Reuters – Spain fullback Jordi Alba backed his club teammate Lionel Messi on Thursday (June 21) after the Argentinean was criticised for his performance against Iceland.

Messi, who lost the last World Cup final to Germany as captain of Argentina, missed a penalty in his side’s 1-1 draw with Iceland and is under pressure to propel his side to victory over Group D leaders Croatia. Alba said he cannot understand the criticism Messi gets. Spain struggled to defeat Iran in their Group B second match on Wednesday but despite the difficulties, Alba says the team felt good on the pitch.

With the top position on the group at stake, Alba believes Iran can put pressure on Portugal. The Barca player has been linked with a possible move to Tottenham Hotspurs but the 29-year-old player said he would prefer to stay at Barca the rest of his career.