“As Long as [Lionel] Messi Is Active” – La Liga Rival Gives Scathing Reality Check to Jude Bellingham

Jude Bellingham has blown expectations out of the water since his Real Madrid transfer. The youngster recently bettered a Cristiano Ronaldo record and became the player to score the most goals in the first 15 games for Los Blancos. His performances have rightly seen his perception change from being a talented youngster to one of the best players in the world. However, the claim to be the outright best player is still with Lionel Messi, as per a Real Betis star who claims that there’s no one better.

Real Madrid drew the match against Real Betis, courtesy of a sublime goal from Jude Bellingham. Despite the Englishman running the show, he could not inspire his team to victory. Perhaps that is the reason why Bellingham isn’t on Lionel Messi’s level, as per Aitor Ruibal.

Real Betis star makes the choice between Lionel Messi & Jude Bellingham

Real Betis defender Aitor Ruibal was blunt when choosing who was the best. Ruibal said, “Well, as long as [Lionel] Messi is active, I can’t say that anyone is better than him.” However, the full-back was quick to praise the impact Jude Bellingham was having on Carlo Ancelotti’s side. He added, “It’s true that he’s one of the best right now, and at his age, surely he’s one of the best in the team.”

Ruibal was Real Madrid’s tormentor-in-chief in the last game as his outside-the-box stunner held Los Blancos to a draw. Bellingham also made an impact as he scored his 12th league goal, taking his total tally in the season to 16.

However, goals are not the only impressive aspect of his game. The former Dortmund star makes 8 progressive passes per game while ranking in the 99 percentile for successive take-ons and progressive carries. His creativity is also underrated with his ‘Trivela’ pass against Napoli, highlighting his impressive technique.

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Jude Bellingham is very reminiscent of Lionel Messi in the sense that he is a playmaker and a finisher. Perhaps, the Englishman could have based his game on the Argentine icon, especially considering his previous statements.

Jude Bellingham’s admiration for Messi

During his Dortmund days, Jude Bellingham chose team Lionel Messi in the eternal ‘GOAT debate’. The 20-year-old also gave a reasonable explanation for his claim. He revealed that the Inter Miami star has a good mix of numbers and the ‘watch factor’.

The Englishman also added that the World Cup winner does inhumane things. With the way he is playing right now, everything that can used to describe Lionel Messi can be attributed to the Real Madrid star as well. Are these comparisons valid? Who is the best player in the world right now? Let us know in the comments below.

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