“In a recent conversation on TikTok, Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde shared that his best friend in the Uruguayan national team is Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo. Despite playing for rival clubs, the two have a strong friendship outside of El Clásico rivalries, with Valverde considering Araujo his closest companion on the national team.
Valverde expressed, ‘My best friend in the National Team? Araujo.’
This is not the first time Valverde has expressed his admiration for Araujo. In an interview from August, he hailed the Uruguayan center-back as the standout player at Barcelona and also noted their close friendship.
During the TikTok chat, Valverde made several other intriguing revelations. He mentioned that Lionel Messi was the toughest player he ever had to mark and named Luka Modric as the best midfielder currently in his opinion. When asked about the best player he has played with, he promptly replied with ‘Toni Kroos,’ also revealing that the German veteran was his childhood idol.
Valverde also shared that he came close to signing with Premier League heavyweights Arsenal at one point. Furthermore, he stated that the most challenging stadium he has played at is Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium due to the fans and their style of play.
In a playful response, when asked to choose between comfortable victories or last-minute wins, Valverde humorously said, ‘Comfortable win, we’ve suffered enough (laughs).'”