Messi is from another planet, says ‘big fan’ Alisson
Doha, Qatar: Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson says there are at least five players from his side who could win the Ballon d’Or but he has no complaints about Lionel Messi taking it home for a sixth time because the Barcelona captain is “from another planet”
“I can name a minimum of five players who make a difference for their club and country. I could win it (Ballon d’Or), Sadio (Mane) would deserve it, Virg van Dijk would deserve it, Mo Salah could win it.
"But Messi is from another planet and deserves it too. I’m a big fan of him,” Alisson told reporters in Doha where Liverpool take on Flamengo in the FIFA Club World Cup final on Saturday.
“We have time in front of us whereas Messi is starting to finish his career.
“We have a long time to achieve it but it’s not the most important thing. We need to win titles for the club and national team. That is all I desire for my career," said Alisson who played a big role in Liverpool winning the Champions League last season.
The Brazilian, who picked up the Best goalkeeper award at the Ballond’Or, is in fabulous form this season as well and made a series of stunning saves in the Club World Cup semifinal in against Monterrey, prompting his coach Jurgen Klopp to sing the praise of his shot-stopper.
“They had their counter-attacks and maybe one or two long balls,” said Klopp. “And yes, ‘All you need is Alisson Becker, Alisson Becker’.”
And Alisson will pose a big challenge for fellow Brazilians Flamengo in Saturday's final.
"You can feel from the Flamengo side, the supporters are here already. The last game was more than 10,000 supporters from Flamengo. But this is not just big for them, it's big for us also," said Alisson. "It's big for Brazilians, but I think it's bigger for those playing it. Flamengo won the Libertadores, we won the Champions League."
