10 December 2023 , 09:26
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While it's tough for some to choose between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the battle for 'Greatest of all Time' honours, the longevity and quality of the two still puts them far above almost anyone else in the history of the game.
That's the view of plenty of fans, and it's also the view of artificial intelligence. We asked AI to take the thousands upon thousands of top players in the history of the game and trim them down to a five-a-side team, and no prizes for guessing both Ronaldo and Messi make the cut.
A game of fives might require different skills to an 11-a-side game, but quality is quality. Here, Mirror Footballsheds light on how AI responded to our request for a five-a-side team like no other.
Starting in goal, we have the only keeper to ever win the Ballon d'Or. That's Lev Yashin, if you were wondering, and the Russian is given the task of stopping the opposition... if they're ever able to get hold of the ball.
In front of him is Franz Beckenbauer. A World Cup winner as both player and manager, Beckenbauer is considered an asset at both ends of the field.
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A five-a-side pitch requires supreme close control and ball movement, and that explains the third member of the team. Andres Iniesta takes what amounts to a midfield role on the smaller field, getting the nod ahead of former Barcelona colleague Xavi, among others.
Do you agree with the selections? Let us know in the comments section
World Cup winner Lionel Messi is joined by Cristiano Ronaldo in the dream five-a-side line-up (AFP via Getty Images)
In front of those three... well, we know what's next. There's no room for Pele, Diego Maradona or any of the next generation of superstars, with Ronaldo and Messi taking the two vacant spots.
"His close control and dribbling skills would be invaluable even in a smaller team" is AI's verdict on Messi. As for Ronaldo, the assessment is that "His speed, strength, and goal-scoring ability are unmatched".
While AI sees no reason to omit either of the pair, though, not everyone considers them to be the best to ever do it. Jose Mourinho, who managed Portugal star Ronaldo at Real Madrid, still believes Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazario is on a level of his own.
"Ronaldo, El Fenomeno," Mourinho told LiveScore when asked to name the best player to grace a football pitch. "Cristiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi have had longer careers, they have remained at the top every day for 15 years. However, if we are talking strictly about talent and skill, nobody surpasses Ronaldo.
"When he was at Barcelona with Bobby Robson, I realised that he was the best player I'd ever seen take to the field. Injuries killed a career that could have been even more incredible, but the talent that that 19-year-old boy had was something incredible."