Spainvs.England

sportsmole.co.uk, 13 July 2024, 13:55

Two proud football nations will meet in Sunday's Euro 2024 final, as Spain and England fight it out for the right to lift the Henri Delaunay trophy.

Both boast a long and illustrious history in 'the beautiful game', with one World Cup apiece and a number of superstar players that have lit up major tournaments down the decades.

Only a select few can be considered contenders for an all-time combined XI, but even so, picking one team from the greatest ever to represent La Roja or the Three Lions makes for quite a forbidding task.

Many much-feted stars did not make the cut, so which lucky eleven have been handed a place in our Sports Mole combined lineup?

GOALKEEPER: IKER CASILLAS

Spain's triple winner must take the number one jersey in this all-time XI, as the only man ever to captain two winning teams at the Euros.

Iker Casillas lifted the trophy for La Roja at the 2008 and 2012 editions, keeping a clean sheet throughout the entire knockout phase of both and being named in the team of the tournament on each occasion, thanks to his agility and lightning-quick reflexes.

Of course, his crowning glory came in the 2010 World Cup final, when with the game still goalless, Casillas denied Arjen Robben an apparently certain goal by saving with an outstretched leg; La Roja then went on to claim global glory for the very first time.

Pulling off such saves from point-blank range also made him a fixture with one of the game's biggest clubs, and during a 16-year career at Real Madrid, Casillas won La Liga five times, the Copa del Rey twice and the Champions League on three occasions.

RIGHT-BACK: SERGIO RAMOS

In our four-man defence, a blend of Spanish steel and English grace will be required to provide a cast-iron rearguard with potential to build up from the back.

Sergio Ramos finished his international career as record caps-holder (on 180), having led La Roja's back line for 16 years following his debut as a versatile teenager.

Not only could Ramos feature on the right or at the heart of the defence, but he also gained renown as a penalty taker, scoring from the spot in both the Euro 2008 final win over Germany and the semi-finals of Euro 2012.

A spiky character with endless reserves of will, the ex-Real Madrid man added some grit to Spain's tiki-taka style and was a constant presence throughout their golden run of three successive tournament triumphs.

For good measure, Ramos won five La Liga titles, two Spanish cups and four Champions Leagues, captaining Los Blancos with the same authority as for his nation.

CENTRE-BACKS: CARLES PUYOL, BOBBY MOORE

Another member of the 100-cap club, Barcelona stalwart Carles Puyol is selected ahead of several other contenders due to his never-say-die spirit and fearless defending.

Puyol first became Barca captain in 2004 - a role he only relinquished 10 years later upon retirement - and forged a rock-solid relationship with club rival Ramos at the centre of La Roja's defence.

In addition to his highly successful international career, in which he scored one of just three Spain goals to decide the 2010 World Cup semi-final, he won six La Liga titles, three domestic cups and a trio of Champions Leagues.

Quick, strong and outstanding in the air, this brilliant man-marker can knit our back line together.

Puyol would be best complemented by a more cerebral centre-back partner, and 108-cap England legend Bobby Moore certainly fits the bill: the inspirational captain of the Three Lions' 1966 World Cup-winning team was admired worldwide for his superb reading of the game.

Fellow greats Franz Beckenbauer and Pele both claimed he was the best defender they ever faced, which counters those who choose to highlight Moore's relative lack of pace.

Spending 16 years with West Ham United also saw him go down in Hammers history, while his stay in the NASL helped bring the beautiful game to American audiences during the 1970s.

There is no doubt that English football's most revered defender adds a touch of gravitas to our all-time XI.

LEFT-BACK: ASHLEY COLE

Despite compiling 107 caps for his nation, Ashley Cole is often overlooked when England's best servants are discussed, but the former Arsenal, Chelsea and Roma defender was a fine exponent of modern full-back play.

An international career spanning 13 years saw the skilled left-back stunt many opposition wingers, including one Cristiano Ronaldo, who once hailed Cole as his toughest opponent.

With three traditional defenders in our lineup, his lightning speed and crossing ability would offer forwards a supply to feast upon, while forcing opposing full-backs to drop back.

With such a capable unit keeping the back door shut, our combined side can therefore concentrate on skill over strength in midfield.

