Omeruo names Messi as toughest striker he faced

Nigeria defender Kenneth Omeruo has picked Argentine star Lionel Messi as the toughest striker he has faced in his international career with the Super Eagles. This was reported by PUNCH Sports Extra.

Omeruo shared this while he was a pundit on Sporty TV’s coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He answered some quick questions about his playing career.

When asked who the hardest opponent was, the 32-year-old replied quickly.

“Lionel Messi,” Omeruo said.

The experienced defender went up against Messi two times on the biggest stage in football. He faced the Argentina captain during the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cups.

Messi scored against Nigeria in both matches and was key in Argentina’s wins over the Super Eagles. In the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Messi scored two goals in Argentina’s 3-2 group-stage victory over Nigeria. Four years later in Russia, he scored again.

In the 2018 match, Omeruo made a last-ditch attempt to stop Messi from scoring. The forward had brought down a long pass with a fantastic first touch. But Omeruo’s effort failed as Messi finished well to give Argentina the lead in a game they won 2-1.

This result knocked Nigeria out of the chance to reach the knockout stages, while Argentina moved on.

Though Omeruo named Messi as the toughest striker, he also shared his thoughts on the debate about the greatest player in football history.

The former Chelsea defender called Messi a legend but chose Cristiano Ronaldo as his Greatest of All Time.

Omeruo’s comments come just days after he remembered his first World Cup with Nigeria. He said the 2014 tournament in Brazil was one of the best moments of his career.

While on Sporty TV’s World Cup coverage, he talked about how he was amazed by the atmosphere before Nigeria’s first match against Iran.

“During the warming up, the crowd was something amazing. It was something I haven’t seen before,” Omeruo said.

He also mentioned how lucky he felt to play alongside some of Nigeria’s best players like Joseph Yobo, Vincent Enyeama, John Mikel Obi, and Osaze Odemwingie.

Omeruo was one of Nigeria’s top players at the 2014 World Cup, starting all four matches as the Super Eagles made it to the round of 16. They lost 2-0 to France in that stage.

He also played for Nigeria at another World Cup in Russia in 2018, where he faced Messi and Argentina again.