Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo snubbed as Leonardo Bonucci picks 'nightmare' forward as toughest opponent

Leonardo Bonucci has named the toughest opponent he has ever faced throughout his career who used to keep him up at night.

Bonucci is one of the most iconic centre-backs of his generation, with the defender playing for AC Milan, Juventus, and Inter Milan throughout his illustrious career in Italian football.

The 37-year-old announced his retirement at the back end of last season following a brief spell at Fenerbahce.

With a Euro 2024 victory and a run to the Champions League final, Bonucci has come up against some of the best attackers of all time, however, the Italian made a shock pick when choosing his toughest-ever opponent.

Speaking on Sky Calcio Club, Bonucci revealed that former Atalanta forward Duvan Zapata was a nightmare to play against when he was at his peak.

“My nightmare, who didn’t make me sleep at night, was Zapata. God, before games against his Atalanta side, I couldn’t sleep at night," he explained.

Bonucci claimed the Colombian's stature and presence was what made him such a tough player to deal with defensively.

"His power and physicality made him my nightmare," he added.

However, Bonucci was willing to acknowledge he snubbed some of the all-time greats of the game and made sure to pay some credit to the likes of Messi and Ronaldo.

“Then, I was lucky enough to play against so many champions. Drogba, Ronaldo, Messi, Torres, and I forget others, but it was too good," he concluded.

Bonucci and Zapata- Getty

Zapata remains in Serie A but has returned to Torino on a permanent deal after spending last season on loan at the club.

The 33-year-old scored 13 league goals last campaign and has started the new season with three goals in seven appearances to date.

Torino sit seventh in Serie A after an overall positive start to their domestic campaign, with Antonio Conte's Napoli leading the way in Italy.