Regarded as one of the best defenders in Premier League history, Virgil Van Dijk made headlines when he became the most expensive defender ever in English soccer with his move from Southampton to Liverpool.
Throughout his career, Van Dijk has faced some of the game’s most dangerous attackers. However, when it comes to the greatest player in the world, the Dutch center-back doesn’t hesitate to place Lionel Messi at the top.
Despite battling legendary forwards like Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Suarez, Karim Benzema, Erling Haaland, and Kylian Mbappe throughout his career, Van Dijk considers Messi the best of all time.
After helping Liverpool secure the UEFA Champions League title in 2019, Van Dijk was a Ballon d’Or contender. However, during a post-match press conference following their victory over Tottenham, Van Dijk made it clear that Messi deserved the honor, calling him the best player in the world.
“I think Messi is the best player in the world,” Van Dijk said. “I think he deserves to win the Ballon d’Or as long as he keeps playing… He has that extra element that he’s shown in recent years”.
In a 2022 interview with Sky Sports Premier League, Van Dijk also acknowledged Messi as one of the toughest opponents he’s ever faced. “Who’s the toughest opponent I’ve faced? Lionel Messi. Cristiano Ronaldo and he have been putting up incredible numbers for the past decade, and it’s unbelievable what they’ve achieved,” Van Dijk said. “But in this case, (the toughest opponent of my career) is Lionel Messi”.
Van Dijk reflects on his toughest encounter with Messi
In the same interview with Sky Sports, Van Dijk recalled the unforgettable 2019 UEFA Champions League semifinal between Barcelona and Liverpool, where the English side made an incredible comeback. Barcelona had won the first leg 3-0, with Messi scoring a brace, but Liverpool overturned the deficit with a 4-0 victory at Anfield, securing their spot in the final.
“With Messi on the pitch, we had a very tough night in Barcelona in 2019,” Van Dijk recalled. “When you face Messi and he’s at his best, there’s nothing you can do. I’m glad I’m not in Spain, so I don’t have to face him every season. He scored two goals, and I left very disappointed”.
Messi’s praise for Van Dijk
Despite only facing Van Dijk three times—winning two of those encounters, one with Barcelona and the other with Argentina—Messi has never been shy about praising the quality of the Dutch defender. In a 2019 interview with Diario Marca, Messi lauded Van Dijk’s ability to not only defend but also contribute offensively, especially with his aerial prowess.
“He’s a defender who knows how to time his challenges and wait for the right moment to step in or hold his ground,” Messi said. “He’s very fast and big, but he’s also very agile for his size. He’s quick due to his long stride and impressive in the air, both in defense and attack because he scores a lot of goals“.