This was a close one between Buffon and Cech for me. I think although Cech is a strong contender, Buffon for me is the one who has a very strong proven record of many years. He also is more demanding of his defence when facing free kicks. His influence is part of the deciding factor as well as his brilliant goalkeeping attributes.

The defence is solid in my opinion. Vidic is difficult to get past and paired with Terry who has had a solid season. They can thwart attacks and can deal with aerial threats well. Sergio Ramos and Zambrotta are excellent and pacing down the wings to support the midfield and are good at long balls to the wingers. All in all they make a good defensive unit.

All great teams have powerful midfields. Gerrard will play a central anchoring role in the centre of the field. His excellent ability to find his target with the long ball will prove effective as well as his short passing and link up play ability. Christiano Ronaldo voted world player of the year by captains and managers. His dribbling skills are lethal when charging at the defences from the wing. His stamina is phenomenal. McGready possesses a good mix of dribbling and passing skills. These 3 midfielders together with their passing and dribbling skills form a formidable trio. The relentless charging forward from the wingers would be a nightmare for any team to face.

I don’t think many would argue about the scoring power of Torres. His record speaks for itself. A nightmare for any defense to be up against, especially along with Messi and Kaka both charging at the defence. Messi can turn around games with his creativity and natural ability to dribble. Kaka does well in close link up play which will be needed in any game.