Trent Alexander-Arnold claims Messi is the greatest goalscorer of all time

Liverpool and England defender Trent Alexander-Arnold has hailed Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi as the greatest player of all time. Having shared the pitch with some of the best footballers on the planet, Alexander-Arnold named Messi his toughest opponent in his professional career.

The English defender has lauded the Argentine’s monumental impact on the sport who has most recently won the Copa America 2024 in the United States, making him the most decorated footballer with 45 trophies to his name.

Why has Trent Alexander-Arnold picked Messi as the greatest-ever player?

The 25-year-old defender has played against the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Luis Suarez, and several other stalwarts in the game but reserved his praise for Barcelona legend Lionel Messi. But the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is regarded as a cut above the rest.

“It has to be Messi for me. The best player I’ve played. The best player that’s ever played the game. To imagine anyone better than what I’ve been able to see, my brain doesn’t comprehend it. There’s no way anyone can be better.

“Lionel Messi is the greatest to ever play this game. There’s just a different feeling playing against him than I’ve ever felt with anyone else. You’re always on red alert when the ball is near him, I think it’s very rare for a player to kind of put that feeling into other players so, for that reason I have to say it’s him. For me, I think in many, many aspects of the game, he’s probably the best at any given moment, he can almost do what he wants on a football pitch so for that reason he’s the best.”

Messi is currently enduring an ankle injury and is expected to be sidelined for several weeks.

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