Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has identified Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the two most formidable opponents he has faced in his career.
Van Dijk admitted that defending against either player is extremely challenging, but he considers it a privilege to play against the best.
Van Dijk stated via TBR Football: “Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Both very, very, very good players.
“Very difficult to defend against. In my opinion, it is always a privilege to play against the best. You can continually challenge yourself, and you must always be at your absolute best — it is a beautiful thing.”
He has faced Ronaldo five times, suffering defeat three times, while he has come up against Messi three times, losing twice.
Van Dijk’s sole victory against Messi was a historic 4-0 win against Barcelona in the 2019 UEFA Champions League semi-final, which helped Liverpool overturn a 3-0 deficit and progress to the final.
Meanwhile, both Messi and Ronaldo are now nearing the end of their illustrious careers, with Messi playing for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer and Ronaldo featuring for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.