2026 FIFA World Cup: Ex-Super Eagles Troost-Ekong explains how to stop Messi

Following Lionel Messi’s breathtaking performance during which he ripped apart Austria with a record-setting brace at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, former Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong provided a tactical breakdown on how defenders must approach the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner.

Operating as a matchday analyst for SuperSport during Argentina's 2-0 Group J victory against Das Team, Ekong was asked by the host if deploying a man-marking system was the best way to neutralise the forward.

Ekong immediately clarified that permanently dedicating one player to Messi is fundamentally flawed because his tendency to drift across the pitch would drag a defender out of position and open up massive spaces for his teammates.

Instead, he argued that the key is situational proximity, especially when Messi operates with joy around the edge of the penalty area.

"I think you need to be aware. I think the moments when the ball goes out wide, and when you get nearer to your box, that's when someone has to say, 'OK, the closest person to him needs to be touch tight,'" Ekong explained, criticising Austria's defence for failing to do so.

"Touch tight meaning touch tight within a distance that you can intervene, because he takes it first time, and you have to be within about a metre of him to try and see if you can get a block in... maybe one metre's not even enough—he can still finish."

Ekong has personally faced Messi on the grandest stage during the 2018 FIFA World Cup, where the Argentine netted a brilliant opening goal against Nigeria.

However, the reality remains that hundreds of elite coaches have spent decades meticulously plotting defensive schemes against the forward, only to watch him consistently find a way to score and dictate matches.

Highlighting the sheer futility of these efforts, former Super Eagles manager Gernot Rohr recently explained that he deliberately opted against man-marking Messi during the 2018 contest, choosing instead to deploy a coordinated defensive setup designed to stifle him.

Despite executing this setup, Messi still managed to breach their defences, scoring one of the most iconic goals in FIFA World Cup history.