"Pogacar is ahead of even Messi" - Liverpool FC head coach compares the two giants of sport

The sports of cycling and football typically don’t share much in common beyond requiring great stamina, except for Remco Evenepoel’s career switch from football to cycling at 16. Andoni Iraola, Liverpool’s head coach, is a lifelong cycling fan. He believes Tadej Pogacar is the best cyclist he has ever seen and is ahead of even Lionel Messi in terms of dominance. Pogacar has an outstanding Grand Tour record: in 9 participations, he never finished outside the top three, winning six times. His worst result was third place in the Vuelta a España in 2019, where he lost only to Primoz Roglic and Alejandro Valverde. When asked who he believes is football’s Pogacar, Iraola said only one comes close, even if it might be a stretch. "For me, the closest comparison to Pogacar is Messi," he said. "But I think Pogacar is ahead of even Messi in terms of difference with the opposition." Ondřej Zhasil, a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate, covers professional cycling, focusing on startlist analysis, team selections, and tactical scenarios for major UCI competitions like the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. He also specializes in junior cycling and races in East Asia, including China and Japan, and maintains expertise in cyclocross and mountain bike racing. Zhasil holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, using data-driven approaches to performance analysis. His reporting emphasizes sourcing, accuracy, and timely updates with verified information.