Lionel Messi's talent and ability on the pitch has earned him respect and appreciation. Not only from his loyal fans, but also from other football players. The football icon has inspired a young generation of footballers and even some famous players who are rising fast. One of the stars is Juventus striker Paulo Dybala, who described Lionel Messi as “Maradona of our times.” Dybala was expressing what FC Barcelona’s Messi meant to him.

Lionel Messi compared with Maradona

According to 90MiN, Dybala, an Argentine striker just like Lionel Messi and the legendary Maradona, compared Messi to the football legend who inspired them in their youthful days.

The 24-year-old Juventus player is considered among the best young attackers currently, a recognition Messi earned after making his senior Blaugrana debut in 2004. He revealed that even though his inspiration comes from Ronaldinho, Messi is like Maradona to him. Dybala fans now know where he got his skills from, or at least they can say he is a mix of Maradona, Messi, and Ronaldinho.

According to Soccer Laduuuuuma, Dybala also said that he was honored to play with Messi in the national team and he never felt the pressure for being the new Messi since it wasn’t a bad thing for a player, but depended on how someone took it. He further stated that he still has a lot to learn from Messi. So far, the Juventus striker has 14 goals to his name on this season and has also aided two strikes.

Dybala posted a picture of him and Messi on Instagram where they beat Ecuador to qualify for the World Cup. The Argentina captain Messi scored an impressive hat-trick in the game.

Dybala hopes to bag the Ballon d’Or award someday

Dybala admitted that the Ballon d’Or was dominated by two football stars, Messi and Ronaldo, according to Sports Illustrated, and also expressed his desire to feature in it in the future after improving his skills and winning a couple of trophies.

He and his friends once made wishes in front of a bonfire, and his wish was to win the Ballon d’Or. Dybala hopes to battle with Neymar for the award. The Brazilian striker who plays for PSG is currently the third closest player to the Ballon d’Or.

According to 90Min, Juventus and Barcelona will be locking horns today (Nov. 22), and they will be fighting for the top spot in the Championships League group.

However, Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri doesn’t think Dybala and Messi are comparable. According to Goal, Allegri stated that Dybala is younger and needs to develop his abilities with time in a pre-match conference. He further stated that they are both left-footed but physically different in the way that they maneuver with the ball on the pitch. Well, the world can’t wait to see the two clubs head on.
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