Even whilst Carlos Alcaraz was busy cementing himself among the best tennis players around right now, defeating Novak Djokovic to take the Wimbledon crown, the 20-year-old still had time to name his dream football XI.
Still at such a young age, the Spaniard’s football knowledge extends to years before he could have really experienced the beautiful game. On top of that, he had the privilege of growing up watching football in an era full of stars. We’re talking Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Andreas Iniesta, and Thierry Henry. It’s no wonder he was keen to name his dream team.
With that said, we’ve taken a look at who was included in his line-up.
Who won Wimbledon 2023?
Impressing the tennis world by defeating Djokovic on grass, Alcaraz placed his name among the best in the world by winning Wimbledon.
Getting past Jeremy Chardy in the First Round, the Spaniard went on to defeat Alexandre Muller, Nicolas Jarry, Matteo Berrettini, Holger Rune, and Danni Medvedev to set up the final against Djokovic.
In picking up the win, Alcaraz became the first player not named Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, or Andy Murray to win Wimbledon since 2002 – when the Spaniard wasn’t even born yet.
Speaking on the win, the 20-year-old said: “Beating Novak, winning Wimbledon, is something that I dreamed about since I started playing tennis.
“It’s the happiest moment of my life. I think it’s not going to change for a long time.”
Starting in goal, the tennis star named Iker Casillas as his number one, which comes as no surprise given Alcaraz’s Spanish nationality. He stuck with the Spanish theme throughout the backline, too, naming both Sergio Ramos and Carles Puyol, before going down the Brazilian route with his full-backs by naming Roberto Carlos and Cafu.
It gets even more impressive as it goes on. The midfield is aesthetically as good as it gets, and not many would stand a chance at getting the ball off them. Alcaraz named Luka Modric, Zinedine Zidane, and Iniesta.
Can we just take a second to imagine that trio together? It would simply be unfair on anyone who dared to commence a battle of technique in the middle of the park.
The team peaks in the frontline, though, with Messi combining with Ronaldo, and the legendary Brazilian Ronaldo. It simply wouldn’t be a dream team without those three.
You can see the full line-up below:
Looking at the team as a whole, Alcaraz has arguably done a perfect job, combining the best players across different eras to make what would undoubtedly be an unstoppable side. For the sake of European football, it’s a good job that it’s a mere fantasy, and only that.
If we could find one criticism, it would be certain players who were unlucky to miss out. There could be a shout for Sergio Busquets, for example, who remains one of the most underrated players of all time. The Barcelona man would add the perfect defensive balance to allow the likes of Iniesta and Zidane to do what they do best.
No doubt, many of you will also be able to think of others who were also deserving of a spot – but, of course, football is a game of differing opinions after all.
