Barcelona and Real Madrid meet at Camp Nou on 25 October, with Euro-Futbol.Ru selecting a combined XI of the outstanding players from both clubs since the start of the 21st century.
The team
Thibaut Courtois takes the goalkeeper’s place. His arrival at Real Madrid was initially criticised by supporters, who felt it was unfair to Keylor Navas. The transfer subsequently proved a highly successful decision, with Courtois winning trophies and producing crucial saves, including in a Champions League final.
At left-back is Marcelo, who was helped to settle at Real Madrid by his rival for the position, Roberto Carlos. He became a key part of the side, combining outstanding dribbling with intelligent attacking runs. Marcelo scored 38 goals for the club, while his partnership with Cristiano Ronaldo was particularly dangerous.
Carles Puyol and Sergio Ramos form the central defensive pairing. Despite standing only 178cm tall, Puyol was a formidable opponent for attackers and excelled in the air because of his exceptional leap. The Barcelona captain was known for his self-sacrifice and leadership.
Ramos was another outstanding captain who never avoided a challenge, even when his approach became overly aggressive. He demanded the highest standards from himself and his team-mates, while also possessing remarkable goalscoring figures for a central defender, scoring 101 times for Real Madrid.
Dani Alves completes the defence at right-back. He held the position at Barcelona for many years and was regarded as one of the world’s finest attacking full-backs. Alves scored regularly, supported attacks superbly and formed a particularly dangerous combination with Lionel Messi.
The midfield comprises Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta and Luka Modric. Busquets was the tactical brain of Barcelona, positioning himself perfectly to give the team structure. His goals and assists were limited, but he anticipated situations several moves ahead and was indispensable.
Iniesta’s intelligence allowed him to find space between the lines and choose between a disguised pass and his superb dribbling. His composure and ability to perform at decisive moments were also defining qualities.
Modric orchestrated attacks, pressed constantly and covered enormous distances without the ball. He could carry possession forward or play delicate passes between the lines. He won the Champions League six times, most recently at the age of 39, and ended Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s dominance of the Ballon d’Or by winning it in 2018.
Up front are Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Karim Benzema. Ronaldo is the Champions League’s leading goalscorer and assist provider, with 475 goals in 486 games for Real Madrid. He won the competition four times with the club and claimed the Ballon d’Or five times.
Messi could operate as scorer, creator, playmaker and dribbler, sometimes starting and finishing the same move. He won six Ballon d’Or awards and four Champions League titles during his Barcelona career.
Benzema initially worked in Ronaldo’s shadow, creating space and linking play while continuing to score himself. After Ronaldo left, he became Real Madrid’s attacking leader, particularly during the 2021-22 season, when he excelled in the Champions League and won the Ballon d’Or.
Substitutes
The substitutes are Iker Casillas, Gerard Pique, Dani Carvajal, Xavi, Ronaldinho and Luis Suarez.
Casillas was an outstanding goalkeeper and captain who won the Champions League with Real Madrid 12 years apart. Pique was a defender with an exceptional first pass, strong aerial ability and the capacity to play as a target forward late in matches.
Carvajal was a dependable full-back who delivered when needed. One of his 10 Real Madrid goals came in the 2023-24 Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund, when he was named player of the match.
Xavi controlled games, found space and played incisive passes, forming a formidable Barcelona midfield trio with Busquets and Iniesta. Ronaldinho’s performances won over Barcelona supporters and even earned applause from Real Madrid fans after an El Clasico defeat; he also supplied Messi’s first Barcelona goal.
Suarez combined prolific scoring with excellent link play and defensive pressure, forcing defenders into mistakes. He provided more assists for Messi than anyone else.