Atletico Madrid and Spain midfielder Koke admits it is almost impossible to stop Barcelona star, Lionel Messi.
Messi and Argentina visit the Wanda Metropolitano for a friendly match with Spain on Tuesday, with the Barcelona star hoping to be involved after sitting out the 2-0 win over Italy on Friday with a hamstring problem.
Koke has had plenty of experience facing Messi at club level and he concedes there is little an opponent can do to prepare for the challenge the 30-year-old presents.
โFor me, heโs the best in the world,โ he told Marca. โWhen youโre on the pitch against him, what youโre thinking is that he doesnโt have his best day.
โItโs very difficult [to stop him]. You have to cover a lot of ground, always help in defenceโฆ and hope itโs not his day.
โYou know heโs going to start a move, you see it, you prepare to cover itโฆ and then he does it. Or, heโll suddenly invent something, because he has a lot of creativity.
โWhy isnโt he just taken out? Because itโs almost impossible.โ
Argentina looked out of sorts for long spells against Italy, as Messi watched on from the Etihad Stadium stands, before second-half goals from Ever Banega and Manuel Lanzini sealed the win.
The performance prompted some critics to accuse Jorge Sampaoliโs side of relying too much on their star No. 10, but Koke says such dependence is hardly surprising.
โEveryone looks for him when it comes to games, either for Barcelona or his national team, because he decides matches with a goal [or] a pass,โ he said. โWhen you watch him on TV, it seems like he suddenly changes gear.
โIf you have him on your team, itโs normal that youโd look for him.โ
Spain head into the match after impressing in a 1-1 draw with Germany, a performance that further cemented their place as one of the favourites for the World Cup in Russia.
Koke believes they are beginning to win back some fans following disappointing campaigns at the 2014 finals and Euro 2016 in France.
โItโs always a point of pride to wear the Spain shirt and to play in your own stadium is amazing,โ he added.
โThe excitement around the national team has been lost a bit and weโre recovering it with the good work weโve done in the last two years. People have become engaged again.โ