5 greatest attackers who never played alongside Lionel Messi

#3 Wayne Rooney | Manchester United legend

Barcelona v Manchester United - UEFA Champions League Final

If anyone had a target-man presence in the box, as well as the creative skill to dictate play and drive the team forward, it was Wayne Rooney. During his long stint with Manchester United, the star enjoyed a striking partnership with Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Rooney's influence on the team guided Alex Ferguson's side to numerous trophy wins. But the star might have moved to Barcelona if things had gone a little differently.

Back in 2010, Rooney handed in a transfer request after relations soured between him and Sir Alex Ferguson. Real Madrid and Barcelona were both very intent on bringing the star to La Liga. At Real Madrid, he would have been reunited with Cristiano Ronaldo. The appeal of playing for a riveting Barcelona side was hard to ignore as well, but the star eventually stayed put at Old Trafford.

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#2 Robert Lewandowski | Bayern Munich

SL Benfica v Bayern München: Group E - UEFA Champions League

The 8-2 scoreline that Bayern Munich and Barcelona brought to the Champions League in 2020 will likely never leave the history books. Both Lewandowski and Messi played in that game, but the Spanish side were hopeless in defending against the Bavarians' attacks.

Lewandowski found the net in that game and became the most clinical striker in the world, netting a Bundesliga record of 41 league goals last season.

There was never a chance of the Pole moving to Barcelona in previous years, even though some reports surfaced about the Catalans' interest in the striker. Lewandowski has always been at home in Munich, ruthlessly scoring goals against every team in the first division of German football. He looks set to continue his streak.

Messi would certainly have enjoyed providing the assists for the star, like Thomas Muller currently does.

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#1 Cristiano Ronaldo | Manchester United

FC Barcelona v Juventus: Group G - UEFA Champions League

There arguably isn't a better duo that would have played on the same team than Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Messi's world-class playmaking qualities combined with Ronaldo's clinical eye for goalscoring would provide any outfit with the best attacking presence in the world.

Both players are past their prime years, but it's hard to forget the ruthless power they showcased at Real Madrid and Barcelona over the past decade. The 2014-15 season saw the duo score over 40 goals each in La Liga. They drove their respective teams forward with over 90 points in the league that season.

With Ronaldo now 36-years-old and playing for Manchester United, there's barely any chance of the two ever joining the same team again.