Aina: Facing Ronaldo or Messi Is Already a Mental Struggle

Super Eagles defender Ola Aina has suggested that global icons Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi enjoy a psychological advantage over opponents even before a ball is kicked.

Speaking after making his 100th Premier League appearance in Nottingham Forest’s 3-1 defeat to Leeds United at Elland Road on Friday night, the 29-year-old explained that the aura surrounding such players unsettles rivals ahead of matches.

‘I’ve always said that these top players that you see; the Messis, the Ronaldos, I feel like before a game, they’ve already won half of the battle.

‘Let me give you an example, I know I’m going to play against Ronaldo, it is already a battle because you are already thinking ‘this guy is class; he’s going to do this’, that is one battle,’ Aina said.

He added that the stature of these players alone creates a mental edge: ‘These players just edge opposition and that is one battle they don’t even have to do something. Their levels alone and he has not even touched the ball.’