Carles Puyol names Didier Drogba and Sergio Aguero in best XI of players he’s faced.. but omits Cristiano Ronaldo

FEW players are more qualified to judge the world's best than Carles Puyol.

So it will shock many that the former Barcelona defender has left out Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo from the greatest XI he has ever faced but included Didier Drogba and Sergio Aguero.

Puyol, 38, retired two years ago after winning three Champions Leagues and six La Liga titles with Barca, plus Euro 2008 and 2010 World Cup whilst earning 100 caps for Spain.

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But despite playing against three-time world player of the year Ronaldo many times, Puyol has left the Euro 2016 winner out of a formidable line-up he gave to .

Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero joins ex-Chelsea heroes Drogba and Arjen Robben in a three-man attack.

But no other Premier League player makes the team, perhaps showing how English football has struggled to keep up with Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in recent seasons.

Puyol was unable to pick Lionel Messi because, of course, they were long-running Barca team-mates.

But in 2011 Puyol told reporters the Argentina legend is the greatest player in the world.

And at the same time he praised Ronaldo with comments that make the Portugal frontman's omission from his greatest opponents' XI even more surprising.