“Just the best” - Liverpool star picks Lionel Messi as 'toughest' opponent of his career

Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold has picked Lionel Messi as the toughest opponent he has ever faced. The Englishman has been a Messi admirer for a long time, having raved about the Argentine ace in many interviews in the past,

Messi is widely considered one of the best players of all time. The Barcelona legend's repertoire of personal accolades consists of eight Ballons d'Or, three UEFA Best Player in Europe titles, and six European Golden Boots among others. Furthermore, he has won four UEFA Champions League titles (however, the UEFA official website states three), two Copa Americas, and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

After clocking a record 704 goals and 338 assists in Europe across competitions, Messi is filling stadiums and winning titles with MLS outfit Inter Miami.

In a recent interview (via @centregoals on X), Trent Alexander-Arnold called Inter Miami superstar the best in the world.

Here's how the conversation went:

The interviewer: "Name your toughest opponent."

Trent Alexander-Arnold: "Messi. Just the best."

Although Lionel Messi has been plagued with injuries this season, he has still registered 17 goals and 10 assists in 18 MLS games. He has already won the Supporters' Shield with Inter Miami in the current campaign.

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When Trent Alexander-Arnold was made to choose between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

The Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo debate has kept fans on the edge of their seats for the last two decades. The two had established an unparalleled domination over world football during their respective primes, winning a record 13 Ballons d'Or between them (eight for Messi and five for Ronaldo).

Trent Alexander-Arnold was once made to pick between the two titans of football. However, the Englishman didn't hesitate before picking the Argentine ace over the Portuguese superstar. He told Daily Mirror in July this year (via @AlbicelesteTalk on X):

“It has to be Messi for me. The best player I’ve played. The best player that’s ever played the game. To imagine anyone better than what I’ve been able to see, my brain doesn’t comprehend it. There’s no way anyone can be better."

Talking about the experience of playing with him and the sense of fear he develops in the minds of the opposition, he said:

"Lionel Messi is the greatest to ever play this game. There's just a different feeling playing against him that I've ever felt with anyone else. You're always on red alert when the ball is near him, I think it's very rare for a player to king of put that feeling into other players so, for that reason I have to say it's him."

"For me, I think in many, many aspects of the game, he's probably the best at any given moment, he can almost do what he wants on a football pitch so for that reason he's the best," the right-back concluded.

The English defender played against Messi once in his career when Liverpool beat Barcelona 4-0 in the second leg of the 2018-19 Champions League semi-final at Anfield. In that iconic game, Liverpool overcame a 3-0 deficit from the first leg to progress to the final.