AI Names the Greatest 23-man Squad in Football History - Zero British Players

ChatGPT has selected a legendary 23-man squad for the greatest football team of all time, featuring iconic players such as Maradona, Messi, Pele, and Ronaldo. This squad's composition might influence punters by highlighting the historic significance of these players, potentially impacting betting on future matches involving their respective teams or national sides.

Picking a 23-man squad for an international tournament is tough enough, leaving some players gutted that they haven't forced their way into their national team manager's plans for huge summer competitions - let alone picking one for the best squad of all-time. Legends have graced the game since its inception, with the standard only getting better in recent decades, leading to fans, pundits and even players picking what they determine to be an 'all-time' team. It's almost impossible to call, and debates will rage on for hours over why one player should be included over another, and vice versa. However, AI has aimed to settle the debate - and GIVEMESPORT can reveal who ChatGPT has chosen for its best-ever 23-man squad in a bid to settle the arguments once and for all - though there are no British players included.

ChatGPT found room for Maradona, Messi, Pele and Cristiano Ronaldo in its greatest XI in football history.

Goalkeepers There are plenty of names that could have landed on this list, but with countries at international tournaments restricted to choosing just three goalkeepers, AI has followed a similar route. The only ever goalkeeper to win the Ballon d'Or , Russian legend Lev Yashin, is the first name mentioned. Nicknamed 'The Black Spider', Yashin spent his entire career at hometown side Dynamo Moscow, winning the Soviet Top League five times, as well as winning the Euros in 1960 - being named in the Team of the Tournament twice and, of course, landing the famous Ballon d'Or in 1963.

Joining him is Italian hero Gianluigi Buffon , noted for his longevity, commanding presence and excellence for club and country in a playing career that spanned four differenct decades - the majority of which came for Juventus , as well as 176 caps for Italy. With a World Cup to his name, 10 Serie A titles and six Coppa Italia trophies, he's an insanely decorated stopper.

And rounding off the list is the modern-day great Manuel Neuer . He revolutionised the 'sweeper-keeper' role, being excellent in possession and a fine shot-stopper to boot. Stars such as Iker Casillas could be unfortunate to miss out, but there is no doubting the quality of the aforementioned trio.

Defenders Kicking us off is another historic legend in Germany hero Franz Beckenbauer. He was another who excelled and revolutionised the role, just like his compatriot Neuer - making the qualities of a 'sweeper' his defining traits, being a tactical innovator and helping progress his teams up the pitch.

Then come two Italian greats in Paolo Maldini and Franco Baresi. The AC Milan duo were outstanding at the back for the Rossoneri with Baresi featuring for the club for two decades as well as winning 81 caps for Italy, being noted for his 'supreme positional awareness' according to AI - whilst being touted as their defensive genius of the 1980s and 1990s.

It's no surprise that their most successful period in history came whilst he was partnering Maldini, who was capable of playing at centre-back and left-back - winning five Serie A titles and three European Cups together. Maldini's timing in the tackle and defensive awareness saw Milan break records, including conceding just 15 goals in the 1993-94 season to take the Scudetto - and so the duo being included is only fair.

And finally, rounding off the list is Real Madrid legend Sergio Ramos. An aggressive defender who played a huge part in securing the club's 10th Champions League, and then furthering that throughout the 2010s, Ramos could also play at right-back - and his ability to get goals in huge moments meant that, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, he was one of their most important players in a largely successful decade for both clubs and country, having also won Spain's three international trophies in a period of dominance from 2008 through to 2012.

No surprises here - the Brazilian duo of Cafu and Roberto Carlos have found their way onto the list, which was massively expected. AI note Cafu as being a 'tireless' attacking right-back, who defined and was a trailblazer in the modern era of full-backs who galavant down the touchline in search of assists. The former Roma and AC Milan star enjoyed an illustrious career with 142 caps for his country, as well as 557 appearances at club level for a plethora of sides - mainly Sao Paulo, Roma and AC Milan.

Two Serie A titles, a Champions League winners medal and two World Cups - in which he was the captain for the second - see him make the list alongside compatriot Carlos. He, meanwhile, enjoyed a similar career, with the majority of his performances coming for Real Madrid.

Roberto Carlos' Real Madrid statistics - record by competition Competition Appearances Goal contributions La Liga 370 127 Copa del Rey 33 8 Champions League (including qualifiers) 109 43 UEFA Super Cup 3 2 Supercopa de Espana 6 1 Blessed with pace, a rocket shot and scoring two of the most famous goals of all time, he won four La Liga trophies and three Champions Leagues with the Bernabeu outfit, as well as multiple individual awards, coming second in the 2002 Ballon d'Or.

Joining them is Bayern Munich legend Phillip Lahm, who is noted for being 'tactically flawless', and capable of playing on both sides of the defence. Although not the quickest, Lahm's footballing IQ set him out from the rest, and he was rarely, if ever, caught out despite his small frame and lack of blistering speed.

And finally, the fourth member of the squad is Argentina and Inter Milan legend, Javier Zanetti. Blessed with 'incredible stamina', Zanetti is another who was versatile and his longevity, winning the treble with Inter in the 2010 season, being captain for 13 years and being the foreigner with the most appearances in the competition, including five title wins.

Midfielders This section is split into two categories - with three defensive, or deep-lying midfielders making the cut, as well as four central or attacking midfielders to unlock defences. Coming in as a defensive option, and in first-choice, is Lothar Matthaus. The German star is the quintessential 'box-to-box' option, having a lethal shot, an incredible ending as well as being a leader and a real reason for Germany's dominance throughout the decade-long spell between his two trophies for his nation.

