‘I don’t agree’ – Pundit laughs off Lionel Messi’s praise for Tottenham player

Argentine football pundit Alejandro Moreno has laughed off Lionel Messi’s suggestion that Cristian Romero is the best centre-back in the world.

Romero delivered a battling display in Argentina’s 1-0 win over Bolivia in their World Cup qualifier on Thursday, with the Tottenham centre-back coming in for plenty of praise for his performance.

After the game, Messi described the Spurs star as the best central defender in the world, with the comments also backed up by midfielder Rodrigo de Paul (Mirror).

Praise from his teammates did not end there for Romero, with a similar sentiment being echoed by Chelsea‘s Enzo Fernandez in his comment on the 25-year-old’s Instagram post, while Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni likened the centre-back to ‘He-Man’ (D-Sports).

Is Cristian Romero the best defender in the world?

It seemed like Romero’s performance might have come at a cost as there were some reports on Friday that the defender might have picked up an injury (Luis Fregossi) but he has since been pictured training with the side, which perhaps indicates that it is not a serious problem.

Moreno was asked about Messi’s comments and whether he thinks Romero is the best centre-back in the world, to which the pundit told ESPN FC: “No, is the answer to that. No, I don’t agree with Lionel Messi. I assume so (Messi gassing up his own player). That’s diesel gas right there.”

Spurs Web Opinion

I can see why many in the Argentina set-up rate Romero so highly as the 25-year-old has been outstanding for the Albiceleste for the last three years, playing a crucial role in their Copa America and World Cup wins.

However, I agree with Moreno that the Tottenham man is not the best in the world just yet, although he certainly has the potential to become one of the best. He needs to perform consistently for an extended period of time in order to be in that conversation.

Related Topics