Thiago Silva has revealed that both Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona captain Lionel Messi rank amongst his 10 toughest opponents in his playing career.
The 36-year-old Brazilian defender's successful club career has seen him play for the likes of Fluminense, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.
And Silva has also captained Brazil and lifted silverware for his country, capturing the Confederations Cup in 2013 and Copa America in 2019.
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The Brazil international has now opened up about his 10 toughest opponents during an interview with current side Chelsea.
Silva showered Ronaldo with praise by saying that he admired the Portuguese forward for "his commitment and for everything he has achieved."
When it came to Messi, the Chelsea centre-back argued the Argentine forward has "incredible quality" and is the best player of all time.
Speaking to Chelsea's official website, Silva said: "[Angel] Di Maria because of his technical quality and his incredible left foot.
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"[Kylian] Mbappe because of his speed and also his technical quality.
"[Didier] Drogba because of his physical strength -- despite being incredibly strong, he still has a lot of technical skill.
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"[Roberto] Firmino, he has incredible technical quality. He is very intelligent in his movement that leaves defenders a bit lost.
"Romario because of his intelligence in the box. He's the best I've seen in the box.
"Adriano, like Drogba, he's an incredible physical force with an unbelievable powerful left-foot penalty shot.
"I'm going to say [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic as the fourth there because he is a guy that inspired me and I think he has inspired many kids to inspire what they are doing.
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"He was a black belt [in MMA] before he became a football and then after he found himself football. He's a guy that I admire a lot. I had the chance to play with and against him and obviously he's the fourth best in my list.
"Neymar because of his class, intelligence and magic. He is a player that impresses me with his technical quality and his ability to create out of nowhere.
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"Cristiano because of his professionalism, his dedication and passion for football. He is a guy I really admire for his commitment and for everything he has achieved.
"Messi, because he has incredible quality and a God-given gift and because of the professional he is. For me, he is the best."
Featured Image Credit: PA/ChelseaTopics: Chelsea, Angel Di Maria, Football, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva, Neymar, Lionel Messi, Roberto Firmino, Premier League, England, Adriano, Kylian Mbappe, Cristiano Ronaldo