'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Chelsea goalkeeper Willy Caballero has talked up his compatriot and Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi.
The duo were due to feature for Argentina in this month's 2022 World Cup qualifiers, but the CONMEBOL fixtures were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Caballero is one of the few players to have played with and against Lionel Messi in his career, and the Chelsea man was full of praise for the Barcelona forward. Speaking to 90min, the Argentine said:
"Facing Messi, I had to suffer. He goes out to assassinate the goalkeepers. The goalkeepers, the defenders - he's going to kill [them]. And killing means scoring as many goals as possible. He doesn't care if you know him, if you're Argentine or if you're a friend. He'll talk to you afterwards, greet you and everything else, but in those 90 minutes he's on a mission to hit you with goals."
Lionel Messi is regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. The Barcelona superstar tops the charts as the highest scorer in the history of La Liga with 467 goals in 511 appearances.
Lionel Messi has been immense for Barcelona this season
After a shaky start to the campaign, Lionel Messi looks like he is back to his best for Barcelona.
The Argentine has scored 29 goals across all competitions this season, and is currently leading the top-scorer's chart in La Liga with 23 goals in 26 appearances for the Blaugrana.
Messi's form at the start of the season mirrored Barcelona's as the Catalan giants found themselves languishing down in 10th at one point last year.
However, with Messi experiencing an uptick in form, Ronald Koeman's side are now second in La Liga, four points behind Atletico Madrid at the top of the table.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta will hope that he can convince Lionel Messi to extend his contract with the club.
The 33-year-old's contract expires in the summer and Messi is currently free to negotiate with foreign clubs over a potential move at the end of the season.
French champions PSG and Premier League heavyweights Manchester City are both reportedly interested in signing Lionel Messi.
However, the Blaugrana higher-ups are quietly confident that they will be able to come to an agreement over a contract extension for the Argentine.
