After England was held to a 1-1 draw by Ukraine in Saturday's Euro 2024 qualifying game, former Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole compared Arsenal's Bukayo Saka to Lionel Messi.

Regardless of the outcome, Saka once again excelled for the Three Lions.

The 22-year-old was inches away from winning all three points, but his potent shot bounced off the crossbar.

Saka made the 2023 Ballon d'Or shortlist this past week, and now Cole has placed him among some of the game's top forwards.

“You can’t defend [against Saka] because he’s got this ability like Lionel Messi where he takes it backwards.

“So the defender, you can stop him, but he takes it back, and he’s still got the ability to whip it with so much power.

“There’s only a few [players]—Mo Salah’s got it, Lionel Messi’s got it, and Bukayo Saka’s got it. When he gets in that position, he’s clinical,” Cole told Channel 4.