“If Messi had chosen to play for Spain, he would already have two World Cups”: With that phrase, short but forceful, the former soccer player Mariano Pernía, who was born in Tandil but obtained Spanish nationality, ignited controversy in the soccer world.
Without a doubt, the one Spain won (2010) with Messi would have won the same and the next one too, because he was in the best moment. That was my reading: “If Messi had chosen to play for Spain, he would have won two World Cups in his early days.”stated Pernía in dialogue with Flashscore.
With that phrase as a trigger, we will review Spain's ideal XI between those two cycles, with the “10” as the main protagonist, playing with his “yes” to La Roja that did not arrive at the time and that never will due to its unbreakable commitment with the country where he was born and that he loves: the Argentine Republic.
At the time, The Red It was made up mostly of players from Real Madrid and Barcelona, adopting the style of the latter with the famous'Tiki Taka', defeating the Netherlands in the grand final of the 2010 World Cup for the minimum.
The then Real Madrid goalkeeper had a great performance during the tournament. In fact, he was in charge of lifting the World Cup as captain. He only received two goals, one from Switzerland and another from Chile.
In the final, he made a sublime save in a one-on-one with Arjen Robben, which was essential in lifting the trophy.
The former captain of Real Madrid was classified as one of the most efficient and influential players in the World Cup due to his tireless dedication in defense. At that time, he played as a right b
ack, so he also did an excellent job on offense.
The Barca man helped a lot in the aerial game thanks to his 1.94 height. At 23 years old, the central defender already had the maturity to be a starter in highly demanding matches. It also helped that his partner in defense was his teammate, Puyol.
The Blaugrana legend who accompanied Piqué in the central defense, which was of great help to both. This was his third and last world championship. A player with character, experience and a lot of dedication, being the leader of the lower part. Tarzan scored an agonizing goal in the semifinals against Germany, very important.
The only one on the list who is not a world champion, since he played in three World Cups: 2014, 2018 and 2022, and Spain did not win any of them. However, he is part of this team because of his high level.
Another element of Real Madrid, which also linked up with one of its rivals in the midfield, providing strength in defense and oxygen in the outlets for the attack. An inexhaustible up and down. During the final he received an unforgettable kick in the chest from Nigel de Jong, who only received a yellow card.
The current Inter Miami player covered in an excellent way the work done by Marcos Senna in Euro 2008. Always silent, but compliant. Quite an engine.
The great driving force of the Spanish team, who pulled the strings; an absolute midfield genius, who had a rhythm of play and class that would enchant anyone. In fact, after his superb performance with Barcelona and the national team, he was a candidate for the Ballon d'Or, finishing third.
Xavi's midfield partner, being an excellent duo and another of the candidates for the Ballon d'Or in 2010, coming second, although the vast majority believe that he deserved to be the winner. Nicknamed The Brain, he left the most unforgettable memory of his team in the World Cup, since he was in charge of scoring the winning goal against Holland, in the 116th minute. His celebration was also written with gold letters
The best player in history would have ranked this team even higher, since his quality makes anyone better. He got the thorn of being world champion in 2022, with his country Argentina.
The Barca striker was chosen by Vicente del Bosque to be the '9' at the right time: four goals in Euro 2008 and top scorer in the 2010 World Cup with five, with a double against Honduras and one against Chile, Portugal and Paraguay.
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