Ronaldinho began by picking Juventus legend Gianluigi Buffon as his goalkeeper. The Italian legend made 132 appearances in the Champions League (excluding qualifiers), and kept 53 clean sheets. Buffon made it to the final on three occasions (2003, 2015 and 2017), but lost each time.
In the full-back roles, the Barcelona legend picked compatriots Roberto Carlos (left-back) and Cafu (right-back). Carlos played 120 times in the Champions League, registering 16 goals and 27 assists, and also won the trophy thrice. Cafu, meanwhile, played only 55 games in the competition and won it once.
Chelsea legend John Terry and AC Milan legend Paolo Maldini were the centre-backs for this hypothetical team. While Terry made 109 Champions League appearances, Maldini played in the competition 116 times. The Englishman won the title once in 2012, while the Italian lifted the trophy on five occasions.
Ronaldinho then picked two more former Chelsea stars to anchor his midfield in Frank Lampard and Claude Makelele.
Lampard, a bonafide Blues legend, boasted a superb Champions League record, scoring 23 times and laying out 28 assists in 105 matches. He was part of their title-winning team in 2012. Makelele, meanwhile, played 96 times in the competition, recording a goal and five assists, and winning the trophy in 2002.
Ahead of the duo, the Brazilian chose to go with compatriot and former AC Milan star Kaka in attacking midfield. He was flanked by Thierry Henry (left wing) and Lionel Messi (right wing).
Kaka holds an eye-catching Champions League record, registering 30 goals and 25 assists in just 86 appearances. Henry, meanwhile, recorded 50 goals and 22 assists in 112 matches in the competition. Both players lifted the trophy once in 2007 and 2009 respectively.
Lionel Messi, meanwhile, is, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, the greatest to ever feature in the Champions League.
La Pulga, the only player still active in Europe’s top five leagues from this list, has made 163 appearances in the competition, scoring 129 goals and laying out 40 assists. He is its second-highest scorer of all-time behind Ronaldo (140 goals) and is a four-time winner (2006, 2009, 2011 and 2015).
The team was rounded off with another Brazilian, Ronaldo Nazario, leading the line. “R9” registered 14 goals and 10 assists in 40 Champions League matches, but did not win the title even once.