“I was close to cheering him” — William Troost-Ekong on Messi’s goal vs Nigeria

By Monsurah Olatunji

Nigeria international William Troost-Ekong has shared his thoughts on the ongoing debate over who is the greatest football player of all time — Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.

While the Super Eagles captain, who currently plays for Al-Kholood, skillfully avoided picking a side in the “GOAT” argument, he reflected on what it’s like to face these two footballing icons as a defender.

Troost-Ekong recalled a memorable moment from the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, where he faced Messi in Nigeria’s 2-1 loss to Argentina. He admitted to being so starstruck by Messi’s brilliance that, at one point, he almost found himself cheering for the Argentine forward.

In an interview with talkSPORT, Troost-Ekong said, “When he (Messi) scored the opening goal against us, it was like slow motion; you can’t really do anything. You just have to watch him. I was close to cheering him because he was fantastic. He is of a different quality. You can see that he’s reading the game, but when he comes alive, there is not much you can do.”

Troost-Ekong also shared his experience of playing against Ronaldo, whom he is set to face again in Saudi Arabia this season. He reminisced about facing the Portuguese star both in England and Italy, highlighting Ronaldo’s evolution from a winger to a center-forward during his time at Juventus.

“I had the pleasure of playing against him in Italy. When he was playing for Juventus and I was playing for Udinese, he was an out-and-out number nine at that point. Of course, I grew up watching him as a winger. In Italy, he was very sharp and a great finisher; you just really can’t take your eye off him if you’re a defender,” Troost-Ekong explained.

The Nigerian defender went on to describe how difficult it was to deal with Ronaldo’s sharpness, especially when playing in a three-man defense. “Even when we play three at the back and some moments when we get pinned down to five, he only needs about half a meter and he will try and get a shot off. That was really impressive.”

Troost-Ekong also spoke about playing against Ronaldo during his time at Watford, where the Nigerian’s team managed to secure a 4-1 victory against Manchester United. “It was a great experience,” he said.

Both Messi and Ronaldo have left an indelible mark on Troost-Ekong’s career, with the Super Eagles captain expressing nothing but admiration for their exceptional qualities on the field.