If Uefa and Fifa authorities followed through their threat to ban any player whose club is involved in the proposed European Super League, world football giants like Cristiano Ronaldo and Leonel Messi, are among the best XI stars that could be banned from playing at the World Cup.
Currently, twelve of Europe’s top clubs have already elected to be part of the close-shop breakaway league.
Already, the ‘Big Six’ Premier League teams constitute half of the 12 teams that have already signed up for the ESL, with a reported £4.6billion cash financed by JP Morgan.
Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus are the remaining six at this stage.
That may mean many of the world’s best players are expelled from World Cups and European Championships.
But who would get into the best XI from the 12 ‘founder’ teams of the ESL?
Between the sticks there are plenty of candidates with Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Ederson and Alisson in with a shout but Jan Oblak is arguably the best of the bunch.
The Atletico Madrid and Slovenia stopper has been in fine form since moving to the LaLiga side in 2014.
A back three includes Real Madrid skipper Sergio Ramos, £75million Liverpool hero Virgil van Dijk and Juventus star Matthijs de Ligt.
Ronaldo and Messi, with 11 Ballons d’Or between them – line up in the attack in this all-star team… but may end their careers failing to lead their countries to World Cup glory.
And it is Harry Kane who gets the nod as the No9 leading the line, with Romelu Lukaku missing out.
There are, of course, still plenty of top players missing out including French World Cup winners Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kante and Antoine Griezmann.
Rising English stars Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka and Mason Mount join Trent Alexander-Arnold and Marcus Rashford on the sidelines.
