Messi praises Man United's target as a "beast"

Lionel Messi has expressed high admiration for a Premier League player, calling him a "beast".

Lionel Messi has had an admirable football career and will always be remembered as one of the greatest names in world football history. The legend of Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and Inter Miami has won 8 Ballon d'Or awards—more than any other player—along with 4 Champions League titles in his illustrious career. At the international level, he has won the World Cup, and two Copa America trophies.

Thus, any compliment from Messi carries immense weight. Recently, the 38-year-old star gave special praise to a Premier League player, even using the term "beast" to describe him. The honored player is Emiliano "Dibu" Martínez.

In an interview with ESPN, Messi said: “In the recent tournament, although we played better than the Netherlands and France, it still came down to penalties. And there, we had the beast named Dibu (Emiliano Martínez), who brought us the victory.

Martínez has established himself as one of the Premier League's top goalkeepers in recent years, playing a crucial role in helping Aston Villa return to European competition and standing out with key reflex saves.

He is also a vital member of the Argentina national team, especially during their 2022 World Cup victory, where he made significant contributions in penalty shootouts against the Netherlands (quarter-finals) and France (final).

One notable moment was his save against Kolo Muani’s shot in a one-on-one situation during the World Cup final, which truly saved Argentina. With only minutes left, had France scored, the Tango Dancers’ dream of winning would have been nearly over.

After the World Cup, Martínez emerged as one of the world’s top goalkeepers. In the summer of 2025, he was targeted by Man United as a potential replacement for Andre Onana. Coach Amorim is said to greatly admire the Argentine keeper. Martínez even said his farewells to his Aston Villa teammates.

However, Man United’s technical director Jason Wilcox intervened, persuading the club to shift focus to the young goalkeeper Senne Lammens. As a result, Martínez had to remain at Aston Villa, at least until the end of this season.

Martínez will compete with Argentina at the 2026 World Cup in North America, where he and his teammates aim to defend their title. This will also be an opportunity for Martínez to prove himself and attract attention from major clubs.

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