CENTRE-MIDFIELD: ANDRES INIESTA, XAVI

Primarily remembered for his role in Spain's 2010 World Cup breakthrough, midfield maestro Andres Iniesta also started all 12 of La Roja's games at the European Championships of 2008 and 2012.

The diminutive Barcelona star scored the final-winning goal in South Africa, before going on to be crowned Euro 2012's best player two years later.

Despite lacking pace, Iniesta could glide past opponents using his brilliant balance and ball control, while making the play with perfectly measured passes came as second nature to a pure footballing genius.

Named in the FIFPro World XI for nine consecutive years - demonstrating impressive longevity - his relative lack of ego also makes him an ideal foil for flashier teammates.

For club and country alike, Iniesta and fellow La Masia graduate Xavi were bound together throughout their incredible careers, and the latter must also be included in this all-time lineup.

Finishing with 133 caps to his name, Xavi's peerless vision powered La Roja to numerous victories and kept the greatest Barcelona team ticking throughout a period of unparalleled success.

His ability to find space and use it wisely, while hardly ever losing the ball, helped Spain to three major trophies and aided Barca in picking up three Champions Leagues and no fewer than nine Spanish titles.

Only Lionel Messi has played more times for the Catalan giants, and including another clever playmaker ensures an abundance of creativity in our combined team.

ATTACKING MIDFIELD: SIR BOBBY CHARLTON

A gold-standard legend for both England and Manchester United, Sir Bobby Charlton was integral to the Three Lions team that lifted the World Cup on home soil in 1966, and he is generally considered one of the greatest players of all time.

Often used as a forward, he will occupy an advanced midfield role in this XI, making the most of his superb range of passing and notorious rocket-shots from distance.

After overcoming tragedy to make more than 600 appearances for United and win the Ballon D'Or, Charlton ultimately earned 106 caps and produced 49 international goals, setting new marks as his nation's most-capped player and top scorer.

Only Wayne Rooney (in 2015) and then Harry Kane seven years later have since surpassed that latter record, but this quiet hero's contribution to English football will never be forgotten.

FORWARDS: WAYNE ROONEY, DAVID VILLA, RAUL

Bursting onto the scene as a carefree teenager, Wayne Rooney made a whirlwind impact on the international stage, lighting up Euro 2004 with a series of confident, tenacious performances.

Though the Three Lions came up short of the top prizes during his career, Rooney's thrilling combination of pace, power and pinpoint passing was perhaps the highlight of England's 'golden generation', which ultimately failed to produce the goods.

Also a Champions League and Premier League winner with Manchester United, the versatile forward could play anywhere across the front line, threatening to score or create a goal from the slightest sliver of an opening.

Capable of interchanging with Charlton in the 'number 10' role or starting out wide, Rooney can also operate as a central striker, boasting the significant title of United's all-time top scorer.

An extraordinary strike rate (59 goals from 98 games) sees Spain's leading marksman David Villa earn his place up front, ahead of Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer, Fernando Torres, et al.

A hat-trick in La Roja's 4-1 win over Russia in the Euro 2008 group stage kick-started his country's first successful campaign for several decades, and two years later at the 2010 World Cup he scored five times en route to victory.

That earned Villa a transfer from Valencia to Barcelona, where he won two La Ligas and a Champions League playing in Pep Guardiola's masterful team that dominated European football for years - and tactical thinking for some time afterwards.

Like Rooney, a superb finisher with several strings to his bow, the potential for link-up play is substantial, making our fluid front line a nightmare to defend against.

Ending a remarkable career with 44 goals from 102 Spain caps, Raul is included for both his clinical finishing and to balance out this combined XI's attack.

The classy left-footed forward also starred for Real Madrid during their galactico era, sitting third on the club's all-time goalscoring list and making the most appearances for Los Blancos to date.

Involved in six La Liga title wins and three Champions Leagues, his presence had waned just as La Roja moved into their most successful period ever, but that should not diminish his standing.

Spain captain for five years - and of Madrid from 2003 to 2010 - his leadership skills are not to be underestimated either.

SPORTS MOLE'S ALL-TIME SPAIN VS. ENGLAND COMBINED XI

All-time Spain vs. England XI: Casillas; Ramos, Puyol, Moore, Cole; Iniesta, Xavi, B Charlton; Rooney; Villa, Raul