Netherlands midfielder Frenkie de Jong has said that he has no idea how to stop Lionel Messi, a former teammate at Barcelona, when they face Argentina in the World Cup quarterfinal on Friday.
Reporters asked De Jong if he had any plans to assist his manager, Louis van Gaal, in containing the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, who has been one of the standout performers in Qatar thus far.
“Well, no. I know him, but I don’t know how to stop him,” de Jong explained.
“He’s been making the difference for 15 years and there is not one way to stop him. Usually he would still make the difference during training too. We just have to stop him as a team,” he said.
Frenkie de Jong: “How to stop Messi? I know him, but I don’t know how to stop him. He’s been making the difference for 15 years now.” [espn] #fcblive 🎙️ pic.twitter.com/a9i8a45uZt
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) December 6, 2022
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De Jong, who is having a fine tournament himself at the heart of the Dutch midfield, played alongside Messi for two seasons during which they won the Copa del Rey.
‼️ Frenkie de Jong Vs Lionel Messi! pic.twitter.com/eC9AbQqH6O
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As for any pleasantries between the two, the 25-year-old has made it clear he will wait until after the game to catch up with the PSG forward.
“We haven’t texted each other. I am not planning to,” he said. “We will see each other on Friday.”
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