This team isn't based on sole international performance, but the best players from this nation in a suitable formation.
|
STARTING XI
REMAINING SQUAD MEMBERS
3 best players not in the squad:
Prior to the Russian national team, if a player was born in Russia and played only for the Soviet Union national team, then I considered them here. In 1960, the Soviet Union won the first European Championship, while they had their best World Cup result in 1966, reaching the semi-finals. 7 Russian players make it from these teams. As Russia, their best results were reaching the semi-finals of Euro 2008 and quarter-finals of the World Cup 2018. Lev Yashin is considered the greatest goalkeeper of all-time, while Rinat Dasayev and Yevhen Rudakov are also generational. Goalkeeper is the strongest area of the squad, so there was no room for Alexei Khomich. Aleksandr Starostin is capable of covering as a 4th centre-back, so I dropped Vagiz Khidiyatullin to make room for more attacking talent. Anatoli Maslyonkin was also unfortnuate to miss out, either here or as a holding midfield option. Andrey Starostin, Fyodor Selin and Andrey Arshavin can be cover for the midfield diamond. Yuri Gavrilov and Aleksandr Mostovoi were the closest players to making it in this area. Chislenko, Fedotov and Butusov are further options upfront, narrowly ahead of Nikita Simonyan. The likes of Konstantin Beskov, Sergei Salnikov and Viktor Ponedelnik would also miss out. Kanchelskis made it as my final pick as the best player not yet included. Slava Metreveli and Sergey Ilyin couldn't make the squad as wide options. Players by Decade: 1960's (6), 1950's (4), 1980's (3), 1970's (2), 1940's (2), 1930's (2), 1920's (2), 2000's (1), 1990's (1) |
|
Top 10 Russian Players of All-Time
(& their all-time positional rank)
|
|
|
|
Feel free to join the website discord server and discuss with others.
