Haaland names ultimate 5-a-side team as Ronaldo and Messi calls made

09 February 2024 , 07:40

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Erling Haaland has named his ultimate five-a-side team (Image: Visionhaus/Getty Images)

Manchester City star Erling Haaland has picked his ultimate five-a-side team, with the Norwegian finding room for both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

Haaland is one of the most prolific strikers in world football, having netted 71 goals in 77 games across all competitions since joining City in 2022. He also lifted the treble last season as Pep Guardiola's side won the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.

However, the 23-year-old decided not pick himself in his dream five-a-side team, instead naming Ronaldinho alongside Ronaldo and Messi. He also picked AC Milan legend Paolo Maldini as the sole defender and opted for Real Madrid icon Iker Casillas in goal, selecting him ahead of his City teammate Ederson.

"I would like to see Ronaldinho, Messi, Cristiano," Haaland said in an appearance on The Official Man City Podcast. "Maldini to be back there just to (defend). Then I need a keeper, no? I would love Ederson because in these five-a-side games, if he is able to shoot he would score 15 goals. A keeper, I would take Casillas."

Haaland also reflected on his success at City so far and admitted he has "loads of things to still improve" on. He added: "My first weeks and months, I wanted to get settled in the team as quickly as possible.

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"To get to know people, get to know the whole club and how they play and how they do things. In the big picture it was to win the Champions League. That's what I said when I came here, that was the goal.

"From the first day I came here, I enjoyed it. There are good vibes in the locker room and in the CFA, so I felt like it was a place I want to come to and an environment I wanted to be in and I think you saw that on the pitch as well.

Both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo made Haaland's team (FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)

"The club won the Premier League two years in a row before so there was a lot of pressure there. We were behind for 248 days or something, so there was pressure there. If I came in and we didn't win the Premier League it would have been like: 'You came in and destroyed everything!'

"But to win that, we did good in the Champions League and of course the FA Cup, to get the full Treble was unreal and an amazing first season. There's loads of things to still improve. When you play so many games, it's difficult to train because you have to get ready and do the stuff that gets you fit for the next game.

"I want to become even better with the team, to be more solid with the team and to perform in the biggest games. And I want to recreate the things we did last season."

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Matthew Cooper