Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has made a bold comparison between his teammate Oleksandr Zinchenko and football great Lionel Messi.
Messi is widely regarded as the greatest footballer ever, particularly after leading Argentina to World Cup victory in Qatar and winning eight Ballon d’Or awards.
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Known for his time at Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, the 37-year-old is currently with David Beckham’s Inter Miami in the U.S.
Although Messi’s skill level is on a different plane from Zinchenko’s, Odegaard believes he sees some parallels between the football icon and the left-back.
In an ESPN interview, Odegaard was asked to describe his Arsenal teammates in one word. When Zinchenko’s name came up, he simply replied: “Messi.”
This Odegaard is funny
Zinchenko is Messi, how? pic.twitter.com/mdvg3vKsRY— IFEOLUWANI (@iam_philopearl) August 6, 2024
Odegaard has always been a fan of Zinchenko. “I’ve seen him play a lot and I really like his qualities,” the Arsenal captain said of the Ukrainian two years ago. “I think he’s a really great player. He can play both positions, sometimes as a left-back and midfield, and I think he can even play as a winger. He can play different positions, so I think he will be a great addition to the squad.”
Zinchenko seems set to remain at Arsenal this summer after switching to his preferred squad number, following speculation about his future at the Emirates.
“The number 17 is a very special number to me,” Zinchenko told Arsenal’s official website. “It was the number I wore as a young player, and I’ve always requested to wear 17 when playing for my country. With 17 being free since Cedric left, I asked if I could change, and thanks to everyone at the club for supporting me. It’s also very important to say that if anyone has bought this season’s new shirt directly from the club with my name and 35 on it, they can get an exchange to my new number.”
Zinchenko hasn’t worn the number 17 since leaving Russian club Ufa in 2016, as it was worn by Kevin De Bruyne and Cedric at Manchester City and Arsenal, respectively.