New York City star defender Kevin O'Toole has opened up on his experience playing against Lionel Messi in the MLS. The Republic of Ireland international has made a name for himself playing in the USA, where he has faced some of the game's biggest names.
Kevin O'Toole praises Lionel Messi
O'Toole spoke with the Irish Independent about his playing career so far, specifically about his encounters with Inter Miami star Lionel Messi, a player he truly admires. He has revealed that as a youngster, he often found himself calculating their age difference and thinking of the possibility of ever facing the Argentinean.
"When I was a kid, I would always do the math to see if I'd be old enough to play with him by the time he was coming to the end of his career. We've shared a few battles. With me being a left-back and Messi playing on the right, the first time I was like, 'this guy is actually real?. It felt like a bit of a video game really. When we played a friendly to honour his eighth Ballon d'Or [in 2023], I spoke to him in Spanish thanks to my Venezuelan roots, and congratulated him but lately there's been no pleasantries exchanged, it's all rivalry. But it's a huge honour to play with someone I grew up admiring, always a pinch-yourself moment. I feel really fortunate", he said.
Kevin O'Toole's record against Lionel Messi
O'Toole has come up against Messi five times since the 38-year-old joined the MLS club Inter Miami in the summer of 2023. The New York City FC man has emerged on the winning side only pace, giving an assist in a 2-1 win for his side back in November 2023.
Lionel Messi most recently faced O'Toole in the Eastern Conference final during the playoffs at the end of the 2025 season. He led his side secure the title with a 5-1 win as part of their journey to a maiden MLS cup win.
Lionel Messi misses out on evasive award to kick start 2026
Inter Miami skipper Lionel Messi has missed out on the award for the Best South American player for 2025. The former Barca player lost the award to Uruguay international Giorgian De Arrascaeta, who had an exceptional season with Flamengo.
Messi earned a nomination for the award, which he had previously been ineligible for because he played in Europe, this year after an amazing season with Inter Miami. He secured second place behind De Arrascaeta despite having led his team to MLS glory and being named as the MLS MVP for 2025.
Giorgian De Arrascaeta collected more votes than Lionel Messi
Giorgian De Arrascaeta gathered most of the votes from 250 journalists who voted after the 31-year-old played a pivotal role for his Brazilian club. He scored 25 goals and gave 20 assists in 64 games for Filipe Luis' side as they impressed on multiple fronts, consisting of the FIFA Club World Cup.