Good… but it’ll set you back a few bob

As expected, the most expensive team seems to be made up of Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Chelsea players, with just Ferdinand from Man United and Eto’o from Inter slightly bucking the trend.

Adebayor from Man City is the most pricey player in the Premier League but is still a couple of million behind the front men, Ibrahimovic and Eto’o, and Ferdinand earns around the same as Kolo Toure, but appears just above him on the list.

Value for money? Or not? Let us know with a comment.

Messi - officially good at footer

In the least shocking turn of events since Eddie Izzard turned up in a dress and declared “I’m actually a man!”, to a rousing response of “yes, we can tell!”, Lionel Messi ran away with the FIFA World Player of the Year award.

It was never really in doubt, and you can enjoy some footage of his dazzling feet after the jump.

There was a feather in the cap for the Premier League, however, as the greatest compiled team on the planet this year featured five stars from these shores. Here’s how it lined up:

Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Daniel Alves (Barcelona), John Terry (Chelsea), Nemanja Vidic (Man United), Patrice Evra (Man United), Xavi (Barcelona), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Fernando Torres (Liverpool)

Pay attention at the back

1. England aren’t the only country with a dodgy keeper
Madrid - Milan was a terrific match, end-to-end and iced with a couple of wonderful goals. But there were also some dreadful goalkeeping on display, from two men who are in contention to be the custodians for two of the favourites to win in South Africa.
Iker Casillas had his worst game in a Madrid shirt for many years. Not only was he beaten by Andrea Pirlo’s 87 yard strike for the Milan equaliser, but he then made a terrific hash of a standard long ball, to allow the Duck to put the Rossoneri ahead.

2. Serie A is no longer the home of Catenaccio
Things aren’t what they used to be in Serie A. 17 goals in the four matches in which Italian sides were involved this week, shows that the days of tuning into Ch4, to watch Roma and Sampdoria pass the ball around the back four inside their own half, are well and truly over.

3. Frank Lampard needs a team built around him
Much flapping and excitement in today’s press, as the golden boy Frank Lampard returned to form last night with a goal and two assists against the awful Atletico. Less lauded however, was how Lamps was at his best due to once more having three midfielders screening him, allowing Frank effectively a free role. It’s this sort of indulgence that Lampard has become used to, and that Capello is trying to stamp out with England.
Steven Gerrard to a slightly lesser degree relies on the same indulgence - at his best in a free role with three midfielders in behind him. Many would argue the pair are so good, they are worth spoiling. Thespoiler isn’t so sure - Paul Scholes used to score 15 a season playing with just Roy Keane alongside him, let alone two others.

It seems that in the world of professional football, right backs and left backs are like the hospital porters compared to the glitzy surgeons nodding them in up front. Not one of the tireless wing-backs features in the Top Fifty earners - not even Mrs Gary Neville, who you would think demands money for breakfast.

Hence, the highest earning XI finds itself having to go with a 3-4-3 formation, which in modern footballing terms, is ridiculous. Still, here they are in all their wealthy glory:

Goalkeeper: Iker Casillas (£114,750/week)

Defenders: Rio Ferdinand (£96,581), John Terry (£130,050), Sol Campbell (£105,188)

Midfield: Cristiano Ronaldo (£122,400), Frank Lampard (£130,050), Steven Gerrard (£122,400), Michael Ballack (£124,313)

Forwards: Kaka (143,438), Ronaldinho (£135,788), Fernando Torres (£126,225)

Think your rabble could beat them?