Picking World Football's Best 5-a-Side Team

If you were in charge of a world's best five-a-side team, who would you choose?

What would you look for in your goalkeeper: the immense reflexes of Shay Given or the ability on the ball of Victor Valdes?

Would your forward be a complete version, a powerhouse or a straight-up Raul-esque poacher?

Which midfield maestros would you choose to run proceedings, and what would you expect in defence?

Read my selections and draft yours up in the comments below!

GK: Manuel Neuer, Bayern Munich

There's a lot to consider for a goalkeeper in this side, and it's not as easy as picking the best in the world.

Coincidentally, we have. However, the reason Manuel Neuer enters our team is because he's been taught to play with the ball at his feet from an early age.

Bayern Munich used him to effectively negate Barcelona's pressing methods, while he has a habit of sitting on the halfway line with Germany to push his team forward when in need of a goal.

His reflexes aren't on par with David de Gea's, but they're still excellent, and his all-round ability makes him an easy pick here. 

CB: David Luiz, Chelsea

In five-a-side football, there's only one player who typically sits back and sweeps up in front of goal.

Pure defenders are useless, though, as they must be able to contribute to attacks and surge forward to create mismatches (it's very easy to man-mark on such a small court).

There are two options—either take a Sergio Busquets- or Javi Martinez-type centre-back/defensive-midfield hybrid, or take a centre-back capable of immense technical skill and an ability to contribute higher up.

We've opted for the latter, and that means David Luiz takes our second spot. 

Mid: Andres Iniesta, Barcelona

There are few, if any, more suited to five-a-side football than the electric Andres Iniesta.

Not only does he have the first touch of a god, but his ability to find a way out of incredibly tight situations would come in handy on a very small pitch.

He's got a reasonable eye for goal and is more than generous in his passing—a key trait in controlling the clock and the pace of the game.

Mid: Lionel Messi, Barcelona

Lionel Messi is a must-have on a five-a-side team—his game is just too well-rounded to swap him for anyone else.

He'll put the hard yards in, give his markers a nightmare and create space where there doesn't appear to be any. His finishing skills are among the best in the world, and like Andres Iniesta, he has immense agility and mobility.

He won't play up front in our side like he does for Barcelona, but this team has been built on free-flowing movement, and Messi will often find himself the furthest man forward.

ST: Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid

There's nothing worse than playing five-a-side with a striker who just can't finish the chances you create.

Cristiano Ronaldo, at point-blank range, would be expected to hit it so hard the goalkeeper has no chance of stopping it.

Doubting the velocity of his shot? Ask this kid how it feels to be hit by one.

His penchant for ingenuity and ability to drift across the front of the formation would be ideal for a tight game. There are few forwards in the world you'd rather have topping your formation than Ronaldo.

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