De Jong: 'Simply the perfect footballer' — on playing with Messi

Netherlands midfielder Frenkie de Jong opened up about his admiration for Lionel Messi, describing the Argentine as "simply the perfect footballer." He recalled watching Messi under Pep Guardiola as a child and said it felt incredibly special to later share the pitch with his idol at Camp Nou.

Speaking to Dutch outlet NOS after the Netherlands' victory against Sweden at the World Cup, De Jong said his passion for the game remains unchanged. The national side sit top of Group F with four points after drawing 2-2 against Japan and beating Sweden 5-1. "It's still my hobby, even though it's my job," he explained.

"I enjoy just playing football so much and I can really immerse myself in it completely, and I feel so much pleasure." The conversation turned to Messi, who recently delivered a World Cup masterclass by scoring a sensational hat-trick during a 3-0 victory over Algeria.

Netherlands, Camp Nou

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