Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry named the most iconic football partnership of all time

A poll of 2,000 footie fans found 15 per cent loved the Dutch maestros Marco van Basten and Ruud Gullit, and one in 20 admired the Italian defensive duo of Gianluigi Buffon and Fabio Cannavaro.

But the highest-ranking English duo were Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard, both part of England’s ‘Golden Generation’.

The perfect duo

Having a good understanding (65 per cent) and complimenting each other well (61 per cent) were the crucial factors which make a good duo.

While 36 per cent simply want to see a footballing pair having fun together, on and off the field.

A spokesperson for Domino's, which is unveiling The Perfect Match IPA beer in partnership with BrewDog ahead of the launch of the Euros, said: “As the top scorer when it comes to pizza, we wanted to create the perfect match for fans this football season.

“We know what a good partnership needs - just as our research shows, a good understanding and complimenting each other well are key factors in making it work.

“Let’s hope our home teams can do the same.”

The study found 10 per cent selected the Portuguese pairing of Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes.

While 16 per cent opted for the midfield metronomes Xavi and Andres Iniesta, crucial to Spain’s international success between 2008-2012.

Seven in 10 respondents believe that any truly great team needs to contain at least one iconic partnership.

More than four in 10 (43 per cent) also say that when their favourite footballing duo is playing, they’ll happily ditch all other plans to tune in and watch.

Having somewhere comfy to sit (27 per cent), being with friends and family (16 per cent) and having a refreshing drink (12 per cent) were the top factors in creating the perfect watching conditions.

And enjoying a pizza (35 per cent) with the game was the top food option, ahead of burger and fries (31 per cent) – whilst a beer (44 per cent) was the top beverage of choice.

Top 20 international partnerships of all time:

1. Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry – France
2. Ronaldo and Rivaldo – Brazil
3. Pelé and Garrincha – Brazil
4. Xavi and Andrés Iniesta – Spain
5. Marco van Basten and Ruud Gullit – The Netherlands
6. Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard – England
7. Gary Lineker and Peter Beardsley – England
8. Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes - Portugal
9. Diego Maradona and Jorge Valdano – Argentina
10. Patrick Kluivert and Dennis Bergkamp – Netherlands
11. Roberto Baggio and Gianfranco Zola – Italy
12. Peter Crouch & Jermaine Defoe – England
13. Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice – England
14. Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe - France
15. Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini – Italy
16. Kevin De Bruyne & Romelu Lukaku – Belgium
17. Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey – Wales
18. Gianluigi Buffon and Fabio Cannavaro – Italy
19. Gerard Pique and Carlos Puyol - Spain
20. Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic – Croatia