Great selection! I guess cavani, Bale, Mata and Xabi Alonso are on the bench then!

I not totally agree,
Falcao is a great striker though, but I think Zlatan should replace him! He is from antother level like Messi and CR7. And he can be desicive out of nothing and force something.
For the rest, pretty nice squad

I never usually agree fully with Pedro's articles.

But I have to say that team is spot, although you could some players could come in there easily.

Here is an alternative team. Just some changes if some people disagree with the above selection.

-----------Neuer----------

Lahm---Ivanovic-------Hummels----Alba--

----------–Alonso/Pirlo------

-----Reus/Mata------------–Iniesta----

Messi-------Falcao/Van Persie------Ronaldo--

Goalkeeper: Casillas

Defenders: P. Lahm, Pepe, Sergio Ramo, Jordi Alba

Midfielders: Xabi Alonso, Xavi, Iniesta, Ribery

Forwards: Messi, C. Ronaldo

Esse português não entende nada de futebol! Essa seleção dele é da Europa? Então, especifique a notícia como uma seleção européia....

Hart
Ramos Thiago silva Chielini Cole

Pirlo

Iniesta Toure

Messi Falcao Ronaldo

I would replace alba with lahm and would remove kompany to include ivanovic

Van persie would replace ronaldo or be his substitute

Personal preference

-–Casillas--

Ramos-Kompany-Hummels-Alba–

-–Pirlo–

-–Toure--–Fabregas–

Messi-Van Persie–Ronaldo–

My comment will be bilingual, in two parts: football is played not JUST in Europe and IF Mr. Pedro Pinto really worked for a TRULY international network, its "fantasy" team had to be quite different indeed. It is really a pity to see this because most of the time I like Mr. Pinto's remarks about this great sport. Go back home and do your homework. If you don't, you are certainly contributing to CNN loss of hundred of millions of viewers on the parts of the world you are ignoring.

Segunda parte – vou ter de concordar completamente com o PauloT acima caso a notícia não seja retificada.

Where's Thiago Silva?

Dear Pedro,

soccer is played in other European coutries as well. You should check it our to broaden your horizon.

The front three are obvious. Toure and Iniesta are justified, but Kompany, Pirlo, Cech?? I f you check the stats you'll find these players more media icons than really decisive players. Even Ramos that you have on the right, has been playing central defender for quite some time now and he has proven shaky especially in big games.

@Jesse,amsterdam

Ibrahimovic tends to disappear in games and its very hard to predict how he would play in a match, but he's still a very good player.

Besides this is a list for, who are the best players for 2012 and for me Falcao has done more this year than Ibrahimovic, even Van Persie has been better this year than Ibrahimovic.

----------casillas--------

ramous-----hummels---kompany-–alba

---xavi-----fabregas-----inesta

-MESSI----------------RONALDO

-----------AGÜERO-------–

Pedro: do you only watch european football? C'mon, you can do better than that.

By the looks of things Mr.Pedro has only taken a look at two of Europe's leagues this year. (:

And even then, he has not done a very good job.

I would say Aguero and V.Persie have played much better than Falcao throughout 2012.

Hart has been the best keeper by a mile.

I would pick Bale for my squad over Iniesta and Toure any day

Just saying!

I would make only one change; Pirlo is good but Xavi Hernandez of Barca
is much better. This player is very much underrated.

I place Casillas not Chec

The highest level of football is play in Europe which is why I fully agree with the team with the minor tweak of Pirlo at the expense of Toure. Good article nonetheless! check out my blog and tell me what you think
http://km394.wordpress.com/

Thank God you left out Neymar of Brazil!

as i dont c enough to make fair,jojmont.....that team is goohd enoth4me

What about Neymar, from Santos Football Club? He's young (20) and Brazil's best player!

I am a big fan of Pedro pinto and his knowledge in the world of football...but I think Gareth Bale instead of Jordi Alba and Casillas instead of Cech should make the playing XI, But still it is a formidable team he put up.....please tell me that coentrao, xavi, mata, Mario gomez, el sharawy,david luiz and aguero make the bench

where is suarez!?

Para Paulot

Ainda que três dos escolhidos não são europeus.
Não sei se é o Português ou o Brasileiro que nao entende

I'm liking the team! You know your football. Personally I would've picked Mascherano for the centre back position but that's different views for you.

