South American Dream XI of the 2017-18 season
The continent of South America boasts of some of the finest footballing nations in the world. Countries like Brazil and Argentina boast of a rich football heritage, and the game runs through the blood of these people.
Football is a matter of pride for the South American countries. This is one field where they can compete on a level equal to or even better than their European and Asian counterparts.
This is further evidenced by the fact that the FIFA World Cup has been won by a South American nation nine times out of the total 21 times it has been organized. Brazil has been the most successful nation in the world, having won it a staggering five times.
Football is played on every street and in every nook and corner of these countries. That is how the fans get to see these immensely talented and skillful players put up spell-binding performances.
Players like Pele, Diego Maradona, Kaka and Ronaldinho dazzled the fans with their charismatic play. Now the likes of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar have taken up the mantle, mesmerizing the fans with their abilities.
These South American players ply their trade in top European clubs and keep winning the hearts of the fans thanks to their blistering performances. And the European clubs on their part have a deep scouting network in South America to pull out some of the best talents from the continent.
A combined South American XI would be capable of beating any other assembled side in the world, due to the vast array of talent they possess. But that also means selecting an XI would be extremely difficult, and that numerous superstar players would have to be left out.
In this article, we take a look at the 'Best South American XI' of the 2017-18 season.
Goalkeeper: Alisson (Brazil)
This is one of the easiest choices to make while selecting the team. This is also probably one position where South America fails to produce supremely talented players, due to their fascination with regard to attack.
And yet, the world's most expensive goalkeeper hails from Brazil.
The former Roma man spent last season as an understudy to Wojciech Szczęsny. But this season, he has gone on to work his way up the ranks and establish himself as one of the top keepers in the game.
The 25-year old kept 15 clean-sheets in 34 appearances in Serie A and also had an impressive average of 3.41 saves per goal and 2.71 saves per game. He is confident at claiming the ball and is also an imposing presence in goal, earning the nickname 'Messi of goalkeepers'.
The Brazilian was spectacular between the sticks this season for AS Roma, and he played a crucial role in his club's surprise run to the UEFA Champions League semifinals. His impressive performances saw Liverpool shell out a world record fee to secure his services.