World Cup 2014: BBC Sport pundits' team of the tournament
Last updated on .From the section 2014 Fifa World Cup
An unforgettable World Cup comes to an end after Sunday's eagerly anticipated final between Germany and Argentina.
BBC Sport pundits Alan Shearer, Chris Waddle, Rio Ferdinand and Tim Vickery have got their heads together to work out their team of the tournament.
You can watch the pundits make their picks on Match of the Day's uninterrupted live coverage of the World Cup final on BBC One from 19:00 BST.
Statisticians Opta have also provided their 2014 World Cup XI based on cold, hard data.
So how do the two compare?
MOTD XI:
Manuel Neuer (Germany), Philipp Lahm (Germany), Giancarlo Gonzalez (Costa Rica), Mats Hummels (Germany), Daley Blind (Netherlands), Javier Mascherano (Argentina), Toni Kroos (Germany), Arjen Robben (Netherlands), Lionel Messi (Argentina), James Rodriguez (Colombia), Thomas Muller (Germany)
The stats XI
Tim Howard (USA), Marcos Rojo (Argentina), Mats Hummels (Germany), Stefan de Vrij (Netherlands), Dani Alves (Brazil), James Rodriguez (Colombia), Xherdan Shaqiri (Switzerland), Toni Kroos (Germany), Juan Cuadrado (Colombia), Thomas Muller (Germany), Karim Benzema (France)
The Opta scoring system is devised by working out an overall score based on more than 250 statistical events, with each event having a positive/negative score awarded based on its outcome. More important stat categories are weighted more heavily, so crucial stats during games make a difference (goals, assists, clean sheets, etc).
GOALKEEPER - Manuel Neuer (Germany)
Age: 28
Club: Bayern Munich
RIO FERDINAND: "He had that one game when he played like a sweeper against Algeria and everyone started to wake up and say 'whoa, he is more than just a keeper'. Then he showed in the games after that how he is commanding of his box. He comes out and claims crosses and he is the full package."
ALAN SHEARER: "He can play, save, catch, punch - I don't think that there is a question of his place. Costa Rica's Keylor Navas had a good tournament but the number one is Neuer."
TIM VICKERY: "He has strong arms, has control of 40 yards and lets the back four push up high. Neuer is a terrific goalkeeper."
Just missed out: Keylor Navas (Costa Rica), Guillermo Ochoa (Mexico)
RIGHT-BACK - Philipp Lahm (Germany)
Age: 30
Club: Bayern Munich
RIO FERDINAND: "The best right-back in the world. He is consistent. His retention of the ball is unbelievable - he never gives it away, is always around the 90% pass completion rate and is always one of the highest passers in his team. He does it all. The perfect right-back."
ALAN SHEARER: "At right-back definitely but as a sitting midfielder, I'm not so sure. He can do whatever you want, defend or attack."
Just missed out: Pablo Zabaleta (Argentina), Serge Aurier (Ivory Coast)
CENTRE-BACK - Giancarlo Gonzalez (Costa Rica)
Age: 26
Club: Columbus Crew
RIO FERDINAND: "Over the course of the four games he played, Gonzalez was the outstanding centre-back. He did magnificently well. He got his back three in line, he pulled people around, made last-ditch tackles - he has to play for me."
TIM VICKERY: "His side conceded two goals in the tournament, played former world champions and one of the goals they conceded was a silly penalty. He was immaculate and didn't put a foot wrong."
Just missed out: Ron Vlaar (Netherlands)
CENTRE-BACK - Mats Hummels (Germany)
Age: 25
Club: Borussia Dortmund
RIO FERDINAND: "I'll pick Mats Hummels, after his performance against France, which was very good."
TIM VICKERY: "I would go for Hummels, especially for the performance against France when I think he won the game."
Just missed out: Thiago Silva (Brazil)
LEFT-BACK - Daley Blind (Netherlands)
Age: 24
Club: Ajax
RIO FERDINAND: "The passes he did for Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie were two of the passes of the tournament and he has defended well. He is an all-round footballer, and I think he is a must."
ALAN SHEARER: "He gave the Netherlands width, whipped crosses in and defended when he had to at times. I know he played the vast majority of games as a wing-back rather than a full-back but I would go for him."
Just missed out: Ricardo Rodriguez (Switzerland)
MIDFIELDER - Javier Mascherano (Argentina)
Age: 30
Club: Barcelona
RIO FERDINAND: "He is probably Argentina's most important player after Lionel Messi."
TIM VICKERY: "The harder a game is the more he likes it, the more he digs in deep. He can also play and I think that he has had a sensational tournament. He is an absolute must."
Just missed out: Sami Khedira (Germany)
MIDFIELDER - Toni Kroos (Germany)
Age: 24
Club: Bayern Munich
RIO FERDINAND: "I think you could take any one of the three German midfielders and put them in the team and you would be happy. Khedira or Schweinsteiger could also get in quite easily."
CHRIS WADDLE: "What Germany's three midfielders have done in the last couple of games is dominate possession. You can't stop them and once they get in a flow it is very hard to get them off the ball."
Just missed out: Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany), Hector Herrera (Mexico)
ATTACKING MIDFIELDER - Arjen Robben (Netherlands)
Age: 30
Club: Bayern Munich
RIO FERDINAND: "He is the danger man. Every time he gets the ball he looks like he is going to hurt the opposition. He's the one who gets his head up, running at people with pace, and asks questions of people."
CHRIS WADDLE: "I think he does deserve to be in there. He didn't play well in the semi-final but up until then you have got to say he was on fire. He was excellent but it was one game too many."
