You can tell that this is true when you see that names such as Luis Suarez, Ronaldo, and Neymar have been omitted from this list.
South America is full of great teams, both club and national ones, that have sprouted players that have won both Copa America and the World Cup. Making this list was no easy feat. But good people from Stake.com have conducted a survey and came to a unanimous conclusion about who belongs in the South American All-Time XI.
The survey took into account the opinions of more than one thousand football fans from South America. They've been asked to speak about their opinion about the best footballers who have played for South American teams and won accolades during their careers.
No one should be surprised that the team has a place for no more and no less than seven Brazilian players. They are followed by three Argentinean masters of the game and the only player who is neither Brazilian or Argentinian comes from Chile.
As we said, the survey was done in a collaboration between market research firm Censuswide and online bookmaker Stake. The fans had their say, and which might come as a surprise to many, Luis Suarez, Neymar, and R9 didn't make the cut. It was not easy to pick the best of the best but here you have it, the South American All-Time XI fan survey.
South American GOAT XI
The number one on this list is no other than Dida. The former AC Milan gatekeeper won the World Cup in 2022 and paired it with his Olympic Gold from 1996. He amassed 91 caps for Brazil which was enough to have him as the number one choice for South American all-time goalkeeper. The two other names in the mix were Rene Higuita of Colombia and Claudio Bravo of Chile.
The right-back position is reserved for the calm master of the game Cafu. Former Roma and Milan defender won the 2022 WC with Brazil among many national and club accolades. This position was a hard one to beat as he was pitted against his compatriot Dani Alves and Argentinean legend Javier Zanetti.
On the left side, the choices weren't as hard as the votes were divided between Roberto Carlos and Marcelo, and the diminutive Real Madrid, Inter, and Fenerbahce left-back won by a landslide winning more than 50% of the votes.
Now, the time has finally come to include the first non-Brazilian on the team. The center-back position is reserved for the most hard-hitting tackler in the history of the game, Daniel Passarella. He was the captain of the team that won the World Cup both in 1978 and 1986. It is no wonder that he's leading the all-time South American defense.
His center-half partner is another highly decorated Brazilian player Thiago Silva. With a career that spanned almost two decades, he collected his glory in Europe playing for Milan, PSG, and Chelsea before returning home to Fluminense.
The midfield part is where things get tricky. The midfield partnership is not one you would have expected as it consists of Arturo Vidal and Zico. Vidal was the heartbeat of the Chilean team that has conquered South America on two occasions adding to his tally of international trophies he won playing for Bayern Munich, Juventus, Barcelona, Flamengo, and Inter.
Zico is a player on whom we shouldn't waste too many words. One of the most perfect midfield maestros that the game has ever seen. Zico could do anything with the ball in his feet and he rarely failed to display this. His tally of 101 free-kick goals stands to this day as a record that will hardly ever be broken.
The midfield had only two more spots, so names such as Gilberto, Juan Roman Riquelme, Neymar, Alexis Sanchez, and Carlos Valderrama have all been omitted. But, you will understand this decision considering the names that have filled those two remaining spots. We're talking about Diego Maradona and Ronaldinho. There is nothing to say about these two that you already don't know. True magicians of the football game have marked the generations of football fans with their speed, agility, technique, goals, and assists.
The best has been left for the end. While South America had its fair share of striking power throughout history the two that make out this attack are head and toes above everyone else. So, you will find no Marcelo Salas and Ivan Zamorano here. No Luis Suarez and Diego Forlan. No Batistuta or Ronaldo up front.
The striking force of the South American GOAT XI consists of Pele and Messi. Can't argue with that, right?
No, no one can't say a thing about the final selection. Both of these players are seen as GOATs of football by their respective fan bases. Pele was long-standing as the best who had ever played the game. But, the last two decades saw the rise of a small child from Rosario who took the world by storm. We are happy that both of them could have fit into the best XI on this occasion.
Considering that we're talking about Lionel Messi as the GOAT and that his best man Sergio Aguero is the Stake.com ambassador we could dedicate some time to the best team Argentina could field throughout history. After all, Aguero is the one who leads the Stake's GOAT campaign and has waited for Messi and the gang with a herd of goats in Miami. Will this be a good omen remains to be seen, but if Argentina wins this Copa America they will be seen as one of the best teams of all time.
