Which 'Big 5' League Has the Best All-Time XI in History? (Ranked)

Which 'Big 5' League Has the Best All-Time XI in History? (Ranked)

Of the tens of thousands of football leagues around the world, ranging from obscure professional divisions in far-flung countries to your average London park Sunday league division, five in particular have risen to the top to become football’s creme de la creme, the ultimate destination.

These are the German Bundesliga, the French Ligue 1, the Spanish La Liga, the Italian Serie A and, of course, the English Premier League.

Over the years, the best players in the world have passed through these leagues, with some players earning legend status in multiple – but who makes each league’s “Best Ever” starting XI? And more importantly, once all five sides are arranged, which of them will eclipse their peers to become the ultimate “Best Ever” XI?

I’m going to have to make some difficult decisions in this one …

Premier League (4-3-3)

Of course, the Premier League clean sheet record holder, Petr Cech, has to start in goal, and there is good Chelsea representation in front of him too, with John Terry protecting the heart of the defence and Ashley Cole guarding the left flank.

United duo Rio Ferdinand and Gary Neville make up the rest of the backline, their 14 Premier League titles between them speaking for themselves – a huge part of the most dominant club in the Premier League for over a decade, both had to make the cut.

The midfield was a difficult choice - the likes of Patrick Vieira, Roy Keane, Paul Scholes and Claude Makelele all just missed the cut. However, the trio we settled on is something special in its own right.

Kanté is a shoo-in because of the story – instrumental in Leicester’s 5000/1 Premier League title win, he illustrated that he was not just a one-season wonder, going on to win a Premier League, Europa League, FA Cup and Champions League with Chelsea.

Then there are the two “Ards” - Frank and Steven, Lampard and Gerrard – compared to each other for their entire careers; they were the two figureheads of English football for a time, along with the likes of Wayne Rooney and David Beckham, both of whom narrowly missed the cut.

The two central midfielders won everything there was to win between them and were central to their teams’ successes across the 2000’s and 2010s – their goalscoring record from midfield was something to behold; Lampard netted 211 for Chelsea alone, while Gerrard found the net 186 times for the Reds, more often from 25+ yards than anywhere else.

Alan Shearer's Premier League career:

441 games 🏃
260 goals ⚽️

Legend. pic.twitter.com/EHVGZ5UE0y

— Old Days Football (@OldDaysFootball) July 31, 2017

Up top, my decision-making faltered – so many had to miss out, including Ronaldo, Hazard, Rooney, Kane, Mané and so many more, but when the credentials of the three who made the side are read aloud, you can understand why we put them there.

Ryan Giggs and his 13 Premier League titles, the most of any player in competition history, lay any argument that Ronaldo and Hazard have to rest, while Salah is the highest-scoring winger in Premier League history, his tally of 190 goals and counting putting him fourth in the all-time scorers list.

As for the starting striker, record goalscorer Shearer was always going to take top spot – though Harry Kane and Sergio Agüero may have had a better goals-to-game ratio, Shearer’s longevity and consistency marked him out as one of the greatest Premier League strikers of all time.

Despite being less successful in terms of trophies, his 260 Premier League appearances is a record that has stood since his retirement in 2006, and unless Kane (on 213) returns from the Bundesliga in the next year or so, it will stand for some time yet.

La Liga (4-2-3-1)

Though considered an inferior division to the Premier League, the Spanish top flight arguably boasts the strongest “best-ever” side of the lot, littered with generational Real Madrid and Barcelona talent.

However, we start in goal with someone you may not be familiar with – where are Iker Casillas and Victor Valdés? Well, Zubizarreta’s six La Liga titles eclipse both of their totals, and the former Bilbao, Barcelona, and Valencia player also boasts the most La Liga appearances ever, with 622. There’s a lot to be said for longevity.

At the back, Sergio Ramos and Dani Alves bring no surprises, but the inclusion of Fernando Hierro could be questioned by younger fans of the game. The Spaniard, who finished his career at Bolton Wanderers, became the definitive goalscoring centre-back, netting 102 times in 439 games for Real Madrid, winning five La Ligas and three Champions Leagues. Brazilian magician Roberto Carlos finishes things off at left back.

