Gerard Pique names his dream seven-a-side Kings League team; do Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo make it?
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were among the superstars named by Gerard Pique in his dream seven-a-side Kings League team.
Pique was a guest on The Club podcast, where he discussed his new seven-a-side football league 'Kings League', which he established last year. It pits football personalities and social media stars against one another and is growing in prominence.
The Barcelona legend revealed the seven stars that would make up his ideal seven-a-side team in the Kings League. He chose Iker Casillas in goal and Rio Ferdinand and Carlos Puyol in defence, explaining:
"The keeper would be Iker Casillas and the defenders Rio Ferdinand and Carlos Puyol. For me, them two have been important for me in a personal way.
"I was really young when I joined Manchester United, and Rio helped me with that. Also when I joined Barcelona, I was 21, and Puyol was captain, and he also helped me a lot to start my career. Those two have been two incredible centre-backs."
Pique then moved on to choosing his midfield, where he selected his former Barca teammates Cesc Fabregas and Andreas Iniesta:
"In midfield, I'll say Cesc Fabregas because he's like a brother, and, I think, in the Premier League, he's been one of the greatest; his first year at Arsenal was incredible.
"I would also say Iniesta because he won us the World Cup, and the goal is more than enough, but the quality he had is just amazing."
The Spaniard then chose his attack, where he named both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as his frontmen:
"Then maybe I would say Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi (in attack). I could say Wayne Rooney, I could say a lot of players, but I can only pick seven."
It's no surprise to see Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo make Pique's seven-a-side team, as they have been two of the greatest players in history. Messi and Ronaldo alongside the Spaniard at Barca and Manchester United, respectively.
Lionel Messi became an icon at the Camp Nou during his 16 seasons with the Blaugrana. The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner bagged 672 goals and 303 assists in 778 games across competitions. He won the UEFA Champions League four times, La Liga 10 times and Copa del Rey seven times, and finished as the La Liga top goalscorer on eight occasions.
Pique played alongside Cristiano Ronaldo during the early stages of his career at Manchester United. The Portuguese legend went on to become a hero at Old Trafford, bagging 145 goals and 64 assists in 346 games.
He won one Champions League, three Premier League, one FA Cup and two Leagues Cups with the Red Devils.
Gerard Pique wades in on GOAT debate between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
The Spaniard sided with Lionel Messi in the never-ending debate between the Argentine icon and Cristiano Ronaldo over who's the all-time greatest. The pair have locked horns over the last two decades and dominated European football like few else.
However, Pique reckons Messi's performance at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar showed why he's the better of the two. He says that even at the age of 35, the Inter Miami superstar proved that he could still dominate world football (via GIVEMESPORT):
“I think that in terms of talent, Messi is number one, for sure. It’s true that Cristiano has worked very hard to try and compete and fight for that first spot, but if you see the careers of both … I would choose Messi, for sure."
Pique added:
“He showed that even though he’s 35, he can compete as the best player in the world. He showed it in the World Cup.”
Messi enjoyed a stellar World Cup campaign, captaining Argentina to glory in Qatar. He scored seven goals and provided three assists in seven games, also winning the Golden Ball award.
That was in stark contrast to Cristiano Ronaldo, who endured a difficult campaign with Portugal. He lacked form, managing just one goal in five games as the Selecao crashed out in the quarterfinals to Morocco.