Trippier admitted his nightmares with Lionel Messi: “He walks for 60 minutes and then scores a hat-trick”

Kieran Trippier opened a new chapter in his career by signing for two seasons, with an option for extension, at Wolverhampton. The English defender, with a past in his national team, took the opportunity to look back and talk about one of the toughest moments of his international career: the elimination against the Argentina National Team.

In an interview with The Guardian, Trippier referred to that match and did not hide the difficulty of facing Lionel Messi. “I have played against him many times where he simply walks for 60 minutes but then he can score a hat-trick. That’s his magic,” he expressed clearly.

The former Atlético de Madrid and Newcastle player also drew a parallel with his time under Diego Simeone. “I have been in that situation many times with Simeone; I could name 30 matches where he has done it and we have managed to pull through, typical of Simeone. He is a master of tricks and winning games. We were up against one of the best players in history who can change everything in two seconds,” he stated.

The phrase about Messi summarizes the feeling that many European footballers have confessed over the years: the feeling that the Argentine number 10 can go unnoticed for much of the match and suddenly decide everything. That ability to change the pace and the outcome in a matter of minutes is what Trippier highlighted as his main virtue.

The memory of the World Cup clash

Trippier did not shy away from the topic of the English defeat against Argentina. He recalled that they faced a team that had one of the best in history and that, at key moments, knew how to find the difference. The Albiceleste victory, with two assists from Messi, is etched in the memory of the right-back.

Now, at 35 years old, the Englishman seeks to contribute his experience in Wolverhampton's return to the Premier League, after the relegation suffered last season. “I feel good, probably in the best physical shape of the last few years. I’m not as fast as I used to be, but I have always believed that I am smart and quick up here,” he noted.

Trippier also expressed optimism regarding his immediate future. “I feel like I still have many years left in my career,” he concluded. His arrival at the English club presents itself as a significant reinforcement for a squad aiming to regain its status and re-establish itself among the giants of British football.

The defender's testimony once again highlights the admiration that Messi generates even among those who have faced him in high-stakes matches. It is not just about numbers or goals, but about that almost unpredictable ability to decide a match when least expected.