Barcelona icon Carles Puyol thinks that Gerard Pique is the best defender in the world "without a doubt."
The Spain World Cup winner named his former teammate without hesitation when it was put to him by Marca that many consider Liverpool's Van Dijk and his Dutch international teammate Matthijs De Ligt as the two best centre-backs on the planet, but Puyol wasn't having any of it.
He answered straight away: “Gerard Pique, without a doubt."
Puyol then went on add that Pique is also a better defender than Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos, and lauded a player who he appeared alongside when Spain lifted the World Cup in 2010.
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“Yes, he's the best central defender in the world," he said.
"We're different. He is key to Barcelona in everything he contributes, in his leadership.
“He's a phenomenon and a great friend.”
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Pique - who retired from playing for Spain last year - turned out for the Catalonia national team in Monday's international friendly win over Venezuela.
Former Barcelona and Stoke City forward Bojan Krkic grabbed Catalonia's opening goal.
