<<Print>>

Jurgen Klopp has hailed Lionel Messi as 'the greatest player of his lifetime' and explained why he was happy to see Argentina winning the World Cup.

The Liverpool boss was in awe of Messi's longevity at the top level, suggesting his age should make people think twice about when a footballer is past their best, and revealed that watching the icon lift the World Cup brought him great joy.

Speaking to reporters, Klopp said: "Argentina deserved it and when you saw the team and the country celebrating, then it probably hit the right country in difficult times. I am really happy for them, they waited for a long time.

"The greatest footballer in my lifetime, Lionel Messi, the way he plays football in this age should give us all a hint at how long footballers can perform at the top level. We shouldn’t close the books too early. It was a joy to watch him."

Messi scored seven goals and became the only player in the history of the World Cup to win two Golden Balls, as Argentina lifted the trophy after a long wait of 36 years. He also equalled Pele's tally of 13 World Cup goals and became the top Argentine goalscorer in the tournament's history, overtaking Gabriel Batistuta who had held the record with 10 goals to his name.