Mikel Arteta includes Messi & Ronaldo in his crazy greatest ever six-a-side team | OneFootball

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There’s nothing better than turning up with your mates in oddly-matched shirts ready to run around like headless chickens for half an hour on a cold and bleak midweek evening, is there? A threadbare bench, your teammates scrambling in their pockets for three months of missed payments and one half-decent player that everything goes through.

It’s more than playing football: it’s the social element, keeping your fitness levels just above par and collecting stories of how you once scored an absolute howitzer from your own half. Now take a moment to picture you and five other mates turning up: who would you rather link up with, Champions League cult hero Cristiano Ronaldo or eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi? Of course, you’d take either. But when push comes to shove, would you pick the twinkle-toe nature of the Argentine or the goalscoring prowess of the former Real Madrid ace?

Messi vs. Ronaldo: Team-mates of both decide

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Speaking in a recent interview with Planet Football, Arsenal custodian Mikel Arteta gave a run-down on his ultimate six-a-side team and, in the process, settled the ever-growing GOAT debate between Ronaldo and Messi. And it’s safe to say that the former Everton midfielder channelled his inner Garth Crooks as he compiled his wonderfully disorderly forward-heavy side. But one thing is for sure: you’d wish you had pulled a sicky coming up against this lot.

Pepe Reina

To kick off proceedings, Arteta opted for the no-goalkeeper approach before changing from five-a-side to six-a-side. Pretty brash, but we respect it.

He eventually opted for Pepe Reina, formerly of Liverpool. Now the tender age of 41. Despite being named in the best XI to have never won the Premier League title, the Spaniard has forged quite the career, winning the Premier League’s Golden Glove on three occasions. Having an orthodox shot-stopper within the goal frame is often the difference between a victory and defeat, and you could put your full faith in someone of Reina’s ilk.

Johan Cruyff

Now onto the attackers and what better place to start than Johan Cruyff, the creator of the much-used ‘Cruyff Turn’. A true superstar of his era, the three-time Ballon d’Or winner had an illustrious career spanning over a two-decade period. The Dutchman scored 294 goals and notched a further 183 assists in his 545-game career but was best known for his influence on the Netherlands’ ‘Total Voetbal’ philosophy – something that could come in handy on a much, much smaller stage.

Diego Maradona

Free kicks are the optimal chance to convert when they are most needed in small-sided games – so what better than having one of the most prolific dead ball specialists strutting his stuff in from start to finish? Not only that, but Diego Maradona’s flair would thrive on a smaller pitch. Until Messi and Ronaldo arrived on the scene, it was a tug-of-war battle between the former Napoli superstar and Pele to be crowned the best-ever player and Maradona managed to make the grade in Arteta’s eyes.

Lionel Messi

Much is made of the Lionel Messi and Maradona debate about who is the best Argentine prospect to ever grace the turf, but Arteta has blown any rivalry out of the water by including both. Able to produce a moment of magic out of nowhere, the Spanish tactician chose none other than Messi to keep things ticking over on the zippy PowerLeague surface.

The pint-sized South American completed his impressive haul of silverware in November 2022 as he sealed the sport’s most prestigious international trophy: the World Cup. I mean, the fact that his shirts from said tournament are poised to sell for millions says it all.

* As of 22/11/23

Cristiano Ronaldo

“Then with [Cristiano] Ronaldo, I would do the same thing.”

No brownie points for guessing this one, either. The first striker (on the presumption that the aforementioned trio are deployed slightly further back) on Arteta’s six-man team sheet is Cristiano Ronaldo, a man who has scored the most international goals since the turn of the millennium. Able to play on either flank or down the middle, Ronaldo would add a layer of versatility to a six-a-side – which will usually be key given some players’ tendency to move out of shape.

* As of 22/11/23

Ronaldo Nazario

“I would put the other [Brazilian] Ronaldo because since I was a kid I was in love with him."

Originating from his San Sebastián childhood, Arteta ushered his undeniable love for the mercurial Brazilian forward. Ronaldo Nazario – commonly monikered R9 – had his career marred by injuries and, as such, fans across the globe never saw the Brazil star in his full capacity. A phenomenal goalscorer, his 420 goals and two Ballon d’Or gongs attests to his earth-breaking talent and no doubt he’d set the world alight on a smaller pitch thanks to his quick feet and potency in front of goal. Now, just imagine turning up and having to lock horns with Arteta’s lot, all while your goalkeeper has fingerless gloves to try and keep the score below 13-0.