How do you forget playing against Lionel Messi?! Justin Kluivert overcomes brief memory blank to explain why he has a Cristiano Ronaldo shirt but no No.10 from Argentine superstar

During his time on the books at Serie A side Roma, Kluivert – the son of Ajax and Barcelona legend Patrick – lined up against CR7 during the Portuguese superstar’s spell at Juventus. He also faced the five-time Ballon d’Or winner when making his international debut for Netherlands in March 2018.

Kluivert is now the proud owner of a prized No.7 jersey, telling Sky Sports of landing that memento: “I have Cristiano Ronaldo’s shirt. I haven’t framed it for the moment, but I think in the future for sure I will create a nice room and it will look good. But I changed with Ronaldo, so that will be one not to forget.”

While he will not forget facing Ronaldo, Kluivert almost glossed over the fact that he has graced the same pitch as Argentine icon Messi. He said, when discussing his favourite player and initially claiming to have never faced him in competitive action: “My favourite player of all-time is no doubt Messi. I think he is the best player in the world. For me he is something else, and I think a lot of people agree with me. Sorry, I have to take my words back, I have (played against him)! And I didn’t get his shirt! I tried but I’m also not the guy that is really too greedy. If it happens, it happens, but it didn’t happen!”

Kluivert added, having figured for Nice against Paris Saint-Germain during a loan spell in 2021-22: “It was unbelievable. I took the ball away from him one time and I was like: ‘Hey, what happened, he is still human’. It was beautiful.”

Kluivert is now on the books of Premier League side Bournemouth, having joined them in the summer of 2023, while Messi’s shirt remains in high demand during the World Cup winner’s time in the United States with MLS outfit Inter Miami.