John Obi Mikel: Gary Lineker's Question on Stopping Messi Ahead of World Cup Clash
Former Nigeria midfielder John Obi Mikel has raised the question surrounding Lionel Messi ahead of Argentina’s upcoming World Cup semi-final match against England. Warning the English side, Mikel suggested that stopping the star Argentine forward remains an impossible task.
Mikel expressed his thoughts on The Rest Is Football podcast, underlining how all attempts to neutralize Messi have failed over the years — not even Jose Mourinho has found a solution despite trying various tactics and strategies against Barcelona’s attacking maestro. “Gary,” Mikel queried, “how do you do that? We have all tried, and we have all failed.”
Impossible Task: Stopping Messi
Mikel further elaborated the challenges of defending against Messi by referencing past experiences with Chelsea, which faced Barcelona in various Champions League matches. Even with the best team strategy and individual skills in play, defending one-on-one is almost impossible for any opponent. “Mourinho always has a tactic: How do we stop this little magician?”