The Greatest Argentina All-Time XI According to Fans
Sergio Aguero has been doing a lot of promotional work as a Stake ambassador and thus he was part of this Argentina All-Time XI fan survey. As a former superstar of the game himself, he has a thing or two to say for sure. At the moment he's of the opinion that the likes of Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister, and Julian Fernandez can be the next in line of Argentinean superstars. Kun also went as far as to compare them to the likes of Batistuta, Riquelme, and Mascherano.
This trio is too young and still has to prove themselves before they could enter the historically best XI of Argentina. Luckily, they still have time to prove their worth at soccer tournaments such as the ongoing Copa America. In due time they could take a place from some of the guys we have below.
The one newer addition to this lineup is the first name on the team sheet, the goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. After being pivotal in the 2022 World Cup win his place is cemented in the history of Argentina.
The two men guarding the fortress in front of him are none other than Daniel Passarella and Walter Samuel. These two are seen as perfect partners in the eyes of the fans and the competition was harsh for the only two slots. Names such as Roberto Ayala and Oscar Ruggeri were left out.
Their full-back positions are also nothing to scuff at but the choice was much easier to make. At the right flank, you have the undisputed GOAT of the position, Javier Zanetti. On the left side, you have the long-haired maestro Juan Pablo Sorin who left a serious mark on the national team although often underestimated.
The strength of every Argentinean success always lies in a good link-up play that often comes from the creativity of their midfield. Historically they have never had any issues with fielding a powerful midfield. It was hard to make a selection, but the fans had their say. The central midfield pairing consists of one workhorse and that is Javier Mascherano and one midfield maestro or general in the form of Juan Roman Riquelme.
While neither is natural on the wing, due to the formation that we had for this GOAT XI of Argentina on the flanks we have the two biggest names Argentina ever produced - Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi. What this selection does for their attacking needles is nothing short of miraculous.
Due to Messi and Maradona being assigned to the midfield in this formation, the two striker slots were left wide open for Gabriel Omar Batistuta and Alfredo Di Stefano. There is little left to argue with this amazing selection, but we're open to more suggestions. Also, this was a decision made by fans for the fans in one single survey, so it doesn't have to be seen as one undisputed GOAT list.
While we're on the subject of goats, Stake brand ambassador Sergio Aguero believes that Messi will cement his place in history if he brings this year's Copa back home. Also, he sees the new generation of Argentine players as capable of taking the mantle from Messi & Co after this tournament. If you believe that Argentina can win the Copa, you can bet on it, but not before you check the odds.
2024 Copa America Odds
This year's edition of the Copa is well and truly underway. We already had a few surprising results and a few teams asserting their dominance. Things have shifted a bit since before the start of the tournament.
The reigning champions, Argentina are still favored to win with their odds standing tall at +165. They have started strong and after two rounds have two wins and haven't conceded a goal. This is how you assert yourself as the hot favorite.
Historically, and this time around, Brazil is the second favorite to win it all with their odds being set at +250. If you ask us, this is a risky bet. They have already stumbled at the first step as they draw against Costa Rica. What's even worse is that they don't look like a team on the field. While this could change throughout the tournament we simply do not see them as hot favorites.
Instead, we would love to push Uruguay's agenda to the forefront. At the moment they are third favorites with odds set at +400. These odds will continue to drop if they continue to play the same way they did up until now. The team led by Marcelo Bielsa is playing top football on the wings of Fede Valverde, Darwin Nunez, and Rodrigo Bentacur. They have just trashed Bolivia 5:0 and they are favored to win against the hosts USMNT.
Columbia is coming strong as the fourth favorite but we believe they are better than Brazil. With their odds being set at +700 you can bet on them as dark horses of this tournament. Columbia plays tough, physical football but with plenty of flair. They've started strong but their true strength will be tested against Brazil.
We're going to wrap the betting odds on favorites with three teams set on +2500 odds and we're talking off Mexico, Ecuador, and the USA. All three teams have aspirations of their own. USA is the host nation so they have fans on their side and hope for a miraculous win. Yet, they are playing their worst football and the question remains if they will even reach the knockout stages.
Mexico, who is jokingly called the co-host of this tournament, has a big fan following and a quality squad. Yet, as it's often the case they fail to translate this well to the field. They still have chances but will go head to head with Ecuador and the better team will come out of their group.
Ecuador is in the same boat as Mexico and the two teams will decide their fate in a head-to-head duel. Trust us, whoever faces these teams will have a tough time in the knockout stages. The honorable mention belongs to Venezuela who won the two opening matches and are poised to progress out of their group.
Knowing your history means knowing your present and that should be enough to make a few quality bets on this year's Copa America.