According to a report by Football London on Saturday November 7, 2026, former Chelsea teammate Timo Werner has spoken highly of N'Golo Kante, comparing the midfielder to Lionel Messi in terms of their impact on matches despite the differences in their roles and responsibilities.

At Stamford Bridge, the German forward and Kante were teammates who, in 2021, under Thomas Tuchel's tutelage, won the Champions League. In the final match against Manchester City, Kante was outstanding.

Kante was exceptional on defense, even though he rarely stole the show with goals or assists. Chelsea were able to maintain possession and defend their defense thanks to his positional awareness, relentless running, and ability to win the ball.

Despite winning the World Cup, Kante played as if nothing was holding him back, according to Werner. As far as he could tell, the midfielder's main motivation was to win games and take the ball away from his opponents.

Werner compared playing with Kante to having a "12th man" on the field, highlighting how the presence of Kante boosted confidence among teammates and gave Chelsea a much-needed boost in strength.

With that extra defensive support, Chelsea's attackers could focus on creating scoring opportunities and causing problems for their opponents in close proximity to the goal. Kante's relentless effort helped the team's balance and relieved them of defensive duties.

Werner thinks Kante's impact when he was at his best was like Messi's ability to swing a game in his favor. The Frenchman, he insisted, changed games not with offensive genius but with defensive acuity.

He elaborated on how remarkable it was to have a player who constantly gave the impression that the team had a numerical advantage on defense. Chelsea's Kante was their game-changer because of his ability to get the ball back and cover ground.

Werner's remarks demonstrate the midfielder's significance to Chelsea's Champions League victory and clarify the reason for his teammates' high regard for him. Kante was a remarkable game-changer for Werner, and his impact went well beyond the numbers.