“GOAT seal of approval”, “He knows ball” - Liverpool fans in awe as Lionel Messi praises attacker’s performance on international duty

Fans have reacted to Argentina captain Lionel Messi praising Liverpool attacker Darwin Nunez for his performance in the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier on Thursday (November 16).

Uruguay put in a resolute performance against the defending champions at the La Bombonera in Buenos Aires. Ronald Araujo broke the deadlock four minutes before the break before Nunez confirmed the three points in the 87th minute.

Playing as a lone forward, the 24-year-old admirably led the line for the two-time world champions. In 89 minutes of action, Nunez had one shot on target, one off target, one blocked and missed a big chance.

Of course, he did score his team's second goal - which took Uruguay to within two points off leaders Argentina - in the CONMEBOL qualifying standings after five games.

Moreover, the Reds attacker 4/13 ground duels, 2/3 aeriel duels and laid out 6/12 accurate passes. He also helped out defensively, making two clearances. Nunez's performance earned him praise from Lionel Messi, who said:

“Uruguay are good at rebounding and playing in space on counter attack. They have excellent players for that like Darwin (Nunez)."

Fans reacted to the same, with one terming Messi's comments as:

"The GOAT's seal of approval."

Another chimed in:

"He knows ball"

Here are some of the top reactions on X (formerly called Twitter):

Argentina's defeat was their first in nine games - winning eight - since beating France on penalties in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final.

---

"We never felt comfortable" - Argentina captain Lionel Messi after losing to Uruguay

Argentina attacker Lionel Messi

Argentina were riding an impressive 14-game winning run since losing 2-1 to Saudi Arabia in their FIFA World Cup 2022 opener.

Since then, Lionel Scaloni's men won six straight games to win their third World Cup. Post that triumph, the Albiceleste won four friendlies and their opening four FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers - without conceding - before coming undone at home to Uruguay.

Captain Lionel Messi admitted that the hosts never felt comfortable on the night (as per BBC):

"We never felt comfortable. The loss is a good test for us. They are an intense team, and it was difficult for us to play our game. They have physical and fast players in the midfield. We didn't find a way to possess the ball for a long period of time."

Despite the loss, La Albiceleste remain atop the CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup qualifiers with 12 points from five games. They next travel to arch-rivals Brazil on Tuesday (November 21) before qualifying action takes a break for nearly a year.