Lionel Messi leads all-time Champions League XI as Cristiano Ronaldo is left out

French journalist Vincent Duluc has selected his all-time UEFA Champions League XI, with Lionel Messi included but Cristiano Ronaldo omitted from a team that also contains no French players.

Duluc, one of the leading writers at L’Equipe, was asked to assemble a side featuring the greatest players in the history of European club football’s premier competition. His selection spans more than seven decades, from the beginning of the European Cup in 1955 through to the modern Champions League era.

The team also attempts to balance the period before the competition was rebranded in 1992 with the years that followed its expansion and format changes.

Duluc’s XI is:

– Goalkeeper: Ray Clemence (Liverpool) – Right-back: Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid) – Centre-back: Franz Beckenbauer (Bayern Munich) – Centre-back: Franco Baresi (AC Milan) – Left-back: Paolo Maldini (AC Milan) – Midfielder: Luka Modric (Real Madrid) – Midfielder: Andres Iniesta (Barcelona) – Left wing: Lionel Messi (Barcelona) – Attacking midfielder: Johan Cruyff (Ajax) – Right wing: George Best (Manchester United) – Forward: Alfredo Di Stefano (Real Madrid)

Messi is the only player selected who is still firmly associated with the modern Champions League era, while the rest of the line-up reflects a mixture of European Cup icons and more recent winners.

The omission of Ronaldo is particularly notable because the Portugal forward is the competition’s all-time leading goalscorer. He played a decisive role in Real Madrid’s European success and also won the trophy with Manchester United, but was not chosen for Duluc’s historic side.

No French player features in the XI, despite the country’s long association with the competition and its history of producing elite talent.

The new Champions League campaign begins on Tuesday, with Real Madrid hosting Inter Milan at the Santiago Bernabeu in the standout fixture of the opening schedule. Porto face Manchester City, while Borussia Dortmund take on Villarreal in the other matches mentioned.

Paris Saint-Germain hold the Champions League title from the past two editions. They won the final against Inter Milan in one season and defeated Arsenal in the other.

The accompanying updates also report that Mohamed Salah missed his court hearing, while two Real Madrid players are closing in on their meeting with Inter Milan. No further details were provided about either update.

Duluc’s selection was highlighted by L’Equipe in a post presenting the challenge of choosing a team from more than seven decades of European competition. The exercise covers the European Cup era, which began in 1955, as well as the Champions League in its current form. Like any historical XI, it brings together players from different generations and positions, but places Messi alongside renowned figures such as Beckenbauer, Cruyff, Di Stefano and Best.