Lionel Messi: He’s an exceptional player- Ousmane Dembele

Lionel Messi was praised by Ousmane Dembele as a “exceptional player” and the French forward claimed the Argentine was responsible for his current love for Barcelona.

Dembele played alongside Messi for four seasons after moving from Borussia Dortmund to Barcelona in 2017.

The winger added that Les Bleus must monitor the Argentine captain’s movements if they want to win the World Cup for a second time in a row.

Ousmane Dembele’s comment on Messi

Speaking to reporters, Dembele said: “He’s an exceptional player, one of those who made me love Barcelona along with Iniesta. I spent four great years with him. He’s a normal guy in the dressing room, he helps young players. He gave me a lot. He’s difficult to control and we’ll have to do everything we can to make sure he touches the ball as little as possible.”

Regarding Argentina’s perceived on-field aggression during the ongoing World Cup, the Frenchman added:  “I don’t think they do it out of malice. But in football you have to be aggressive, you have to be ready to hit back. We’re hoping to counter them and have a good game. I think it’s going to be a very good match.”

Argentina and France will both be vying for their third World Cup title when they meet in the final on Sunday.