Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and more: Former Chelsea star Mikel John Obi builds his perfect footballer
Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel was asked to make his dream player by using specific abilities from footballers and he included Lionel Messi in his answer. In an interview with GOAL, the former Nigerian captain made the following choices.
Here are his answers:
Left Foot - Lionel Messi
Former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain winger Lionel Messi is regarded by many as the best footballer ever, and his left foot is nothing short of magical. He has won eight Ballons d'Or and numerous other honors.
Right Foot - I know the Ronaldo fans are going to kill me, but I'm going to go Kevin De Bruyne
Known for his ability to make play and create goals out of nowhere, Kevin De Bruyne is considered to be one of the best playmakers of this generation.
Strength - Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo is a five-time Ballon d'Or winner and is currently the highest goalscorer in the history of the game with 867 goals. His strength as a finisher has seen him win battles against several defenders over the years.
Speed - Kylian Mbappe
French World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe is one of the fastest players in the grid and has scored several goals in counterattacks across competitions.
Football IQ - Francesco Totti
AS Roma legend Francesco Totti was one of the smartest players in the game and was a wily old customer in the attacking third.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo had great years in 2023
Messi won Ligue 1 in 2023 with PSG. He also helped his new team Inter Miami win the Leagues Cup last summer, the club's first trophy ever. He scored 11 goals and registered five assists in 14 games across competitions for the Herons since joining them last summer.
He also won the 2023 Ballon d'Or and the 2023 FIFA The Best Men's Player of the Year award. He beat Erling Haaland to the top spot in both awards, who won the treble with Manchester City last season.
Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo joined Al Nassr in December 2022 and made his debut for the club in January 2023. The Portuguese attacker ended the year as the highest goal scorer of the calendar year. He registered 54 goals in 59 games for club and country.