The Middle East is made up of 17 countries, and whilst none of them are traditional footballing powerhouses, a number of them now boast some top players.
Barcelona legend Xavi now plays his club football in Qatar
Europe and South America have always been the epicentres of the world’s footballing talents, both in terms of their domestic and international teams.
However, the likes of the US, Japan and most recently, China, have all made attempts to bring talented and well-known players to their shores to increase interest and recognition of the sport in their countries.
One region of the world which has done this is much of the Middle East. Consisting of 17 countries, the likes of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE have all splashed the cash to bring big name players to their domestic divisions.
Former Barcelona, Arsenal and Manchester City stars now play in the Middle East
We have taken the best that the Middle East has to offer and created a highly competitive All-Star Middle East XI. The starting XI features former Swansea, Inter Milan, Barcelona, Arsenal and Manchester City stars.
Goalkeeper: Essam El-Hadary
Veteran goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary is 43 years old, but still Egypt’s number one, and still a very good and highly consistent performer.
Described by Didier Drogba as the “best opponent” he has ever played against, El-Hadary has 147 caps for Egypt and is currently playing for Wadi Degla SC.
Right-Back: Victor Caceres
Traditionally a centre-back or defensive midfielder, Victor Caceres is still a very capable right-back, well worthy of a place in this team.
Aged 31 and still a full international, Caceres has 60 caps for Paraguay, and has scored 6 goals in 18 games for Al-Rayyan SC of Qatar, despite being a defensive player.
Centre-Back: Chico Flores
Former Swansea City defender Chico Flores
Ex-La Liga and Premier League defender Chico Flores took the unusual path of following his former manager Michael Laudrup in leaving Swansea City to join Lekhwiya SC.
Swapping south Wales for Qatar, Flores has since played 42 games for the club, scoring 5 goals and winning the Qatar Emir Cup earlier this year.
Centre-Back: Bruno Uvini
Not a household name perhaps, but former Napoli and Santos defender Bruno Uvini has 3 caps for Brazil to his name, evidence that he is a player of considerable ability.
Uvini may be familiar to Tottenham Hotspur fans, with the Brazilian spending a season on loan at White Hart Lane, but failing to make a single appearance. He joined Al-Nassr of Saudi Arabia this summer.
Left-Back: Lucas Mendes
Another Brazilian defender, Lucas Mendes spent four years of his career as a regular at Cortiba and a further two as a regular at Marseille. He joined Qatari outfit El Jaish SC in 2014, where he spent three seasons, making 62 appearances, before heading to Al-Duhail this summer.
Central Midfield: Victor Ayala
The first in a trio of talented central midfielders in this XI, Ayala is the name least familiar to English football fans, but no less worthy of starting spot in this team. An intelligent and versatile midfielder who tends to play centrally and also happens to be a dead ball specialist, Ayala previously spent four years with Argentine outfit Lanus, but joined Al-Nassr in 2016, and the 29-year-old Paraguayan international has been impressing in Saudi Arabia ever since.
Central Midfield: Xavi
The man who would have to captain this team and without doubt the most outstanding player in it, Xavi is one of the finest players and most pivotal footballing figures of his generation.
Absolutely world class, Xavi may be 36, but he is still capable of gracing many top European sides, and looks a class apart every time he takes to the field with Al Sadd of Qatar.
Central Midfield: Denilson
Former Arsenal midfielder Denilson now plays his club football in the UAE
Ex-Arsenal man Denilson is currently on-loan playing back in his native Brazil, but the midfielder is still under contract with Abu Dhabi-based outfit Al Wahda FC of the UAE Arabian Gulf League.
The 28-year-old made over 150 appearances for Arsenal and was a very capable player, but left for Sao Paolo in 2011 and hasn’t returned to Europe since.
Right Wing: Giannis Fetfatzidis
Dubbed the ‘Greek Messi’, Giannis Fetfatzidis is a player with bags of ability, and some believe he was foolish to swap Serie A for Saudi Arabia at just 24.
The winger has excellent control, vision and an explosive burst of speed. He joined Al-Ahli in 2015 and has played 25 times for Greece. Fetfatzidis just about makes our XI, although it could just as easily have been Everton Ribeiro in his place.
Left Wing: Vladimir Weiss
Ex-Manchester City man Vladimir Weiss in action for Slovakia against England at Euro 2016
Another player with so much promise and ability who is unlikely to reach his true potential playing in, with all due respect, a less competitive league in the form of the Qatar Stars League.
Weiss came through the academy at Manchester City, but opportunities were at a premium due to Man City’s newly-found wealth.
Weiss was excellent for Bolton, Rangers, Espanyol and Olympiacos, prompting many to predict a move to a top European club. Instead, the wide man joining Qatari club Al-Gharafa.
Centre-Forward: Moussa Sow
With a goal scoring record of almost a goal every other game between 2010 and 2016 with Lille and Fenerbahce, Moussa Sow was one of the most prolific forwards in Europe.
At the age of 29, one would think a handful of Premier League, La Liga or Bundesliga clubs would surely have taken Sow. Yet he joined Dubai-based UAE team Al-Ahli in 2015, although he is currently on-loan back at Fenerbahce.
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