kick-off, and selected his greatest ever starting line-up.
Here is Pearce’s ultimate World Cup XI, but do you agree?
Gordon Banks
Widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all-time.
Banks won 73 caps for England and famously started every match during their victorious 1966 World Cup campaign, managing to keep a clean sheet all the way until the semi-final.
His magnificent save against Brazil at the 1970 tournament, diving low to his right to deny Pele’s goalbound header, is remembered as one of the best ever. Pele himself called it ‘one of the best saves’ he has ever seen.
Cafu
The formidable defender performed at the highest level for Brazil – and for an incredibly long time.
He is the Selecao’s most capped player with 142 appearances, including a record 20 World Cup games.
The right back has 16 wins at the tournament and won it in 1994 and 2002 as the captain.
Cafu has long been praised for his leadership alongside being a ‘complete’ player, with many touting him as being among the best full backs to play at the World Cup.
Bobby Moore
Another stalwart of the 1966 England side, Moore played 108 times for his country between 1962 and 1973.
He was only 22 when he was made England’s captain in 1963 and quickly became the backbone of the team.
Across the 1966 and 1970 World Cups, Moore made the most interceptions and won possession more than any other player.
Franco Baresi
Baresi’s only World Cup trophy may have come from a tournament where he didn’t actually play, as a young member of the 1982 squad, but the defender certainly left his mark on international football.
The longtime AC Milan captain perfected the libero role in Italy’s domestic league and national team. At the 1990 World Cup, he anchored an Azzurri backline that set a then-record of 518 minutes unbeaten.
The organised and ruthless defender was a nightmare to play against. His Azzurri teammate and Serie A opponent, Gianfranco Zola, called him the best defender he had faced, saying: ‘After a game against Baresi, your feet need loads of ice and anti-inflammatories.’
England legend Stuart Pearce has become the latest star to pick his all-time World Cup XI
Paolo Maldini
A long-standing defensive partner of Baresi for both club and country, Maldini won 126 caps for Italy over 14 years.
His time as an Italy international was sandwiched between two of their four World Cup victories, but he reached the semi-finals in 1990 and lost the final on penalties in 1994.
The Italian was named FIFA’s second-best player of the year in 1995, was selected for two World Cup All-Star teams and finished third in the Ballon D’or in 1994 and 2003.
Franz Beckenbauer
In a world where many view footballers of the past as technically inept, one look at Beckenbauer’s best moments show a player with superb ability.
Der Kaiser, as he was known, won 103 caps for West Germany and captained the side to World Cup victory in 1974.
Beckenbauer was known for his elegance on the ball and command of play. He netted 14 goals for his country.
A serial winner as both a player and manager, Der Kaiser has inspired generations of footballers since his retirement.
Paul Gascoigne
Gascoigne was one of the brightest English talents of the 1980s and 90, and remains in the memory both for his on-pitch performances and unique personality.
Gazza made his senior debut for Bobby Robson’s England side in 1988 and scored 10 goals in a career that spanned 57 caps.
He played every minute of the Three Lions’ run to the 1990 World Cup semi-finals and provided three assists across the tournament, including David Platt’s iconic last minute volley against Belgium in the round of 16.
For club and country, Gascoigne is remembered for his technical ability and flair, with some prominent footballers of his time calling him the best they have ever played with.
Bobby Charlton
The final member of the legendary England squad of 1966 also won the Ballon D’or that year.
Charlton scored an incredible 49 goals for the Three Lions in 106 caps, but his three in their winning campaign are undoubtedly the most important.
With four hat-tricks for England, Charlton remains the nation’s third-highest goalscorer of all-time.
Johan Cruyff
It’s a no-brainer that one of the most revolutionary footballers of all-time makes this list.
Before he changed the game from the touchline, Cruyff was dazzling crowds with his technical ability and legendary ‘Cruyff turn’.
The Dutchman scored 33 goals in 48 senior caps for the Netherlands, an impressive ratio. Though he never hoisted a World Cup, he led De Oranje to the 1974 final and won the Golden Ball as its best player.
Manager Terry Venables once said ‘there were matches when he did with a ball what no-one else would dare to try,’ adding ‘on form, it’s difficult to imagine who was better.’
Pearce chose Maradona and Pele as his two strikers in his ultimate World Cup starting line-up
Diego Maradona
Before compatriot Lionel Messi came along and overshadowed him, Maradona was the nifty Argentinian widely regarded as the most skilled player ever.
No-one was as feared as Maradona, as he regularly cut his way through droves of defenders to find the net.
In his international career, he earned 91 caps and scored 34 goals for Argentina. His most infamous year came in 1986, where he captained the nation to World Cup victory, won the Golden Ball, and produced the ‘hand of God’ goal against England.
Pele
Decades since he retired from professional football, there are still some who believe that Pele is the best player to ever step foot on the pitch.
In a Brazil kit, Pele was unstoppable. In 1958, at just 17, he helped the Selecao to their first ever World Cup victory before playing a pivotal role in their next two triumphs in 1962 and 1970.
O Rei, Portuguese for ‘the king’, is still Brazil’s second highest goalscorer with 77 goals in 92 international appearances. In the world’s biggest tournament, he scored 12 times in just 14 games.
Do you agree with Pearce’s XI? Was Banks better than Manuel Neuer? Would you pair up Moore and Beckenbauer in defence? And can you find room for both Messi and Ronaldo in your final team?
Pick your XI from the shortlist and submit your final selection.
You can then compare it to our Daily Mail football experts, and we’ll be asking big names from the sporting world to submit their own teams as June 11 kick-off gets ever closer.
You can also share your team with your friends and see how your selection compared with thousands of other Mail readers…
