"Having them made me grow a lot physically and mentally" - When Lionel Messi named the 2 best managers he played under

Lionel Messi once named Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique as two of the best managers he has worked with in his career. Both managers coached him while he was at Barcelona.

Messi played under Pep Guardiola between 2008 and 2012, while Luis Enrique coached the Argentine legend between 2014 and 2017. The legendary forward faired exceptionally under both, having won the treble at Barcelona with each of them (2008-09 with Guardiola and 2014-15 with Enrique).

In a 2020 interview with Spanish TV channel LaSexta, Lionel Messi named Guardiola and Enrique as two of the best coaches he has played under. He said (via Eurosport):

"I was lucky to train under Guardiola and Luis Enrique, the two best. Having them made me grow a lot physically and mentally, and also the tactical wisdom they've taught me."

Messi specifically praised Guardiola, adding:

"Pep has something special. He makes you see things in one way: how he prepares for matches, defensively, how to attack... he told you exactly how the match was going to be, how you had to attack to win."

Lionel Messi recorded exceptional numbers under Guardiola's guidance, with 211 goals and 94 assists in 219 appearances for La Blaugrana across competitions. The Catalan coach's decision to play Lionel Messi as a false nine at Barca is often considered one of the best tactical decisions in football. The duo together won 14 trophies, including two Champions League trophies, three LaLiga titles, and two Copa del Rey, among other honors.

Under Luis Enrique, Messi predominantly played as a right-winger. Enrique's era also marked the birth of MSN (Messi, Suarez, Neymar), widely considered one of the greatest attacking trios in football. In 158 appearances for Barcelona under Enrique, the Argentine icon recorded 153 goals and 76 assists. The duo together won nine trophies together, including one Champions League trophy, two LaLiga titles, and three Copa del Rey, among others.

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When Lionel Messi named the most beautiful and most important goals of his career

Lionel Messi scores Argentina's third goal in 2022 World Cup final - Source: Getty

In a June 2024 interview for ESPN Argentina, Lionel Messi named the most beautiful and most important goals scored in his career.

"Most beautiful is the one against Real Madrid in 2011, and the most important in the World Cup final," Messi said.

Messi scored twice in both the games he referred to in his aforementioned interview. However, it can be presumed that he was referring to his second goal in both games as the most beautiful and important one, respectively.

Messi's wonder goal against Real Madrid in the 2011 Champions League semi-final first leg came after he had given Barcelona a 1-0 lead (76'). After 11 minutes, the Argentine icon received the ball from Sergio Busquets near the center line and dribbled past the entire Los Blancos defense. He deposited the ball in the left side of the net with a smooth finish (87'). La Blaugrana won the game 2-0 and eventually went on to lift the trophy that season.

The most important goal in Messi's career came in the 2022 World Cup final against France during extra-time. Messi had also scored an early penalty (23') in the final. With a 2-2 scoreline at hand at extra-time, Hugo Lloris saved a Lautaro Martinez shot. Lionel Messi scored on a rebound, giving Argentina a 3-2 lead (108').

France went to equalize once again after Kylian Mbappe converted a penalty (118'). However, La Albiceleste eventually lifted the World Cup after a 4-2 win on penalties.