Where is Zlatan Ibrahimovic ? Otherwise Senhor Pedro has offered a formidable line up. I am happy for the world class defender Vince. He keeps on improving all the time. Even if named captain of the side, the polyglot from Flanders will do wonders on and off the field.

A team of 11 is just not fair to Thiago Silva and Van Persie and it is not fair to exclude any of the 11. I agree that Casillas, Xabi Alonso and Ibrahimovich head the next team. How about a team of 11 with at least these 5 as replacements?

GK: Cech
DF: Abate, Kompany, Thiago Silva, Ashely cole
MF: Iniesta, ozil, Toure YAYA
FW:CR7, BENZEMA,MATA

– VAN PERSIE, AGUERO?? no!

Mr. Pedro, do you know any team south american? Do you know Corinthians? This club is actual champion Brazilian league (2011), Copa Libertadores and Fifa Club World Cup. Brazil is the better football's team all time.

pedro pinto is a big fan of me, but i prefer this squad

casilas
chiellini ramos pepe alba

xabi alonso
ozil iniesta

messi c ronaldo
falcao

ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI

If FIFA was a nation and if it was it would of been one of the richest, the world would have call for sanction and a boycott against them for tolerating and not taking a tougher stance against RACISM, so why not just do that, because the only way to stop RACISM in football is, not to tolerate it at all and i agree with both teams stopping the game and walking off the field, also there should be bans and fines on clubs or countries, so FIFA your campaign against RACISM, #KickRacismOutOfFootball is now a campaign for FIFA to take a tough stance against RACISM #KickRacismOutOfFIFA

Great team – SO good to see that Sergio Ramos receives the credit he so richly deserves.

Best defender in the world.

Mr. Pedro Pinto have become somewhat of a publicist of European clubs, as his articles and selections only show how bias he and CNN have become. Ignoring South American clubs and players only show CNN's sheer ignorance about the sport of football. Let's set the record straight for the public's sake, as deception should not be so bluntly publicized in a forum of the caliber of CNN.

In 2012, there were only two significant worldwide competitions in football.
1- The London Olympics which had an all Latin American final between Mexico and Brazil, and Mexico won the gold medal.
2- The FIFA Club World Cup final between the European champions Chelsea and Latin American champions, Corinthians of Brazil, and Corinthians won the competition.

With that, I can only say that CNN is doing a disservice to its readership by promoting the supremacy of "European Football" as facts and stats should speak louder than any publicist's attempt to ignore them. I believe it is time for CNN to review its sports editorial board, as my post is not the only one claiming for more fairness.

i can totaly agree with you Pedro you peaked the strongest squad possible this year i would only make one change "Robin Van Persie instead of Falcao"

I do miss Zlatan in this selection. His incredible skills sometimes surpass Messi

how can you put Ramos in this team,what about dani alves,philip lahm,maicon,any day any time they are better than Ramos.for the keepers,Buffon,cech,neur and Hart are all far better than casillas,he isnt the keeper he was 5-10 years ago

This team is pretty good. Obviously people have their own opinions, and each person have their own favorites. For what it's worth, here's my team.

GK: Iker CASILLAS
DF: Jordi ALBA, Matts HUMMELS, Vincent KOMPANY, Sergio RAMOS
MF: Yaya TOURE, Andreas INIESTA, Juan MATA
FW: Lionel MESSI, Christiano RONALDO, Radamel FALCAO

SUBS (9): Petr CECH, Thiago SILVA, Branislav IVANOVIC, Cesc FABREGAS, Andrea PIRLO, Xabi ALONSO, Robin VAN PERSIE, Sergio AGUERO, Zlatan IBRAHIMOVIC

Re: Glauco Ortolano
Sorry for the delay in publishing your post. We have a small team and it got lost over the weekend.

Is this person informed about football leagues outside of Europe? I am not so sure the best football is played in Europe. I think it looks nicer on TV, greener fields, better cameras, but not necessarily better football.

Casillas
Ramos Kompany chiellini Alba
Pirlo
Mata Iniesta Ronaldo
RVP Messi

Falcao's not so very fast start to the season puts him just behind rVp for me.

Casillas

Lahm Ramos Chillini Alba

Xavi

Ozil Messi Inesita

Falcao Ronaldo

Fantasy football: Pedro Pinto's team of 2012

i agree is the best team :

i agree is the best team of 2012

Did anyone else actually watch Sergio Ramos play last year? An overrated thug of a (central) defender. His positioning is so poor.

