“No, not Messi” – Dayot Upamecano snubs Argentina superstar as he names Barcelona man as toughest ever opponent

Dayot Upamecano named Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele as his favorite forward despite coming up against Lionel Messi in the final of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Argentina and France faced off at the Lusail Iconic Stadium on December 18, 2022.

La Albiceleste managed to earn the win via penalties after the game ended with a scoreline of 3-3 in extra time, with Messi scoring twice during the game.

Dembele, meanwhile, had a shocker and was left bamboozled by Marcos Acuna and Angel Di Maria during the match. He was taken off by Didier Deschamps even before the half-time break.

Upamecano, however, heaped praise on the Barcelona winger. Speaking to beIN Sport, the central defender said (via Barca Universal):

“The most difficult forward I have faced in defence is Ousmane Dembele, No, not Messi. It’s Ousmane. He is very, very fast.”

Dembele has re-established himself as an important player for the Catalan club under the management of Xavi Hernandez. His fitness issues have seemingly been resolved and the player is once again performing at a high level consistently.

He has scored seven goals and has provided seven assists in 25 games for the Blaugranas so far this season.

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Xavi is building a solid Barcelona team in the post-Lionel Messi era

Real Madrid v FC Barcelona - Super Copa de España

When Lionel Messi had to leave Barcelona in 2021 due to La Liga's wage cap rules, it looked like an irreplaceable loss for the Catalan club. Barca's former manager Ronald Koeman was sacked midway through last season.

Xavi has since taken over and has done a great job in rebuilding the team. While the Culers have been knocked out of the UEFA Champions League this season, they are the current leaders of La Liga.

Barca recently won their first trophy under Xavi by securing a 3-1 win over Real Madrid in the Supercopa de Espana final. Gavi, Robert Lewandowski, and Pedri scored for the winners in a dominant display. Karim Benzema managed to put one back for Real Madrid in injury time to reduce the defecit.

Gavi was especially magnificent during the final and earned Xavi's plaudits for his extraordinary display. The youngster scored a goal and bagged two assists to his name.

Xavi said after the game (via SPORT):

“He (Gavi) is a boy who excites us all when you see him compete like this. When you see him compete like that... the heart, soul and character that he plays with is contagious for the rest of team."