Marcus Rashford’s story from boyhood Red to one of Manchester United’s greatest assets of the modern era is one to applaud – and, along the way, he’s had the chance to play against/alongside some fantastic footballers such as Cristiano Ronaldo.
But does the 40-year-old Portuguese talisman, who made a name for himself at Old Trafford between 2003 and 2009 after moving from Sporting CP, make it into the winger’s all-time footballing XI?
Speaking to Spanish YouTube channel XBuyer in Marbella, Wythenshawe-born Rashford spoke about all things from his adoration for Lamine Yamal, his potential Old Trafford exit and – most interestingly – which players made it into his all-time XI.
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Goalkeeper & Defence
Gianluigi Buffon, Cafu, Alessandro Nesta, Paolo Maldini, Roberto Carlos
Although he’s one of the greatest players to never win the Champions League, there's no debate that Gianluigi Buffon is a bonafide footballing legend – especially while plying his trade for Juventus. But don’t let his lack of European silverware distract from how imperious he was inbetween the sticks.
Alessandro Nesta and Paolo Maldini, across their respective careers, naturally come as a pair and although the former often goes under the radar, Rashford is clearly a keen admirer of the wavy-haired Italian – who spent a large chunk of his career in his homeland, more notably with AC Milan and SS Lazio.
Maldini is Rossoneri’s highest appearance maker (901) of all-time – but it’s not just his longevity that he’s revered for. Widely regarded as one of the best players in Serie A history, the Milan-born titan was defensively resolute, which saw him win plenty of awards (both individual and collective) in his career.
Flanking the Italian duo in Rashford’s all-time XI are Cafu and Roberto Carlos, who both enjoyed terrific careers with the Brazilian national team. For Seleção, the two lined up on either side of the back four on a whopping 93 occasions. It’s a full-back duo that struck fear into the most threatening forward lines.
Midfield
Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, Zinedine Zidane
Kicking things off is Barcelona and Spain royalty Xavi Hernandez, whose understanding of the game was a cut above the rest when he was manning engine rooms on a week-by-week basis. Not only that, but his ability to dictate games at his own pace, at times, was otherworldly – especially given that he was always one step ahead.
And you know what they say: where Xavi is, Andres Iniesta is typically never too far away. The pair worked in perfect tandem for the majority of their careers – for Barcelona and Spain – and Iniesta was the more creative of the two, often springing attacks out of thin air and dribbling past defenders with relative ease.
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Elegance personified, Marseille-born Zinedine Zidane completes Rashford’s three-man midfield constellation. His skill-set was unique: the Frenchman possessed the pace and power to bully opponents but also the guile and grace to dance through engine rooms. There's no doubt – the midfielder, a 108-cap France international, was a one-of-a-kind footballer!
Forwards
Lionel Messi, Ronaldo Nazario, Cristiano Ronaldo
Who else but Lionel Messi to kick things off at the top of the tree? For all but a very few footballers/fans/managers, the 2022 World Cup winner would be one of the first names on the team sheet – and for good reason too! Ever since his Barcelona debut, the Argentine has gone from strength to strength.
And even now, during his Inter Miami swansong, the seasoned superstar is proving that age is just a number. Just watch his recent free-kick against Porto at the Club World Cup below:
In the centre-forward department, there are very few that come close to touching the immortal Ronaldo Nazario, who plied his trade for a litany of top European sides throughout his career. At his roaring best, the Brazilian was the best in the world.
A winner of the Ballon d’Or on two occasions – in 1997 and 2002 – what the affectionally monikered R9 could have achieved injury-free is unthinkable. His namesake, the aforementioned Cristiano Ronaldo, is also included by Rashford on the left wing.
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Following the Al-Nassr poster boy’s return to Manchester in 2021, Rashford finally got to link up with one of his boyhood heroes – and the two played together on 39 occasions as his dream came true. It should come as no surprise that he was chosen.