1 JENS LEHMANN (Germany)

So often cast as a pantomime villain in the Premiership, this was the tournament in which Lehmann showed just why Arsene Wenger chose him as the man to succeed the legendary David Seaman at Arsenal. After a shaky start against Costa Rica, the Germans kept three straight clean sheets before Lehmann saved two penalties in the shoot-out as favourites Argentina were accounted for. Looking strong on crosses and showing none of the petulance that has blighted his stay at Highbury, Lehmann pips Italian keeper Gianluigi Buffon and Ricardo of Portugal to a place in this side.

2 WILLY SAGNOL (France)

Selected in our team despite stiff competition from Portugal's Miguel and Italian Gianluca Zambrotta, Willy Sagnol has surely done enough in this tournament to ensure he is France's first-choice right-back for the coming years. Lilian Thuram's move inside has freed up Sagnol's preferred berth and he has taken the chance with both hands. The Bayern Munich man is one of the new breed of full-backs that are not afraid of making forays down the flank, but few wingers have got the better of him.

3 PHILIPP LAHM (Germany)

Fabio Grosso is perhaps the unluckiest player in the tournament to miss out on this team, but the performances of Lahm as Germany exceeded all expectations to reach the semi-finals made him a must-pick for our panel. Having opened with an early contender for goal of the tournament against Costa Rica it soon became clear why the 22-year-old was reported to be a £10million target for Chelsea. Classy on the ball and strong and determined defensively, Germany's future looks bright in Lahm's hands.

4 FABIO CANNAVARO (Italy)

Quite simply the best central defender on display in Germany and given the captain's armband for our team. There was a time in the not-too-distant past when it looked as though age was catching up with Cannavaro but the 32-year-old has been at his imperious best here. His partnership with Marco Materazzi - filling in for Alessandro Nesta - was the rock on which Italy's run to the title was built and if Juventus are relegated from Serie A, expect some of Europe's biggest clubs to be beating a path to Cannavaro's door.

5 RAFAEL MARQUEZ (Mexico)

At face value a man who was part of a defensive line that conceded four goals in their four matches probably shouldn't be getting anywhere near a 'Team of the Tournament'. But Mexico captain Marquez scarcely put a foot wrong, and even contributed at the other end with a goal against Argentina. Strong in the tackle but no slouch on the ball, pony-tailed centre-back is right in his prime at 27 and has the air of authority of a man who has been in inspirational form for Barcelona and Mexico.

6 ANDREA PIRLO (Italy)

The only player to be named Man of the Match three times in this tournament (no-one else received more than one such award), Andrea Pirlo was the man who made Italy tick all the way through. Equally happy either shielding the back four or playing further forward as a more attacking midfielder, the Milan man has exhibited all of his attributes perfectly in Germany. Quite brilliant on the ball - witness his pass through to Grosso for Italy's semi-final opener - Pirlo is heavily involved in all of Italy's set-pieces and rarely wastes one.

7 ZINEDINE ZIDANE (France)

Zidane couldn't have been much further away from a place in this team at the end of the group stages after two subdued performances (two cautions meant he was banned for the third game) as the French edged into second place in Group G. But like a thoroughbred racehorse he timed his 'run' to perfection and showed just why he has been the greatest midfielder of his generation with a man-of-the-match display against Brazil and the only goal against Portugal. Just a shame he tarnished it all with his final brainstorm.

8 MICHAEL BALLACK (Germany)

On home turf wearing the captain's armband just weeks after sealing a high-profile move to moneybags Chelsea, Ballack was always going to be in the spotlight - and he responded in style. Although he failed to find the net, Ballack left fly with over 20 shots and with a little bit of luck could easily have been challenging team-mate Miroslav Klose for the golden boot. Chelsea fans have been impressed...and the frightening thing for their rivals is that Ballack hasn't actually been on top form!

9 FERNANDO TORRES (Spain)

Torres had plenty to live up to going into this tournament, with Manchester United just one of the European superpowers reported to be lining up bids in excess of £20million for 'El Nino'. That seemed a staggering amount for a man whose goals-to-game ratio both at club level and for Spain wasn't that great but if anything his performances at the World Cup added another million or two to the price tag. Three goals helped Spain to the second round before their (almost inevitable) early exit.

10 MIROSLAV KLOSE (Germany)

Simply impossible to leave out the Golden Boot winner particularly given some of the disappointing performances from more high-profile forwards in Germany. While the likes of Ronaldinho, Wayne Rooney, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Zlatan Ibrahimovic struggled to make an impact, Klose's five goals fired Germany into the Third/Fourth Place Play-Off and made it an impressive 10 goals in two World Cup finals. Clearly a big-game player, Klose thrives on the biggest stage of all.

11 MAXI RODRIGUEZ (Argentina)

Given the plethora of talented attacking players in the Argentine squad, Maxi Rodriguez's presence as the only one of the Albicelestes in this team speaks volumes for his performances in Germany. Three goals from midfield including an absolute stunner in the second-round victory over Mexico earnt him the nod from our panel. Currently a team-mate of Torres' at Atletico Madrid, it would be no surprise to see the 25-year-old joining a Champions League side before the new season gets under way.