We are 25 years into the new century, and with 25 years of FIFA (now EA Sports FC) and Pro Evolution Soccer games there are a litany of world-beating virtual footballers we’ve had the pleasure of controlling through the years. It can be hard to whittle down so many wonderful players into just a starting XI, but the final resulting squad is a truly awe-inspiring creation. This is the kind of squad that could make an opponent instantly quit on Ultimate Team.
Attack
Goals are what the game is all about, and goals are certainly the most fun part about playing a game of virtual soccer, so it’s no surprise that a lot of priority in world football goes to the offensive players. With that in mind, there’s a high standard for being one of the three players to crack the starting lineup. The three men who made the cut all manage to make their selection virtual no-brainers.
The center of the pitch goes to Arsenal great Thierry Henry. While FIFA and PES are rife with incredible strikers through the years, as the top ratings tend to skew up the pitch, Henry stands out. He was a silky, irrepressible player in the real world and this translated to FIFA games where I spent my entire high school years bagging massive goal tallies with Henry and the Gunners. No player felt like more of a sure thing when put in position to put the ball on goal than the Frenchman, and plugging him atop a team full of elite players to create for him is a mouth-watering recipe.
No storyline has owned world football over the last fifteen years like the rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, and whether you think Ronaldo is the greatest ever or you’re actually correct, both are no-brainers for the front-three of a Quarter Century team. While video games may not always have the same complex interplay as the real world to make full use of the dynamism of this front three, the unbelievable talents of both were still regularly on display in their world-beating virtual forms.
Midfield
The midfield is the engine of a team, massively important to both generating offense and shutting down opposing rushes. Finding the right balance in the midfield is as critical as finding the most talented players for those roles.
For a creative spark, it’s hard to top Ronaldinho, a player whose joy on the pitch was only surpassed by his talent. Ronaldinho could make the ball do anything at his feet, both in the form of tricky dribbles and jaw dropping finishes. His apex came in FIFA 06 where his suitably gaudy control stats made him a terror. With 97 Ball Control and 98 Dribbling he could cut through a defense and finish himself (97 Shot Accuracy) or feed a teammate for a tap-in (Passing 93) to leave your opponent with no good defensive options.
Behind Ronaldinho slot in two of the all-time greatest players to ever set foot on a pitch, with Zinedine Zidane and Patrick Vieira. Both men are capable of producing fantastically beautiful play when needed, unlocking defenses from deep or progressing to attack themselves, while also helping to provide a defensive platform for the back four to help keep balls out of your net as much as put them into your opponent’s.
In total, this creates a midfield three that can do it all. They would provide plenty of opportunities for the glut of talent in the front three, while chipping in plenty of offense themselves, but also serve as a disruption machine for opposing midfields to cut off counter attacks before they get off the ground.
Defense
While conceding the fewest goals over a season is not a guarantee of end of term success, creating a backline that borders on impassable is critical to assembling a truly elite team. A talented back four that works as a unit and maintains connection to its forward players ahead of it can completely shut down an opponent’s game before it even has a chance to get started.
No single pairing on the field may be more important than your center halves, and the All-Quarter Century lineup pulls from the past and present with Fabio Cannavaro and Virgil van Dijk getting the call to anchor the line. Both have enjoyed their time at the top of any talks of the best defenders on the planet, Cannavaro at the turn of the century and Van Dijk in recent years, and both are capable of disappearing elite strikers when required.
For our fullbacks we head to El Classico, as Spanish rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona donate a pair of superstars to the cause in Roberto Carlos and Carles Puyol. While the two may be more well known for facing off with each other’s clubs through the years, fans of both sides will grudgingly admit to the brilliance of their rival’s representative. With Carlos in the lineup you not only have a dynamic left back to play with, but also your team’s free kick taker responsibilities are nice and sorted, too.
Goalkeeper
If the platoons with just a few spots were a challenge to fill, then just a single pair of keeper gloves to hand out is nearly impossible. Through the years there have been incredible keepers who have had burner seasons or staked their claim out as best keeper for seasons at a time. Players like Allison, Thibaut Courtois, Manuel Neuer, David de Gea and more all had years where their virtual selves would be a viable option for this team.
The decisive factor for Gianluigi Buffon is his combination of both the high peak and the long period at the top. Buffon was an elite back wall at Juventus for virtually the entire 21st century before finally ceding the position, locking down the spot at one of the biggest clubs in the world. Not only does he have a decades-plus track record being at or near the top of the Keepers each year, but he’s also posted the highest rated Icon version for Ultimate Team.
This All-Quarter Century Video Game XI is absolutely stacked with talent, but some incredible players were left on the sidelines, as well. Who are your favorite all-time video game players that belong on the team?
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