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When it comes to deciding who the best player in the world is, Lionel Messi's name pops up for certain. The last two decades have seen the Argentine maestro rise through the ranks at La Masia, join the first team at Camp Nou and win nearly every trophy available.
In fact, aside from the World Cup where he once featured in the final with Argentina, Messi has won every competition he's played in (till this season). Such is the star's sublime brilliance.
It doesn't come as much of a surprise that Lionel Messi has spent 20 years picking up friends and foes on all sides; any world-class player should have some of both, after all. But if there's one thing his fans and rivals can agree on, it's that Messi seemingly transcends football. His physically unimposing frame almost makes it easy to ignore his presence on the field, but what the diminutive magician lacks in size, he makes up for in nearly every other area.
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His ability from set-pieces gave nearly every La Liga coach nightmares as they sought dramatic measures just to make it harder for him to score. His passing range and vision are potent against any defense in world football. His skilled dribbling, positional awareness and highly clinical eye for goal all ensure he can play any position in the second and final third.
It's no surprise that everyone - top critics, world stars, coaches, and even his own rivals - have openly praised Lionel Messi. Whether you've played with or against him, it's hard to deny just how exceptional Paris Saint-Germain's number 10 is.
Without further ado, let's take a look at 10 of the greatest quotes about Lionel Messi, the man who is arguably the greatest player in the world.
#10 Thiago Alcantara | Liverpool
The two stars once played together at Barcelona, but Thiago's respective moves to Bayern and Liverpool have made them rivals at continental level.
However, Thiago has not held back while praising Lionel Messi, comparing him to Pele and Maradona:
“We give him the ball and stand back and watch. People often say to me they saw Pele and Maradona play. In the future, I will be able to say I saw Messi play.”
#9 Johan Cruyff | Barcelona legend
When Johan Cruyff won his third Ballon d'Or in 1974, Lionel Messi wasn't even born. However the legendary Barcelona star predicted Messi's Ballon d'Or dominance. When a football legend thinks that the Argentine maestro is incomparable, chances are it's true.
“For the world of soccer, Messi is a treasure because he is a role model for children around the world… Messi will be the player to win the most Ballon d’Ors in history. He will win five, six, seven. He is incomparable. He’s in a different league.”
#8 Juliano Belletti | Former Barcelona player
It's been over a decade since Messi and Belletti played for Barcelona, before the Brazilian made the switch to Chelsea and the Premier League.
Now an assistant coach for Cruzeiro, Belletti recalls the memorable period when Lionel Messi joined the first team in training:
“When Messi came out of B Team Rijkaard put him in a 11 × 11 training game on a small stadium. Iniesta came to me and said “do you know him”? I told him no, so he told me to be careful .. In the first confrontation against him, he passed me and scored a goal, I said damn! This man is shameless.”
#7 Paul Pogba | Manchester United player
Although they've never played for the same teams, Lionel Messi and Paul Pogba have met on a few occasions on the pitch. Messi notably caused problems for Pogba's side when France and Argentina played, and also during Barcelona's games against Juventus while Pogba was still in Turin. They may not be friends, but Pogba only has words of praise for the Argentine:
“Messi and football are two things that go together. I enjoy watching him, he does things that nobody does. He has a stature that nobody has, something special for him, everything is special. He’s a player who has football inside him, who feels it, it’s incredible.”
#6 John Terry | Chelsea legend
Although the legendary Chelsea defender spent the bulk of his career in the Premier League, he's had to deal with playing against Lionel Messi in the Champions League.
He may have held Messi from scoring during those few games, but John Terry has only respect for the Argentine star:
“Lionel Messi is quite clearly the best player ever. It’s a pleasure to pit myself against him and when I finish my career it’s something I can look back on and know I’ve tested myself against the very best.”
#5 Roy Keane | Manchester United legend
The former Manchester United star had a highly successful career at Old Trafford, winning 17 major trophies during his eight-year stint at the club. His playing career was coming to an end just before Messi's began, but that hasn't stopped Roy Keane from showering praise on the Argentine international:
“I was a big fan of Maradona growing up and of the current crop Ronaldo is good, but Messi is the best I’ve ever seen. I don’t dish out praise lightly, but Messi deserves it. I look for weaknesses in his game and I can’t find them.” - Roy Keane
#4 Angel Di Maria | PSG
For most of their careers, the duo have not played for the same club. However, Angel Di Maria is also an Argentine international, which has often seen the two stars share a pitch on the international stage.
With Messi currently at PSG, Di Maria couldn't be any happier:
“My friendship with Leo is very good and it makes me very happy to wear the same shirt as the best player in the world, to be able to play alongside him and be his friend. It is something I will never forget.”
#3 Marco van Basten | Ajax legend
Another Ballon d'Or winner, Marco van Basten is well aware of Lionel Messi's talent. While the former Dutch legend has won the coveted trophy thrice, Argentina's talisman has won it six times and is on the shortlist to win it for the seventh time.
For van Basten, Lionel Messi is the epitome of greatness and humility:
“There is no doubt about it, Messi is clearly the best player in the world. He’s a phenomenon who has already won everything, but is still hungry for more. His humbleness only makes him greater."
#2 Zlatan Ibrahimovic | AC Milan
Under Pep Guardiola, Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic played at the Nou Camp together, providing Blaugranes with scintillating performances and skills. Ibrahimovic is a journeyman, unlike the Argentine star who stuck with Barcelona through the major bulk of his career, and although he has played with many stars, Messi clearly stands out for him:
“Messi does not need his right foot. He only uses the left and he’s still the best in the world. Imagine if he also used his right foot, then we would have serious problems.”
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo | Manchester United
A rivalry beyond comparison, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have taken the football world by storm for ages. They have together won 11 Ballon d'Or trophies across an entire decade. There have never been two players as legendary as Messi and Ronaldo playing together in the same period.
The duo lit La Liga with the most exciting El Clasico matches in the history of the Barcelona-Real Madrid rivalry, and Ronaldo admitted just how important Messi's rivalry was to him:
"I have no doubt that Messi has made me a better player and vice-versa. When I am winning trophies it must sting him and it's the same for me when he wins. I really admire the career he has had and from his side, he has already talked of the disappointment when I left Spain because it was a rivalry that he appreciated."
