La Liga All-Time XI: Who Makes The Starting Lineup?

Iker Casillas

Becoming a Real Madrid starter as a teenager, Iker Casillas amassed over 500 appearances for Real and became a European champion three times along the way. Success in La Liga was frequent, too.

Casillas’ legacy at Real Madrid is immense. He spent 16 seasons at the club, and for the majority of that time he was among the top three or four ‘keepers in the world.

Unlike other great goalkeepers of his generation, there was never a period when he was the unquestioned best in the world, but the longevity and consistency made this an easy pick.

Dani Alves

A good right-back when he signed from Sevilla, Dani Alves evolved into a unique player from full-back.

He was as important as anyone in Pep Guardiola’s majestic Barcelona sides, and his chemistry Lionel Messi made their play a joy to watch. In total, Alves won 40 trophies for club and country across his career.

His role at Barcelona led the way for players like Trent Alexander-Arnold – Alves took attacking play from full-back to a new level, becoming a primary creator rather than a charging overlapper.

Gerard Pique

There was strong competition for this spot. Carles Puyol, Fernando Hierro or Ronald Koeman could have slotted in, but it’s Gerard Pique who gets the nod.

A great reader of the game, superb passer and sturdy tackler, Pique is the perfect image of the modern centre-back. He’s as comfortable on the ball as he is competing in the air.

When he left Manchester United, he was a defender with promise but little else. Three Champions League and eight La Ligas later, Pique is one of the greats.

Sergio Ramos

To utilise a popular footballing cliché; Sergio Ramos is a player you love if he’s on your side and you despise if he’s against you. He’s an irritant, he’s hot-headed, but he’s absolutely brilliant.

There are some players who always deliver in big games. More often than not, Ramos does. He has been the heart of this Real Madrid side that has enjoyed such success in Europe.

He’s usually a good online betting option to get booked and score. That’s just the way Sergio Ramos rolls.

Roberto Carlos

It was a case of picking between two of Real Madrid’s Brazilian left-backs here. Both Marcelo and Roberto Carlos were adored by neutrals.

Attack was their main priority, and they were capable of the spectacular, albeit that’s slightly more relevant for Carlos.

Carlos is one of the best full-backs in the history of the game. He won it all at Real Madrid, defending when necessary and troubling opponents as he flew down the left flank.

Xavi

Xavi was the centre of Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona. He was the hub of Spain’s international dominance. What Xavi did in midfield was usually simple, but it was done perfectly.

Along with his teammate Andres Iniesta, Xavi ticked the game over, he kept the ball moving and surgically examined the opposition’s defence, waiting for an opportunity to play the defence-splitting pass.

Andres Iniesta

Usually playing further forward than his long-time accomplice, Andres Iniesta provided some goal threat from midfield.

Iniesta’s ability to retain the ball out of the tightest of spaces, to slide passes behind the defence, created chances aplenty for Barcelona across his 16-year stint with the Catalan giants.

When Iniesta and Xavi played, few who bet on football went against Barcelona.

Zinedine Zidane

Zinedine Zidane is our third midfielder, playing just ahead of Iniesta. He spent some of his Real Madrid career playing out wide, but he could play wherever his team needed him.

The Frenchman combined silky footwork with a steely edge. A managerial career, and great success, has followed for Zidane, who made football look so, so easy.

A stalwart of La Liga predictions during his heyday, Zidane was the most influential player of his generation.

Johan Cruyff

Although his period in Spain was shorter than many others in this team, Johan Cruyff cannot be left out. What he did for Barcelona, how he changed how football is played, earns a place in any XI.

The introduction of Total Football to Barcelona, first as a player and then a manager, altered the course of the sport worldwide. Cruyff is as iconic as they come.

Lionel Messi

Well into his thirties, Lionel Messi remains by far the best player on the planet. His presence will alter European football expert picks for years to come, and Barcelona will face an impossible situation when he leaves or retires.

The six Ballons d’Or, 10 La Ligas and four Champions Leagues speak for themselves. Messi’s lethal left-foot, precise passing and mesmeric dribbling have made him the supreme force in European football for over a decade.

There will never be another Messi. Many already pick him as the best player of all-time – how much longer will maintain this level?

Cristiano Ronaldo

Of course, it is Messi’s long-term rival who takes the final spot in the front line. Cristiano Ronaldo is the Rafael Nadal to Messi’s Roger Federer.

Ronaldo and Real Madrid could not match Barcelona domestically. The Portuguese forward won just two La Ligas in his time in the Spanish capital, though Real were superior in Europe in the second half of the decade, winning four Champions Leagues.

A freak of an athlete and a ferocious competitor, Ronaldo and Messi are so very different as footballers and people. They are two of the greatest ever, and will be the first names mentioned when football in the 2010s is reflected on in decades to come.

Could Ronaldo be on the move again this summer? Wherever he is, he remains a major football betting tips factor to consider.