In the aftermath of Spain's victory in Johannesburg skysports.com picks its World Cup best XI.
Skysports.com's Alex Dunn picks his 2010 World Cup best XI
Manuel Neuer (Germany)
In the absence of a truly outstanding candidate between the posts I've plumped for Germany's Neuer. Portugal's Eduardo conceded only one goal all tournament and was solid throughout but Germany's march to the semi-finals saw Neuer emerge as a goalkeeper of genuine quality. Neuer, a cult hero at Schalke, had a bit of a wobble against England but still produced key saves at key moments, while his distribution was excellent throughout.
Sergio Ramos (Spain)
Spain's lack of any real width means Ramos is entrusted with not only keeping the back door shut, but putting in a steady supply of crosses down the right. His athleticism at times has been remarkable, with the Real Madrid star having spent as much time on the overlap as he has defending. In the final he could have had a hat-trick, and like Brazil's Maicon, who was also excellent, Ramos is a modern full-back par excellence.
Gerard Pique (Spain)
Pique gets the nod over club and international team-mate Carles Puyol on the grounds his immaculate distribution has been one of the highlights of Spain's successful campaign. In 79 matches as a central defensive partnership the Barca duo have lost just three matches. Prior to the final he had made 402 successful passes, with only four other players having completed more. Capable of striding into midfield a la Franz Beckenbauer, Pique's displays will likely have had Sir Alex reflecting on the one that got away, having sanctioned his return to Camp Nou after just 12 appearances at Old Trafford.
Lucio (Brazil)
Uruguay's Diego Lugano enjoyed an excellent tournament and wasn't far off getting the nod to start, but it's Brazil's Lucio that partners Pique at centre-half. An imperious club campaign with Inter Milan continued in South Africa as he best exemplified a Brazil side that eschewed tradition to play a more defensive game. Dunga's outlook on the beautiful game is scorned back in Brazil and ultimately fell short after a mad five minutes against Holland, but throughout Lucio was a stylish presence at the heart of their backline.
Philipp Lahm (Germany)
If only England's wingers could cross like Philipp Lahm. The diminutive Bayern Munich full-back has long-since been one of the world's finest in his position and again his performances in South Africa were immaculate. Like Denis Irwin he doesn't seem to make too many challenges but never seems to get beaten either. Capable of playing on either flank equally as well, Germany's skipper in the absence of Michael Ballack revelled in the extra responsibility and has already said he has no intention of handing over the captain's armband.
Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany)
At the hub of all that was good about a hugely exciting Germany side was the older than his years Schweinsteiger. At just 25 the Bayern Munich man is the elder statesman in Germany's midfield, having adapted his game to sit and tick things over while the likes of Thomas Muller and Mesut Ozil are given licence to play a more expansive game in front of him. On more than one occasion he bossed the game from start to finish in dictating from a deep position with the ease in which only truly world class players can call upon.
Xavi (Spain)
What more can be said about Spain's diminutive schemer? A Xavi misplaced pass is rarer than a coherent England performance. There is nothing showy about the world's premier playmaker but few players in the modern game have had such an influence on the way a World Cup winning side plays. Spain, like Barcelona, are moulded in the image of their sublime number eight with the ball treated as something to be cherished. It should come as no surprise Xavi completed more passes than any other player in the tournament.
Thomas Muller (Germany)
Having won the Golden Boot and been named the tournament's best young player it's fair to say Muller has enjoyed a World Cup to remember. Technically excellent and with an eye for goal that saw him yield five goals, the 20-year-old has exploded onto the international scene in South Africa. His one disappointment was missing Germany's semi-final defeat to Spain through suspension, but it is testimony to his rising star that many believe the result could have been different had he been available.
Wesley Sneijder (Holland)
Like Lucio, Sneijder came into the tournament on the back of a domestic treble and with his confidence sky high, the cocksure Dutchman was at his scheming best throughout. Holland faced accusations of placing too much emphasis on being functional, often at the expense of playing without flair, but in Sneijder they had a talent playing at the peak of his powers. Five goals from midfield is a remarkable feat at a World Cup finals and while the Dutch fell short in the final, few would argue Sneijder did not do his utmost to deliver the Netherlands their first ever title.
Diego Forlan (Uruguay)
The likeable forward was rewarded for a series of inspirational displays for Uruguay by being named the tournament's best player. In a side of competent but unspectacular pros Forlan added a touch of class as his probing from deep, along with his goals, proved a revelation. The width of Germany's crossbar in the third/fourth play-off denied him snatching the Golden Boot from Muller, but it was his generosity of spirit that caught the imagination as much as his sublime set-piece deliveries. While many of the world's biggest 'stars' failed to get to grips with a ball widely derided, Forlan was one of the few who seemed capable of becoming its master. His stunning free-kick against Ghana demonstrating what could be done with it, via the right manipulation.
David Villa (Spain)
One writer described Villa as being the horns on Spain's bull and with the Barcelona new boy having scored five of his side's eight goals, it seems like an apt call. While Fernando Torres laboured throughout, pulling up in the final after coming on as a substitute, Villa was razor sharp from start to finish. Plying his trade at Valencia throughout his career has perhaps not seen him meted out with due credit but in South Africa he has proven to be a striker as good, if not better, than any of his rivals.
Subs:
Eduardo (Portugal), Carles Puyol (Spain), Maicon (Brazil), Fabio Coentrao (Portugal), Carlos Salcido (Mexico), Diego Lugano (Uruguay), Mesut Ozil (Germany), Xabi Alonso (Spain), Andres Iniesta (Spain), Arjen Robben (Holland), Asamoah Gyan (Ghana), Keisuke Honda (Japan), Miroslav Klose (Germany).
