How do you define world class ?

[VivaBarca]

Something different.We all know Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Ibra and Alves are world class. But is Pique ? Is Yaya ? Is Victor Valdes ? It depends on your opinion. Is it 100 players ? Is it 11 players ? Is it 50 ?

I think that it's a squad of, say, 25 players that you would take to play against martians. You decide on the positions and what players you would take, eg for goalkeeper you might say Casillas, Buffon and Julio Cesar.

Some people might say it's the top 10 players from each top league. Or the top 3 or 4 from countries like say Brazil or France. What do you think ?

 

[el tren]

"Top 5 in every position" suits me the most. ALthough it must not be exactly 5. But the "world class" players are some kind of reference to me. I.e. when evaluating a player, those WC-players are the ones used for comparison.

It shouldnt be just 1 for each position, b/c every position can have different types of players: the attacking fullback, and the more defensive fullbacks for example.

 

[Cule Angles]

I pretty much agree with what El Tren says, for me world class defines a player as amongst the best in the world in their position. For the record I do think Gerard Piqué is world class.

 

[AnfieldEd]

The top 5 players in every position is also my answer.

I also believe the term world class to be highly overused. There are a lot of top class players and a lot of top international players but that doesn't equate to being world class. Alas I also agree 5 is a random number really. It could be 4, 6 or 7.

 

[4ever barca]

for me WC player is someone who play football.I want to say who want to score goals,who want to be better then opponents.
someone who has a witty,a vision and someone who play simple.
just play is the most diffucult..and the players who have this are the WC

 

[Cal-FCB]

I went top 50, but it was hard to choose one. You're talking among the best players of the world. They don't have to be as good as Messi or CR, but still players who would get into virtually any side in the world. I guess the 5 for every position would work, but that number would have to be flexible, as some positions are currently pretty weak right now. Left back for example (Cashley, Evra, Clichy, Abidal? All have weaknesses tbh).

 

[Guardian]

the term "World class" is relative.
How many world class players did Liverpool, Porto, Greece have when they won the CL or the EC? Traore? Biscan? Dudek? Valente? Alenichev? Maniche? Seitaridis? Basinas?
Is Berbatov World class just because Ferguson was drunk and spent 40M for a Ronaldo's girlfriend to release the pressure vis shopping therapy? 40M for a male version of Barbie girl?

At some point many players may look world class and in the other day you see just a shadow of them or it could be the worse twin brother.

 

[JCCR_FCB]

"Top 5 in every position" - Is the best choice for each position.

 

[diegomessi]

any player that consistently shines on the world stage.. not necassarily the best 5 in every positon because there may be 10 world class strikers (which i can prolly think of) out there and only 3 world class left backs (prolly tough to come up with even that)

 

[iced1776]

My personal measurement is whether or not I think they have enough talent to play on any team in the world.

 

[diegomessi]

that is a good point

 

[Beast]

World class is a player who shines in his generation for a long time and win enough awards with his team
not the world best XI but players who are very talented you put them in the same category of Pele,Maradona,Cruyff,Zidane..etc , players who u think about when you make the best XI of all time even on the bench

the rest are excellent-very good players..
for example Maldini is World class , Messi is on that route to such recognition .. Gerrard /Rooney/Villa..etc are all excellent players

 

[maz]

i agree with beast. For instance No way can i pick 5 world class left backs at the moment.

World class is a player that is memorable. A player that can affect a game positively when the rest of the team are poor. That is the epitome of a player of his position.

Casillas is world class. Messi is world class. Kaká is world class.

There's a difference between a superstar and world class.

 

[G.J]

TBH that term is being used loosely these days. For me a world class player is someone who can play at the highest level and still shines consistently. There are many WC players, but not all reach the GOAT level.

 

[maz]

Which term is used loosely? World class? If so then i agree. There are only several world class players per generation. If that. So to say u can pick 5 in each position means there are 55 world class players. In other words 5 starting XI's worth of world class players. I find it hard to pick just one starting XI that is full of truley world class players.