Now into midfield, the hardest segment of the pitch to pin down – once again, Fabregas misses out, as do Sergio Busquets, Toni Kroos, Xavi and Casemiro – the Spanish League really has seen some of the best midfielders of all time pass through its doors.

Ultimately though, it is the effervescent Luka Modric, Andres Iniesta and Real Madrid player and manager legend Zinedine Zidane who pip the rest to the post. With almost 1000 La Liga appearances between them, 14 La Liga titles, and 11 Champions League, this is a midfield trio that would dominate any era.

Andrés Iniesta - 2008/09 pic.twitter.com/qEpQPcNGOv

— A BILA (@abilasports) February 12, 2026

Up front, the trifecta of Ronaldo, Messi and Suarez was always a guarantee – Neymar was considered, but when put up against either winger, it was never a competition. Suarez, one of the greatest strikers the world has ever seen, loses any limelight thanks to the presence of 13 combined Ballon d’Ors on either side of him. One of the most dangerous front three’s any fantasy player could ever create,

Bundesliga (4-2-4)

Onto the German top flight now, and it’s no surprise to see Manuel Neuer take his place between the sticks. Eclipsing Oliver Kahn as Germany’s greatest-ever stopper, the original “sweeper keeper” has been in the conversation of best keeper in the world for 15 years straight, and despite being 39 years old now, he is showing no signs of slowing down.

Modern Bayern legends Philip Lahm and Mats Hummels naturally take their place in the starting XI, while legends of the 70s Franz Beckenbauer and Paul Breitner finish off the backline.

While many won’t be familiar with either, both were bona fide gods in their prime – another goalscoring centre back, Beckenbauer played 427 Bundesliga games and won absolutely everything there was, while Breitner, while very much unsung in the modern day, was a generational left-back, bringing astonishing attacking output along with defensive dominance.

The midfield is blessed with bags of energy, with Schweinsteiger mopping up in a deeper position and distributing forward, while Matthaus causes chaos at both ends, his tireless running and box-to-box nature the backbone of the team.

Lothar Matthaus
Borussia Monchengladbach
1979-1984 pic.twitter.com/WB7lNxAPYB

— SUPERB FOOTY PICS (@SuperbFootyPics) December 26, 2024

Up front, goals can come from all angles – Arjen Robben cutting onto his left foot is a recipe for disaster for any opposing team, while Franck Ribery’s pace, direct runs, and positional genius would baffle even the most accomplished defenders.

And then we get to the strikers – Lewandowski has rivalled Luis Suárez for the last decade in the argument for the greatest centre forward of this generation, while Gerd Müller needs no introduction.

FIFA’s most lethal icon card, the German accumulated an astonishing goal record – 68 goals in 62 games for Germany and a mind-boggling 398 goals in 455 games for Bayern. Whatever Lewandowski has accomplished in his career (and it’s a lot), I’m afraid Müller trumps him with room to spare.

Ligue 1 (4-3-3)

Though it is one of Europe’s top five leagues, the French top flight is often dismissed in casual conversation, labelled as a farmers' league and promptly forgotten about. But there is plenty more to the league than meets the eye – greats of the game have taken a detour to France, including Messi, Ronaldinho and Mauricio Pochettino... wait, no. That’s not right.

Keylor Navas was considered to start in goal, but the spot eventually went to Gregory Coupet – the former St Etienne, Lyon and PSG stopper made 451 appearances in the French top flight and became renowned as one of the best shot-stoppers around, highlighted by one of the best double saves you’ll ever see.

The back line is a healthy mix of modern-day and old-fashioned icons, with Thiago Silva and Eric Abidal representing modernity, while Laurent Blanc and Manuel Amoros both accomplished immense success in the 80s and 90s – Gen Z football fans, I’ll forgive you for being unfamiliar.

At the base of midfield, the most decorated PSG footballer in PSG, alongside Thiago Silva, sets the tempo, with Marco Veratti dictating the tempo from deep, while free-kick master Juninho and Jean Tigana run the channels in front of him.

