Lionel Messi has given Virgil van Dijk a glowing commendation with the two set to battle it out for this year’s Ballon d’Or.

Facing a Barcelona team with Messi in the side has proved a nightmare for any defender in the world over the past decade.

And Messi has revealed a number of attributes Van Dijk possesses that makes him so tough to break down.

“He is a defender that knows how to judge the timing and wait for the right moment to get in or hold on,” he told Marca.

“He is very fast and big, but he has a lot of agility for his height.

“He is fast because of his great stride and is impressive, both in defence and attack because he scores many goals.”