Moore’s inclusion still carries weight because England’s 1966 triumph remains the country’s defining World Cup story.
That is the real point here. England have produced elite footballers across generations, but very few have left a World Cup footprint large enough to force their way into an all-time XI.
The reported side leans heavily on Brazil, and that follows the history of the tournament.
That concentration of Brazilian names is not nostalgia. It reflects repeated success across eras. When an all-time XI is framed through World Cup achievement, Brazil will almost always dominate the shortlist.
The most interesting omission is Cristiano Ronaldo, whose overall career stands with the modern elite. But World Cup selections often reward players whose peak moments came in this competition.
That explains the appeal of names such as Diego Maradona, Zinedine Zidane, Xavi, Franz Beckenbauer, Gianluigi Buffon and Lionel Messi. Their cases rest on influence, control, leadership and defining performances when the stakes were highest.
These debates never really end, and that is the fun of them. With the next World Cup on the horizon, the next storyline is obvious: which current stars can still play their way into football’s most exclusive imaginary team?