Thiago Silva has confirmed he will leave PSG after 25 trophies in eight years 👏 pic.twitter.com/ZG2KsAvUEM

— B/R Football (@brfootball) August 26, 2020

Up front, we have a lethal front three – despite leaving France at the tender age of 26, Mbappe left for Real Madrid as undoubtedly the best forward the league had ever seen, with 178 goals in 219 games, a driving factor behind PSG’s six titles in seven years.

At centre-forward, it was a proper toss-up between Edinson Cavani and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but in the end, we went with the inimitable Swede, both for his better goal record and his utter conviction that he was the best – confidence will take you far.

And after missing out on the La Liga XI, Neymar does finally get into a “best ever” side – despite a complex relationship with PSG fans and regular accusations that he never reached his full potential in France, the Brazilian was absolutely unplayable on his day and deserves his spot on the left wing.

Serie A (4-2-3-1)

Our final entry is for Serie A, and I don’t want to say it too loudly, but it’s an underdog for best team in history – every name in the team is recognised by fans young and old, and some of them have gone down in history as the best to ever do it in their positions.

Gianluigi Buffon starts us off strong – aside from a brief stint with PSG in France, Buffon spent his entire career in the Italian top flight, making 657 Serie A appearances in all. In that time he won 10 Serie A titles, a World Cup, and a Yashin award, given to the world's best keeper that year.

Onto the backline now, and my goodness, what a back line. Made up of the best defenders to ever do it, even the La Liga front three would struggle to bypass this back four. Brazilian icon Cafu makes the right flank his own, while Nesta and Baresi create an impenetrable wall in the centre.

Then there is Paolo Maldini, considered by many as the best defender of all time – capable of playing at left back and centre back. We had to fit both Baresi and Nesta in, so he shifts to the full-back position.

Paolo Maldini. The Greatest. pic.twitter.com/KSm6ZEC6im

— 90s Football (@90sfootball) February 12, 2026

In the deeper midfield roles, Roma legend Daniele De Rossi brings tough-tackling, gritty ball-chasing energy, while Andrea Pirlo sits alongside him, bringing all the eloquence and class of a classical music composer with his audacious passing range, rocket of a right boot and generational creativity.

Behind the striker, Italian flair sandwiches Argentinian genius, with Roberto Baggio and Alessandro Del Piero two of the finest attacking prospects ever produced by the Mediterranean nation.

In between them sits Diego Maradona, possibly the greatest dribbler to ever exist and a man with a football stadium named after him, where current defending champions Napoli play their home games. A player who can change the game on any stage against any opponent in world football, the Argentine is the focal point of the team.

Up front, it was incredibly hard to leave out Ronaldo Nazário, but in reality, the Brazilian only played 88 times in Italy, while the man who took his place, Andriy Shevchenko, played 226 times, scored 127 goals, and won a Ballon d’Or during his spell at AC Milan. One of the most dangerous finishers anywhere on his day, the Ukrainian icon rounds out an absolutely stacked Serie A lineup.

Which Side is Best?

Now for the hard part.

Each side has plenty going for them. The Bundesliga has unerring German precision, always in pursuit of perfection. Ligue 1 has a mix of stars, young and old, with skill sets so different from one another they are unbearably unpredictable.

La Liga has raw footballing talent from front to back, those born with skill and born to play. The Italians boast ruthless organisation, efficiency, and a terrifying defensive wall. And the Premier League have all-rounders, capable of playing in any system, under any manager, and still able to execute their job perfectly.

They all have their strengths, and it must be said, none have any weaknesses. However, in an imaginary round-robin tournament where all sides faced off against each other, the La Liga side would just edge out the Italian league, in my opinion.

The dribbling genius and phenomenal finishing of Lionel Messi, the raw power and fitness of Ronaldo, and the devastating poaching instincts of Luis Suárez would prove just a step too far for the Italians. Maldini, Nesta and co. would hold out for much of the game, but a moment of footballing brilliance, likely crafted between all of the front three, would see the La Liga all-time XI crowned as the best side of all time.