Lionel Messi: Real Madrid Star Valverde Gives Sincere Answer on How To Stop Ballon d’Or Winner

• Federico Valverde has shared his opinion on how to stop Lionel Messi
• The Real Madrid star will come face-to-face with Messi when Uruguay play as guests to Argentina on Thursday
• The pair have crossed swords on a couple of occasions in the past

Uruguay and Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde shared his frank perspective on containing Lionel Messi.

Although Valverde only became a regular in the Real Madrid team during Messi's final years at Barcelona, they engaged in several on-pitch battles during El Clasico, including when Messi joined PSG.

According to GOAL, the upcoming encounter between Argentina and Uruguay in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers in Buenos Aires will see the two players cross paths once again.

While strategizing on how to impede the Argentinian legend is one aspect, executing the plan during the actual game is another challenge.

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Valverde on how to stop Messi

In anticipation of Uruguay's clash with La Albiceleste on November 17, the 25-year-old was questioned by local media on how his team intends to thwart Messi during the match.

"I don't know how to do it," he answered as cited by SportBIBLE.

"I could never stop him. We had many Clasicos, and Casemiro was always a good weapon against Messi. Although not always.

"You have to respect him because he is one of the best players in the world."

Uruguay manager details plans to thwart Messi

In connection with this, Sports Brief covered Uruguay's national team head coach Marcelo Bielsa's insights on stopping Lionel Messi in their upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier.

Bielsa emphasized that there is no fixed formula to halt Messi and proposed that consulting Messi directly about effective strategies might be advantageous.

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He acknowledged Messi's unparalleled talent, expressing that football could benefit from witnessing the brilliance of the world's best player, irrespective of tactical considerations.

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Messi to present Ballon d'Or to Argentina fans

Ahead of the highly-anticipated clash, in a special moment, Messi may grace the occasion by presenting his Ballon d'Or award to Argentina fans for the first time in his illustrious career, Sports Brief reported.

This symbolic gesture aligns with Messi's exceptional World Cup contributions to the national team, a pivotal factor in securing his eighth Ballon d'Or title.