------Buffon-----–
Lahm–Chiellini–Kompany–Alba
------Toure------
----Messi---Iniesta---
-Ronaldo--Falcao--RVP-–

Glauco Ortolano:

The Olympics is not a major football competition. It is a competition for young players. That's it.

The Toyota Cup is taken much more seriously in Latin America than in Europe. A competition with only one team per continent competing cannot claim to be a serious World Cup. If you really believe Corinthians is the best club in the World then you should think seriously about it.

The best players in the world happen to play in Europe (with the possible exception of Neymar) and in the squad I can see 2 South American players and one African, so they haven't totally been ignored.

For all those that complained here about Pedro Pinto's team being only European based I ask, do you have any arguments whatsoever or are just criticising for the sake of it? Really, look at South American football with objectivity. Where do the best players in SA leagues get transfered to? Europe. In which continent do most of the players that get called for the national teams (obviously the best), come World Cup and Copa America, play? Yes, that's right, Europe. Corinthians won the Club World Cup because English teams do not care about the competition. Like most of Europeans, it has to be said. And Neymar's Santos was completely trounced by Barcelona last year so no argument there. About the Olympics, I must remind that was a U23 tournament where not even Mexico's and Brazil's team had their best players. They had the best young players, which is different. Besides, I followed Brazil with great interest because I find they have plenty of potential there. Yes, potential, which means they are still not the best. I found out Neymar disappointing. Obviously he wasn't Brazil's best player in London. Who I though were the best players? Oscar, Hulk and Leandro Damião. Where 2 of these players play? Yes, Europe. By the way, it is said that the third might join Tottenham soon... Finally, I have read some reports that a certain Clarence Seedorf is still enjoying fine performances in Brazil. That certainly closes the discussion for me. Don't get me wrong on this, I find that SA leagues have plenty of potential, specially Brazil's and given the right Economic grown and investment it might become sooner rather than later the best league with the best players in the world. It is just that we are not there yet. Certainly not this year.

up barcelona

My team:

Casillas

Lahm Chiellini Hummels Alba

Yaya
Xavi Iniesta

Ronaldo Messi Bale

The attitude I find on some of these posts above only prove to me how influenced some people have become with all this media hype which portrays European football as the "best in the world". For instance, to say that Brazilian football has a "lot of potential" sounds very condescending to me, to say the least.

Just for the record. In the last 20 years (last 5 cups), Brazil has reached a FIFA World Cup of Nations 3 times (60%) and has won 2 titles. Which other nation has come even close to that record? Certainly not Spain with a record of 1 finish in 19 cups. Brazil, on the other hand has reached a World Cup final 7 times in 19 cups. That's like saying that Brazil is capable of reaching a World Cup final almost 40% of the time. And a 7X1 differential certainly means a lot of more than just "good potential".

As for the FIFA Club World Cup, ever since its inception in 2000, Brazilian clubs have won 4 titles, Italian clubs 2 titles, Spanish clubs 2 titles, and English clubs 1 title. Once again, Brazilian clubs have won an impressive 30% of all cups.

Football is a sport not an art movement. And as far as I know, sports are competitive events which we watch to find out who the winner is. And the winner should be acclaimed as the best.

So, saying that a competition of the caliber of the FIFA Club World Cup is not important because people in Europe don't pay attention to it is just ludicrous. Europe brings their champion, we bring ours, and then we see who the best one is. It's that simple.

Everything else are just opinions, and opinions come in all shapes and sizes and are worth less than a penny each; whereas proven records are simply indisputable. So, I strongly recommend that one should base his/her opinion on facts and not on perceptions for that is what separates the fools from the wise.

I would like to have Daniel Alwes(Barcelona) inplace of Yaya Toure, because is team man, whose crosses have been deadly.

Goal Keeper: Casillas

Defenders: Poul--Alba--Pique

Midfielders: Xavi--Ineista--Ozil--Benzima

Strickers: Bale--Messi--Falcao

OMG! Where's samuel Et'O Phils. a wonderful striker

Think Alba doesn't deserve his spot.

My team of 2012:
Cech, A.Cole, Hummels, Kompany, Alba, Xavi, Iniesta, Ronaldo, Messi, Mata, Van Persie