50 Greatest Defenders in World Football History | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

If we count, as many observers did, those Olympic Games prior to 1930 as legitimate predecessors of the World Cup, then there is a strong case to name the Uruguay side of that era as the best ever. The Celeste, led by such stars as "Black Marvel" Andrada, lifted two consecutive Olympics on European soil, a feat which earned them the right to host (and win) the inaugural World Cup. 

Andrada was named to the 1930 all-star team, and as a defender or defensive midfielder formed a key part of a multiracial Uruguay side at a time when African immigrants were almost unheard of in Europe, much less integrated into sports sides. The ex-Penarol and Nacional star was one of South American football's first greats and is fondly remembered to this day.