Spain boss Luis Enrique has spoken of how Lionel Messi, whom he coached at Barcelona, ‘is the best player in the world’.
Speaking ahead of La Roja’s clash with Croatia on Tuesday night, Enrique explained how difficult their opponents would be although he does not believe they have a player of Messi’s calibre.
“Lionel Messi is the best footballer in the world,” Enrique responded when asked if Luka Modric deserved to win FIFA’s The Best award.
“Of course, Modric is fantastic and so is (Ivan) Rakitic, who I know all about from Barcelona, and the two are capable of winning any individual awards.
“Croatia are going to be a very difficult opponent, and we have two days less rest having played on Saturday but we know the crowd will give us fantastic support.
“Croatia play as a team and are effective in both defending and moving forward as a unit, and their midfield is clearly fantastic.
“We must work on a way of limiting their play and playing to our own strengths.”
