Newcastle United defender Kieran Trippier, when asked about the toughest player he has faced in his career, has said that Paris Saint Germain (PSG) superstar Lionel Messi is the toughest player he has ever played against.
Messi is one of the best players not only in modern times but also in the history of football. A seven-time Ballon d’Or winner has won every title possible since winning the World Cup 2022 in Qatar last year.
After leading Argentina to their third world title, Messi is believed by many to have overtaken the Portuguese star in the long-running Messi-Ronaldo rivalry. On the other hand, many football fans have started declaring that Messi is the best player in the history of football.
Meanwhile, the former Tottenham star has also hailed Messi as the toughest player he has ever played against. The Newcastle star says that as a defender it is almost impossible to take the ball from the feet of the former Barcelona star.
He said, “Messi is the best player I’ve ever played against. He’s a magician on the field, you can’t take the ball from his feet.” Trippier spent three seasons with Atletico Madrid in La Liga before signing for the Premier League club.
He has played 4 times while Messi was at Barcelona, two of which saw Messi score and two of which saw Madrid keep a clean sheet. While at Tottenham, Trippier played against Messi in the Champions League group stage in 2018 in which Messi scored twice on his own.
