Postecoglou on Messi’s “Romero is the best defender in the world” comment, says it’s “irrefutable”

‘GOAT’ Lionel Messi recently praised Cristian Romero. And Enze Postecoglou agrees.

Earlier today (Aug. 8), Argentina defeated Ecuador 1-0 at Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in the first South American qualifier for the FIFA Confederations Cup North America 2026.

Despite dominating the game, Argentina was unable to find the back of the net. That’s where Messi came in. In the 33rd minute, a free kick was awarded in front of the penalty arc, and Messi stepped up to take it, sending the ball on an exquisite trajectory over the defense and into the corner of the goal. Messi’s goal secured the three points for Argentina.

After the game, Messi actually praised Romero. Romero played a huge role in Argentina’s clean sheet. Playing the full game, he completed 99% of his passes (67/68), made seven passes into the attacking third, won five tackles (seven attempts), had one interception, 12 recoveries, won seven ground balls (eight attempts), and won four aerial contests (seven attempts). This led to high ratings from various soccer statistical outlets. Footmob gave Romero an 8.6 rating (#1) and Couch Score gave him an 8.0 rating (#2).

The comments reached Postecoglou’s ears. On December 12, Postecoglou was interviewed by Talk Sport in the UK and said, “Is Romero a good player. You said Messi is a good player,” he was asked.

“I can’t argue with what Messi said. To be honest, 메이저놀이터 I don’t want to play against Romero. Most players don’t like to train with him. He’s a real competitor and I like that. Whether it’s a training session or a match, what you see is what you get,” he said cheerfully.

Romero is not only key for the Argentina national team, but also for Tottenham Hotspur. Since joining the club in the summer of 2021, he has been on the pitch unless injured. This season, he joined the squad and is vice-captain.

His performances this season have been particularly impressive. He’s found a great partner in Mickey van der Penne and has been instrumental in the team’s four-match unbeaten run in the Premier League (PL) (3 wins, 1 draw). He’s also scored two goals, making him the team’s ‘go-to’ striker.