L'Équipe's picks: Messi leads the all-time Champions League XI with Cristiano left out
Di Stéfano plays as centre-forward
Vincent Duluc, one of the most prominent writers at "L'Équipe", has picked his all-time Champions League XI. The French journalist left out Cristiano Ronaldo, the competition's record scorer, and found no room for a single French player either.
Spanning more than seven decades, Duluc's lineup drew on the tournament's greatest legends, from the birth of the European Cup in 1955 to the modern Champions League. He tried to strike a balance between the pre-1992 era of the European Cup for champion clubs and the competition's modern age after the format changed.
Duluc's selections were as follows:
Goalkeeper: Ray Clemence "Liverpool"
Right-back: Dani Carvajal "Real Madrid"
Centre-back: Franz Beckenbauer "Bayern Munich"
Centre-back: Franco Baresi "Milan"
Left-back: Paolo Maldini "Milan"
Midfield: Luka Modric "Real Madrid"
Midfield: Andres Iniesta "Barcelona"
Left wing: Lionel Messi "Barcelona"
Playmaker: Johan Cruyff "Ajax"
Right wing: George Best "Manchester United"
Forward: Alfredo Di Stefano "Real Madrid"
Europe's premier competition kicks off again tomorrow, Tuesday, headlined by a heavyweight clash between Real Madrid and Inter Milan at the Santiago Bernabeu. Porto face Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund take on Villarreal.
Paris Saint-Germain are the reigning champions, having lifted the trophy in each of the last two editions with final wins over Inter Milan and Arsenal respectively.
