Players at the 2018 World Cup: Europe XI vs Rest of World XI

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The best footballers across the globe are pitted against each other at the grandest of all stages - The FIFA World Cup. The 2018 edition in Russia was no different and the quality of football was breath-taking. At the end of it all, it was Les Bleus who lifted the 'ultimate prize' for the second time.

Players who had not been regulars for their clubs put up a great show. The passion of representing their country drove these players to perform at a much higher level. The fans’ excitement reached fever pitch as the competitiveness of the tournament went from strength to strength. Allegiances to individual players and clubs metamorphosed into a collective support for the country. Yet, it was not easy to get our eyes off the “Stars”.

FIFA has not yet explored an NBA style ‘All-Star Game’, comprising of the biggest stars in the world of football. The unparalleled amount of excitement for fans and intrigue for pundits cannot be overstated. An ‘All-Star Game’ of the ilk of Europe XI vs Rest of the World XI has a lot of untapped potential and should be given a thought.

Here is my take on how a Europe XI would line up against a Rest of the World XI and a very difficult prediction on who would come out on top. I have only considered players who are plying their trade at the FIFA World Cup 2018. The teams have purely been selected on the basis of the players' exploits in Russia.

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