Porto star hails Lionel Messi as the 'best in the world' while picking 4 players he would love to play alongside
FC Porto midfielder Alan Varela hailed Lionel Messi as the best player in the world while picking four players he would love to play alongside. Varela picked four teammates for his five-a-side team in a clip uploaded by Porto on social media.
The Argentine midfielder started by picking his compatriot Emiliano Martinez in the net. The Porto star recalled the Aston Villa custodian's performance during the 2022 FIFA World Cup final, where Argentina edged past France on penalties. Alan Varela then named former Real Madrid and Porto defender Pepe and said (via A Bola):
"For the trajectory you had in your career and for being an excellent person."
The 23-year-old continued his list by naming former Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets. Varela stated that he tried copying the Spaniard's playing style out of admiration. The Porto midfielder continued:
"I always watched him play, tried to copy his game and his ability within the field."
Varela closed his list with Argentine superstar Lionel Messi's name and hailed him as the 'best in the world'. He said:
"Because it is the best in the world."
Alan Varela joined Porto from Boca Juniors in August 2023. Since then, the 23-year-old has made 81 appearances for the Portuguese giants across competitions, scoring two and assisting six goals.
When Brazil icon Ronaldo Nazario picked Lionel Messi as 'number one'
Brazil legend Ronaldo Nazario was asked to name his top five football players in 2020. During an interview with Spanish outlet AS, Ronaldo hailed Argentine superstar Lionel Messi as the 'number one' while picking his top five players.
The former Real Madrid striker placed Messi first on the list and snubbed Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo. He also claimed that the world will not witness a talent like Lionel Messi in the coming 20-30 years. He said (via SportsBible):
"Messi, of course, he's number one, it is a talent that we will take 20 or 30 years to see something similar."
To continue his list, Ronaldo Nazario picked Liverpool attacker Mohamed Salah and Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe. He then added the names of Eden Hazard and Neymar to complete the list.
