Javier Zanetti: My team of 2014

Former FC Internazionale Milano stalwart Javier Zanetti selected three UEFA Champions League winners and two world champions in his UEFA.com users' Team of the Year 2014, a lineup which also includes a "simply perfect" goalkeeper.

Argentina's most-capped player, Zanetti joined Inter in 1995 and went on to make a record 858 appearances for the Nerazzurri in a highly successful spell which culminated in the UEFA Champions League triumph of 2010. He also won the 1998 UEFA Cup – scoring a splendid goal in the final – five Scudetti, four Coppas Italia and four Italian Supercups.

View Zanetti's choices below and submit your own selection before 13.00CET on Tuesday 6 January.

Vote for your Team of the Year 2014

Manuel Neuer: Simply perfect. He is a goalkeeper who gives the impression that everything is always under control.

Pablo Zabaleta: He has physical strength and the ability to find space in attack. We are talking about one of the very best full-backs.

Diego Godín: He scored in the games that changed the history of Atlético. He is a leader; a brave and precise defender; a champion.

Mehdi Benatia: He developed in Udine, and has reached footballing maturity at Roma. Now he is becoming a big player in Munich. By working with [Josep] Guardiola, he will become one of the best centre-backs in the world.

Philipp Lahm: Right-back or left-back – and he is also playing as a playmaker with Guardiola – he is a football master and an amazing captain. I have great respect for him.

Paul Pogba: I prefer him with the France shirt [he smiles]. Joking aside, he is very strong and has a lot of room for improvement. What more can you ask for from a player in this role?

Xabi Alonso: He plays football like only a few others. When he is in midfield, he seems to be aware of everything.

Ángel Di María: Absolutely unstoppable. In my opinion, a pure talent who will have great seasons with [Manchester] United in exactly the role where my friend Ryan [Giggs] used to play.

Lionel Messi: Do I really have to explain why a team cannot exclude a player like Messi? OK, I will find an explanation. I am selecting him because I like it very much when he starts from the right and cuts infield with the ball at his feet.

Cristiano Ronaldo: Cristiano is Cristiano. I remember him when he was a young player at Sporting and now he is the leader of a great orchestra. His kind of music? Only masterpieces!

Gareth Bale: The Welshman was crucial in the last UEFA Champions League final like only great players can be. He has got all the qualities to be a benchmark in the future of football.

Javier Zanetti was talking to Alessandro Massimo.