Barcelona star Lionel Messi has paid tribute to Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk.

Messi has given him a glowing commendation with the two set to battle it out for this year's Ballon d'Or.

“He is a defender that knows how to judge the timing and wait for the right moment to get in or hold on," he told Marca.

“He is very fast and big, but he has a lot of agility for his height.

“He is fast because of his great stride and is impressive, both in defence and attack because he scores many goals."