Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and more: Former Liverpool star Peter Crouch builds 5-a-side team of best players he played against

Former Liverpool striker Peter Crouch has picked Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the 5-a-side team of the best players he has played against. The Englishman has named Petr Cech, Andres Iniesta, and Tony Adams as the other three in the team.

Speaking to SPORTbible, Crouch stated that Cech and Adams were the best defensive players he has played against in his career. Talking about why he picked Messi in his side, he said:

"The thing is, I can't not put him in, right? And he's gonna play in midfield – he could play anywhere. The best player who's ever walked the planet. Played against him for Barcelona. We actually won in the Nou Camp. And I came on for 30 seconds. The fact to have been on the same pitch as Lionel Messi or to watch him for a game, I think, and there'll be times when people who have been to see, kind of, Barcelona with Messi in his heyday, or if you've watched Argentina, or people who have seen him live, I think, in 10, 20, 30 years time, you could tell your grandkids that you saw Messi play, 'cause I think that's the kind of level of what we're watching."

After picking Iniesta, Crouch said that it was obvious to go with Ronaldo and recalled their U18 clash. He added:

"This is a bit obvious, but I've gone Cristiano. I mean, I played against him quite a few times. In a World Cup, obviously, we did the particular game where Rooney got sent off. That was mad. Manchester United, Real Madrid. And not many people would know, I played against him in the under-18s. Ronaldo was controlling it on his back and then getting at the defender. And obviously the amount of step overs that you used to see and stuff. And yeah, I felt like we were witnessing something. But then what Ronaldo went on to achieve, he just became ruthless and ended up just becoming this ruthless goalscorer. And that's why he's in the team."

While Crouch named Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the 5-a-side of players he has played against, he went with Pepe Reina, Ledley King, Luka Modric, Steven Gerrard, and Jermaine Defoe as the 5-a-side from his former teammates.

Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi? Peter Crouch makes his pick

Peter Crouch has been very clear about his choice between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. He believes that the fans who prefer the Portuguese legend over the Argentine icon do not know football.

Crouch said on his podcast in August 2023:

"I don't know if I should say this or not. I feel if you say Ronaldo, you don't know football very well."

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are in the twilight of their careers, but haven't yet mentioned a concrete timeline for their retirements.