Just missed out: Juan Cuadrado (Colombia)
ATTACKING MIDFIELDER Lionel Messi (Argentina)
Age: 27
Club: Barcelona
ALAN SHEARER: "Without Messi, Argentina would have been out of the tournament a long time ago, there is no doubt. He has got his goals, had the pass of the tournament - there has to be a place for him."
CHRIS WADDLE: "His goals have carried him through but he hasn't played great. He's not the same as when we see him play for Barcelona as he plays too deep for Argentina."
RIO FERDINAND: "He hasn't been the Messi we wanted to see by turning up and dazzling us with his skills at breakneck speed but he has had decisive moments in games where he has got his team through. Argentina are in the final now and he has played a huge part in that, albeit not playing well."
TIM VICKERY: "He's so static, he almost has the air of a bored secretary on a Monday morning. But every game there is one moment which could be decisive."
Just missed out: Alexis Sanchez (Chile)
ATTACKING MIDFIELDER James Rodriguez (Colombia)
Age: 23
Club: Monaco
CHRIS WADDLE: "I would let him play a free roaming role. Give him the shirt, ball and let him play."
ALAN SHEARER: "Without doubt, Rodriguez has to be in the side. He has scored the goal of the tournament and has been brilliant."
Just missed out: Mathieu Valbuena (France)
CENTRE-FORWARD - Thomas Muller (Germany)
Age: 24
Club: Bayern Munich
CHRIS WADDLE: "Muller is not really a number nine - he floats in areas. He's not someone who likes to stand up against the centre-halves, he is all over the place, left-right and coming short."
RIO FERDINAND: "He is the first name that goes down on the teamsheet because he has been consistent throughout. The chances he's creating, his goals and ridiculous work-rate he puts in for the team have been phenomenal."
Just missed out: Karim Benzema (France), Neymar (Brazil)
Opta's best of the rest
GOALKEEPERS
| Best other keepers of the tournament | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Team | Goals conceded | Saves | Clean sheets |
| Manuel Neuer | Germany | 4 | 23 | 3 |
| Keylor Navas | Costa Rica | 2 | 21 | 3 |
| Vincent Enyeama | Nigeria | 5 | 22 | 2 |
| Claudio Bravo | Chile | 4 | 16 | 1 |
| Diego Benaglio | Switzerland | 7 | 20 | 1 |
DEFENDERS
| Best other defenders of the tournament | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Team | Tackles | Clearances | Interceptions |
| Gary Medel | Chile | 4 | 40 | 9 |
| Per Mertesacker | Germany | 2 | 33 | 5 |
| Ron Vlaar | Netherlands | 15 | 55 | 17 |
| Jan Vertonghen | Belgium | 11 | 22 | 12 |
| Federico Fernandez | Argentina | 8 | 27 | 6 |
MIDFIELDERS
| Best other midfielders of the tournament | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Team | Goals | Chances created | Assists |
| Lionel Messi | Argentina | 4 | 21 | 1 |
| Angel Di Maria | Argentina | 1 | 11 | 0 |
| Fernando Gago | Argentina | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Alexis Sanchez | Chile | 2 | 7 | 1 |
| Phillip Lahm | Germany | 0 | 7 | 2 |
ATTACK
| Best other forwards of the tournament | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Team | Goals | Shots | Assists |
| Neymar | Brazil | 4 | 14 | 1 |
| Clint Dempsey | USA | 2 | 11 | 0 |
| Georgios Samaras | Greece | 1 | 6 | 1 |
| Admir Mehmedi | Switzerland | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| Peter Odemwingie | Nigeria | 1 | 5 | 0 |
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Comments
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* Waits for a Messi hat trick tonight to confirm his place in the team *
If you have to have "best team", "best player", best match", "best goal" etc etc etc ad nauseam then surely you do this after the last match not before it ?
I'd rather hear the pundits' suggestions as to how the (English) FA tackle the fifty years famine .................
Mesut Ozil was born in Germany. His father is Turkish, his mother is German. He has (understandably) been quoted as saying that he feels both Turkish and German. Under FIFA rules he qualifies for both countries. What exactly is your problem with this ?
As your homework, please find a dictionary and look up the word "chauvinism".
Then by 2016, we'll be wondering why we dont have a good England team. And in 2018... And again in 2020... And again in 2022. Assuming we qualify
Brazil lose a Semi and their FA demand an investigation... We finish bottom of our group and it's 'carry on as normal'.
I'd rather hear the pundits' suggestions as to how the (English) FA tackle the fifty years famine .
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The thing is BBC got criticised a while back for being "negative" about the England team, now they're afraid of losing broadcast rights so pretend nothings wrong.
It's an obvious & necessary debate needed but you won't find it here.
The player in my opinion who did deserve it was Neymar or Rodriguez or Muller
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So... exactly as in the UK.
Only without the "economic success" part.
Where's Bale?
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Barry Island with his nan.
He's flying back to Madrid tomorrow though for more training.
"Yep we all know where this is going in the 2nd half."
Yep it's obvious. Luiz will invade the pitch, challenge Ozil to a naked wrestling match, the crowd will riot, followed by civil unrest, America will send in "Peace Keepers", one will be bitten, become infected and we'll have a zombie apocalypse.
Obvious really.
Harsh on some of those. Gerrard was one of Uruguay's better players and helped set up 2 of their goals. Rooney was overall very good for Italy with good work for them down the left wing and even helped out in defence doing well to prevent them from scoring. Sturridge too put in a MOTM defensive performance for Costa Rica.