Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the greatest footballers of all time, has been left off Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk’s list of toughest opponents.

Van Dijk, who joined Liverpool for a record-breaking fee in 2018, has been instrumental in the team’s success, helping them win the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, and Carabao Cup.

Despite facing Ronaldo on multiple occasions, including the 2018 Champions League final, Van Dijk has chosen other players as his most challenging adversaries.

In an interview on The Rest Is Football podcast, Van Dijk revealed that he considers Erling Haaland, Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, and Olivier Giroud as his toughest opponents.

He praised Haaland for his strength and described him as a modern-day striker who poses a significant threat on the field.

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Aguero, although not scoring many goals against Liverpool, has always been a handful for Van Dijk since their encounters during his time at Southampton.

The Dutch defender also acknowledged Giroud’s abilities as a link-up player, particularly when playing alongside Eden Hazard.

Despite initially feeling confident that Giroud wouldn’t score, Van Dijk admitted that the Frenchman managed to find the back of the net against him.