🎥 On This Day: Ronaldo and Batistuta took on Europe together | OneFootball

Football was better in the Nineties. This is a fact.

Why, you asked? Because Ronaldo (The Original Ronaldo) started upfront with Gabriel Batistuta for a World XI on this day in 1997.

Ahead of France ’98, a football bright spark had the genius idea to pit Europe against a Rest of the World team ahead of the tournament draw.

Taking place at the State Velodrome, a player from each of the 32 competing nations took part in the clash.

The main attraction was of course, Ronaldo and Batistuta playing on the same team as a deadly strike force.

The Argentine was tearing it up for Fiorentina in Serie A while the Brazilian had just started his Italian adventure with Inter.

Some of the moves and strikes they pulled off alongside each other, just wow.

The greatest strike partnership ever? Well, that once.

What a time to be alive.

Some of the other names in the line-up…

Well, Deon Burton was another striker in the World team. Yes, the Jamaica international who turned out for Portsmouth, Derby County and Rotherham.

Midfield general Paul Ince was England’s representative in the European side while Scotland’s Gordon Durie led the line.

The mercurial Zinedine Zidane also came on as a substitute and, while he may have lost this one 5-1, he had the last laugh, heading home as France triumphed on home soil in the main event to lift the famous trophy.

Great days.