“There is no recipe on how to stop the best player in the world” – Rafa Marquez sends Lionel Messi warning to Mexico ahead of 2022 World Cup

Former Barcelona and Mexico defender Rafa Marquez hailed Lionel Messi as the best player in the world. He also issued a warning to Mexico, who face Argentina in the 2022 World Cup group stage, that stopping Messi is a difficult task. He spoke to TNT Sports (via TyCSports) and praised Lionel Messi's winning mentality.

Marquez shared the dressing room with Lionel Messi at Barcelona between 2004 and 2010. He has made five appearances in five editions of the FIFA World Cup with Mexico and is often considered to be El Tri's best defender ever. He is currently the manager of the Barcelona B team.

Having played alongside Messi at Barcelona and also facing the left-footed star on the international stage, Marquez knows the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star's pedigree. He lauded the Argentine star, stating that there's no tactic that works against stopping him.

Rafa Márquez advirtió a @miseleccionmx sobre el duelo contra Messi en #Qatar2022

"No hay receta de cómo parar al mejor jugador del mundo. La mentalidad que tiene Leo es impresionante, siempre quiere ganar. E ya era un fenómeno, hoy es el mejor del mundo", dijo para TNT Sports https://t.co/KCYqaL3kix

He added that when he played alongside Lionel Messi, he was already a phenomenon and now, there's no better player than the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner. He said:

“There is no recipe on how to stop the best player in the world. You have to try and play the perfect game. Leo's mentality is impressive, he always wants to win.

"He is a much more complete player than the one I knew. Today he is in the right place, if he was already a phenomenon, today he is the best in the world."

Mexico will meet Lionel Messi's Argentina in their second group stage fixture of the 2022 World Cup in November. The two sides have been drawn alongside Poland and Saudi Arabia in Group C.

Mexico have been unable to defeat Argentina in the World Cup with Messi in the lineup, suffering 2-1 and 3-1 defeats in the 2006 and 2010 editions respectively. They will have their work cut out for them at the 2022 World Cup as Argentina are on a 32-game unbeaten streak across all competitions.

Lionel Messi looking in solid form with PSG ahead of the 2022 World Cup

Messi kicked off the 2022-23 campaign with a bang and is enjoying a solid run in Ligue 1 with PSG.

In five league games thus far, he has scored three goals and provided four assists. He has assumed a slightly deeper role this season with Kylian Mbappe and Neymar Jr. taking the lead in front of goal.

Lionel Messi in 5 Ligue 1 games season: 🇦🇷
⚽️ 3 goals
🎯 4 assists https://t.co/nsRmlSjkP7

The 2022 World Cup might very well be the final appearance for La Pulga in the competition. The quadriennial trophy remains the only one missing in the maestro's career. So, with that in mind, he and even his teammates will be looking to ensure that he achieves his dream of leading Argentina to glory in Qatar later this year.