Leo Messi, Diego Maradona, Franz Beckenbauer y Cristiano Ronaldo

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EQUIPAZO: The XI of the best football players in history according to Artificial Intelligence

Published:30/01/2025 - 23:04h

Updated:31/01/2025 - 03:50h

Using Artificial Intelligence, a starting eleven of the best players in history has been created, including the reasoning behind each choice

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Artificial Intelligence is one of the great tools that has come to stay in the world. ¿And how could it not? It has served to modernize, optimize, and simplify various aspects of everyday life. At this point, probably the most famous alternative to make 'AI' accessible to the public is the well-known ChatGPT, a 'chatbot' developed by the American company OpenAI, whose conversational format has positioned it as one of the most reliable and well-known options in this field.

However, ChatGPT is not the only option. Very recently, a tool has emerged that is gaining a lot of momentum, developed by the Chinese company DeepSeek. Its 'chatbot', DeepSeek-R1, has gained significant relevance in a very short time in the field of Artificial Intelligence, a sector in constant evolution.

One of the great advantages of the various 'chatbots' and AI sources is their ability to offer completely different answers from each other, which provides various approaches and nuances to a specific issue. As was recently reported in 'MARCA', a study tasked both Artificial Intelligences with creating a starting eleven with the best players in history. These are the teams they selected:

ChatGPT Team (4-3-3):

  • Goalkeeper: Lev Yashin
  • Defenders: Cafu, Franz Beckenbauer, Paolo Maldini, and Roberto Carlos
  • Midfielders: Xavi Hernandez, Diego Armando Maradona, and Zinedine Zidane
  • Forwards: Leo Messi, Pelé, and Cristiano Ronaldo

DeepSeek Team (3-4-3):

  • Goalkeeper: Lev Yashin
  • Defenders: Paolo Maldini, Franz Beckenbauer, Cafu
  • Midfielders: Diego Armando Maradona, Leo Messi, Johan Cruyff and Zinedine Zidane
  • Forwards: Pelé, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Ronaldo Nazário

The justifications behind these selections are as follows:

ChatGPT:
Goalkeeper:
  • Lev Yashin. The only goalkeeper to win a Ballon d'Or. Known as 'The Black Spider' for his reflexes.
Defenders:
  • Cafu (Right Back). The best right back in history, two-time world champion. Tireless in attack and defense.
  • Franz Beckenbauer (Center Back). The 'Kaiser' dominated from the back with elegance. A pioneer in the libero role.
  • Paolo Maldini (Center Back). A symbol of class and longevity, impeccable in defense.
  • Roberto Carlos (Left Back). Explosiveness and power, famous for his striking and contributions to the attack.
Midfield:
  • Xavi Hernandez. The brain of the best Barcelona and Spain, a genius of passing and possession.
  • Diego Armando Maradona. Pure talent and a creative genius, capable of changing matches on his own.
  • Zinedine Zidane. Elegance at its finest, always shows up in big moments.
Forwards:
  • Lionel Messi. (Right Winger) The perfect combination of talent, vision, and goals.
  • Pelé. (Center Forward) Three World Cups, hundreds of goals, and an unmatched legend.
  • Cristiano Ronaldo. (Left Winger) Goal machine and an impressive physique, impactful at every club he played for.
DeepSeek:
Goalkeeper:
  • Lev Yashin. (Soviet Union). Known as 'The Black Spider', he is the only goalkeeper to win the Ballon d'Or (1963). He revolutionized the position with his aggressive style and incredible reflexes.
Defenders:
  • Paolo Maldini (Italy). An icon of AC Milan and defense. Elegant, intelligent, and with a long and successful career, he won 5 Champions League titles.
  • Franz Beckenbauer (Germany). The 'Kaiser' was a revolutionary libero, winning the World Cup as a player (1974) and as a coach (1990). He also shone at Bayern Munich.
  • Cafu (Brazil). One of the best right backs in history. He won two World Cups (1994 and 2002) and was key at Roma and AC Milan.
Midfield:
  • Diego Armando Maradona (Argentina). An absolute genius. His 'goal of the century' in 1986 and his leadership in that year's World Cup make him a legend.
  • Lionel Messi (Argentina). Considered by many as the greatest of all time. He won 8 Ballon d'Ors, multiple Champions League titles, and the 2022 World Cup.
  • Johan Cruyff (Netherlands). The ultimate exponent of 'total football'. He changed the game with his style and philosophy, both as a player for Ajax and Barcelona, and as a coach.
  • Zinedine Zidane (France). A magician with the ball. He won the 1998 World Cup, the 2000 European Championship, and was key at Real Madrid, including his goal in the 2002 Champions League final.
Forwards:
  • Pelé (Brazil). The 'King of Football'. He won 3 World Cups (1958, 1962, 1970) and is the all-time top scorer for the Brazilian national team.
  • Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal). A physical and scoring phenomenon. He won 5 Ballon d'Ors, 5 Champions League titles, and is the all-time top scorer at the international level.
  • Ronaldo Nazário (Brazil). 'The Phenomenon'. One of the most complete forwards, he won two World Cups (1994 and 2002) and left his mark at Barcelona, Inter Milan, and Real Madrid.

Is there any surprise in the selection of these players?

There is virtually total consensus between both artificial intelligences regarding their selections. The differences lie in the tactical scheme used and the inclusion of some specific names in certain positions on the field, especially from midfield forward.

Both teams present stellar lineups that will likely also generate consensus among football fans and will undoubtedly lead to debates. Is there any name missing? Is there anyone who should not be there?