Marcelo: Lionel Messi is the Most Difficult Opponent I Have Ever Faced

Marcelo, a Real Madrid legend, has named Lionel Messi as the toughest opponent he has faced in his 18-year career. The Brazilian defender spent 15 years at the Bernabeu, becoming the club’s most decorated player of all time with 25 trophies before his departure in 2022. Speaking to the Athletic, Marcelo said of the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner: “Messi is incredible, the toughest opponent I’ve ever faced. We all know the quality he has even now, aged 35, and before it was the same.” He also noted that it was not just Messi who defined the Clasicos of the late 2000s and 2010s, but that other players were “also incredible”. After leaving Real Madrid in the summer of 2022, Marcelo joined Greek side Olympiacos before returning to his boyhood club Fluminense in Brazil in February 2023.