William Troost-Ekong: Super Eagles star explains stopping Lionel Messi

William Troost-Ekong, the captain of Nigeria and the player of the tournament for the Africa Cup of Nations, is back on the rise.

This month's episode of 90min and Pledgeball's Football's Climate Conversation features Ekong and Sokito CEO Jake Hardy.

In addition, Troost-Ekong discussed another elite attacker, Lionel Messi, naming the renowned Argentine as the best player he has ever faced off against after doing so at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Speaking about Messi, Ekong explained their matchup at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

He said, "It would have to be Lionel Messi at the World Cup. We lost 2-1, last minute, and he scored the first goal and it was something special.

"He took it over the shoulder with the back of his heel with his right foot, and I remember I felt like I almost wanted to clap - it was something special.

"And of course when you see him as probably the greatest player of all time, to witness that, unfortunately being on the wrong side of it, it was something special.

"You're never in control [when one-v-one against Messi]. I did manage to get one or two blocks or tackles, I don't know if maybe that was just his bad moments, but for the rest of the game his reading - he walked around a lot - and was always in the right positions.

"Sometimes it looked like he wasn't involved in the game, but then when he was, he was someone that we couldn't stop so I think that's the hardest thing, when someone's unpredictable and can literally do everything with the ball. I think that's what makes him special."

"I always wanted to be part of a footballing movement that would be good for the planet"

At the beginning of the 2024 AFCON, Ekong became the first professional football player to wear environmentally friendly boots when he scored three goals while sporting the exclusive "The Scudetta" boots.

Notably, Troost-Ekong's personalized boots were constructed from eco-friendly materials like sugarcane, bamboo, and leftover corn.

Ekong is scheduled to play charity match this June in Akwa Ibom.