Spain vs France: World & European Champions. Who was better?

[War]

As most would know Spain becoming world & Euro champions together. Has emulated has emulated France of a decade earlier. But looking back i was wondering which team @ full-strenght was better:

SPAIN:


-----------------------------Casillas--------------------------------------

Ramos-----------------Pique-----------Puyol--------------------Capedevilla

----------------------Busquets/Senna-----Alonso--------------------------

------------------------------Xavi----------------------------------------

---Iniesta--------------------------------------------------Villa-----------

-----------------------------Torres---------------------------------------

Backups: Reina, Valdes, Arbeloa, Marchena, Fabregas, Silva, Pedro, Guiza/Llorente


FRANCE:

-----------------------------Barthez--------------------------------------

Thuram----------------Desailly----------Blanc---------------------Lizarazu

--------------Vieira----------Deschamps------Petit------------------------

-------------------------------Zidane-------------------------------------

--------------------Henry------------Treseguet/Duggary-------------------

Lama, Rame/Coupet, Lebouf, Candella, Sangol, Karembeau, Makelele, Pires, Djorkaeff, Wiltord


I can't make up my mind who was better. Discuss...

 

[Dr. Pepper]

Spain are the best team on the planet. They fully deserved to win the World Cup. I'm not saying that France didn't deserve to, just that Brazil were the best team in the world at the time. They just didn't turn up on the night of the final.

 

[Themer]

Spain.

 

[m_vaughan]

Keeping my bias aside, I don't think I remember a squad of players like the one Spain have at the moment. And there are so many more who din't make the final 23, but are still brilliant. Cazorla, Capel, Senna, Raul Garcia, Pedro Leon, Riera, Monreal, Azpilicueta, Negredo, Soldado, Palop, Asenjo, De Gea, Diego Lopez, Arteta, Guiza, Reyes, Granero, Alexis, Canales.

 

[mattfb]

Didn't see very much of France but Spain are superb

 

[JBlues08]

Spain.

 

[MasterBlaster76]

It's a tough one. I think I'd go for Spain - just because of their strength in depth.

 

[LongLegs?]

Keeping my bias aside, I don't think I remember a squad of players like the one Spain have at the moment. And there are so many more who din't make the final 23, but are still brilliant. Cazorla, Capel, Senna, Raul Garcia, Pedro Leon, Riera, Monreal, Azpilicueta, Negredo, Soldado, Palop, Asenjo, De Gea, Diego Lopez, Arteta, Guiza, Reyes, Granero, Alexis, Canales.

Spain's youth teams are also doing very well at the youth competitions. Could really become the new dominant force in football, if they can keep this up.

 

[blake]

EURO 2008 and World Cup 2010, I'd say they are just about a dominant force of world football already..

 

[War]

I agree with those who give it to Spain because of superior depth.

But if these two could have met at their peaks. I reckon Spain would struggle to break France down.

Spain are bascially the Barcelona of international football. To stop Barca @ club Level you need team who can shut down their mid-field passing & have a strike force who can take advantage of any mistake they make on counter-attacks. Like what United did in CL 07/08 semis - Chelsea (to a degree in the 08/09) semi - Inter Milan this year.

Vieira/Deschamps/Petit at their peaks would make it extremely hard for Xavi & co to control the midfield play i'd say.

 

[Shaun Tait]

Spain because Casillas>Barthez

 

[War]

Good time to dig this thread with the talk of whether Spain is truly the best team ever.

Best Spain team combined of the last 4 years to date IMO would be:

---------------------------Casillas-----------------------

Ramos-------------Puyol-------------Pique-----------Alba

-------------------Busquets-------Alonso----------------

-----------------------------Xavi------------------------

Silva----------------------Villa----------------Iniesta-----


I still have a feeling that the best France team from 1998-2002 would make it very hard for Spain to play possession football effectively.

With aggressive midfielders like of Vieira, Deschamps, Petit, Karambeau, Makelele around, plus some strong defenders. They have the perfect ammunition to play an advanced version of the style past Chelsea and Inter Milan club sides did to shut down the Barca/Spain system. While having the creativity up front lead by Zidane to hurt them.

 

[puddleduck]

No team has dominated possession and chances against all other top teams in the history of European football... Says it all really.

 

[Dr. Pepper]

They scored the most prolific attack in the tournament and the best defence; they haven't conceded a knockout goal since 2006; they had the biggest win margin in the World Cup/European Championship ever; they have the longest ever unbeaten run; the highest win percentage and they're the only team to ever win 3 in a row. As close as you'll ever get to perfection.

 

[War]

Yes the stats are known and i'm not for one trying to underplay what Spain have done at all, since i've spent the last month pushing back against talk that they have been boring.

However comparison versus other great teams is different topic, whether its the 98-2002 France team or any others.

Most of us here on this cricketforum know that Australia won three cricket world cups in a row. But regardless of those bare statistics, many still rated the West Indies era of the 70s and 80s ahead of them. So we need to think about it a little more IMO.