Winning the Ballon d'Or aged 29, Matthaus also had a period of success with Bayern Munich over two spells, winning six Bundesliga titles as well as two German Cups - and his goalscoring record of one goal in less than every four games is an outstanding tally for someone who revolutionised the 'No.6' role.

Joining him are two of the best passers of a football the world has ever seen, in Xavi Hernandez and Andrea Pirlo . Xavi is noted for controlling the tempo, linking up with Barcelona teammates Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta in the Blaugrana's period of 'La Masia' dominance, perfecting his craft in Pep Guardiola 's 'tiki-taka' style of play to become one of the most decorated footballers of-all-time.

Pirlo, meanwhile, wasn't quite as advanced as Xavi, but his passing range is up there with the best of all-time, alongside his vision, calmness under pressure and set-piece ability. Pirlo's composure and long-passing could turn his teams from defence to attack in an instant, and that is evidenced by his nonchalant manner that saw him win various titles at AC Milan and Juventus, as well as the 2006 World Cup with Italy.

Now we are getting into some of the best attacking superstars the game has ever produced. First on the list is French legend Zinedine Zidane . AI describes him as being 'elegant' and 'clutch', coming up with game-winning moments throughout his career - such as a penalty in the 2006 World Cup final, one of the greatest goals of all-time in the 2002 Champions League final win against Bayer Leverkusen, and generally running games from start to finish with his close control and unusually large frame for a midfielder making him impossible to tackle.

Next up is a player who is always in with a shout of being one of the best of all-time in Diego Maradona . Arguably the world's first big superstar, the Argentine's low centre of gravity, tenacity and close control made him a player who got fans out of their seats, always guessing what his next move would be - and the 1986 World Cup saw him shoot to stardom with the trophy under his belt, especially after the Hand of God against England which also saw him claim one of the best goals of all-time after his mazy run against the Three Lions.

The 35 greatest footballers of all time have been named but who comes out on top; Messi, Ronaldo or Maradona? Another Frenchman joins Zidane in Michel Platini. Noted for his goalscoring ability, three consecutive Ballon d'Or titles in the mid-1980s saw him become the world's best player for some time, winning the European Championship with France in 1984 as well as the European Cup with Juventus and two Serie A titles around the same time. An orchestrator as well as having a keen eye for goal, his dominance in his prime should not be understated.

And a modern-day great in Kevin de Bruyne joins them. Arguably the attacking midfielder with the best passing range in modern times, the Belgian has done things with a football on a consistent basis that nobody has ever done, becoming Manchester City 's greatest player of all-time in their most successful period as a club, alongside carving out assists that simply blow the human mind.

Forwards There was always going to be a space in this squad for Lionel Messi , wasn't there? Noted by many as the greatest to ever kick a football, the diminutive Argentine is able to play as a right-winger, false nine or an attacking midfielder, with unparalleled creativity and ruthless finishing alongside mesmerising dribbling. One of the greatest goalscoring records of all-time, and one of the best assist catalogues of all-time, he was always going to make the list.

So was his career rival, Cristiano Ronaldo . The Portuguese legend started his career on the right-wing as a flair-gifted trickster, slowly making his way over to the left flank owing to his ability to score from distance, and his height later saw him become a striker in the latter stages of his career. That ability to do it all, alongside winning six Ballon d'Or's, and being the footballer with the most goals in recorded history means he was never going to miss out on this list.

Their backup option is Brazilian star Ronaldinho. Before Messi and Ronaldo came onto the scene around the same time, Ronaldinho was at the peak of his powers and arguably the best in the world for a decent amount of time. Joga Bonito coursed through his blood, and the 'Beautiful Game' was best enraptured by the former Barcelona star, with his flair, trickery and unpredictability leaving defenders scrambling for years.

It's an all-Brazilian lineup to end the list. Pele, the first ever major star in football, is the first-choice. Despite being small in stature, his three World Cup trophies and an outrageous goal catalogue made him an opponent to be in awe of, as well as winning six Brazilian Serie A titles - five of which came consecutively.

A further seven Ballon d'Or titles, including four in a row, saw him become Brazil's best-ever player - with 64 goals in 46 games in the 1965 season being one of the best individual campaigns of all-time. Still the youngest player to win a World Cup, and his country's second-highest goalscorer after Neymar . But for injuries, he could have been overtaken by compatriot Ronaldo Nazario, who finds himself as backup to the godfather of Brazilian football.

GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Pele still has the best goals-per-game ratio of any Brazil player, notching 0.84 goals per game in a yellow shirt. Largely seen as the best one-on-one finisher in football history, 'O Fenomeno' began his career in blinding form with Cruzeiro at just 17, before embarking on a 14-year career in Europe, winning eight major trophies as well as two World Cups, two Copa Americas and the Confederations Cup with his country.

AI notes Ronaldo as being the 'perfect No.9', with pace, power, dribbling and finishing all being a part of his repertoire - noted by his two Ballon d'Or titles. If he hadn't suffered knee injuries at Inter Milan in his mid-twenties, who knows what Ronaldo could have achieved in the modern game?

Honourable Mentions There are a few names who are so unlucky to miss out - Johan Cruyff is one name, who only misses out thanks to Messi and Ronaldo's brilliance, whilst Iniesta missed out to Xavi and Zidane, due to their diversity in style. AI names others such as George Best, Thierry Henry , Dani Alves, Patrick Vieira and Ruud Gullit as unfortunate to not be included, though they simply don't get in as others edged them out due to tight competition.

Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt . Correct as of 07-07-25. AI has named the 15 most 'complete' players in footballing history - with one glaring omission.

The best 23-man squad in footballing history has been named by AI - with some incredible selections and some unfortunate to miss out

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