Former Chelsea player, John Obi Mikel, has disclosed that Lionel Messi, the former Barcelona captain, is the toughest opponent he has encountered throughout his career in professional football.
Mikel Obi had several encounters with Messi, facing him both at the national team level against Argentina and at club level when Chelsea clashed with Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League.
When asked to name the best player he has played against, the retired Nigerian international singled out Messi, emphasizing that the Inter Miami skipper is in a league of his own.
According to Mikel Obi, “For me, Messi was the one. Our entire week’s training revolved around Messi, the game’s strategy was built around containing him.”
“We had to assign two or three players to mark him. You can’t defend Messi one-on-one; it’s impossible, you’re doomed,” he added.
“The way he plays, the team’s ball movement, the whole aim is to get the ball to him, and his game is about observation. People may talk about him strolling around, but it’s just to find space. Once he gets the ball, his movement sets everyone in motion,” Mikel Obi explained.
“It’s incredibly challenging, the way he handles the ball, the precision of his passes. To me, I know there’s a comparison, having played against both [Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo], and Messi was very close to me when we faced them. I wouldn’t say one is miles ahead because of Cristiano’s accomplishments, but personally, I don’t see the comparison because I genuinely believe Messi is in a class of his own. He’s that exceptional,” he concluded.
