Lionel Messi is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a
forward and captains both Barcelona and Argentina. He was born on June 24,
1987. Messi, widely regarded as the best player in the world and one of the
greatest players of all time, has won a record six Ballon d’Or awards, a record
six European Golden Shoes, and a host of other individual awards.

He has spent his entire professional career with Barcelona, where he has
won 34 trophies, including ten La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey titles, and
four UEFA Champions Leagues.

Pep Guardiola once said – “Don’t write about him, don’t try to
describe him. Just watch him.”

Here are some of the best quotes on the Argentine over
the years from some of the best in the business:

• Roger Federer

Because of his class and consistency, Roger Federer, who shares the
all-time record for most Grand Slam men’s singles titles with Rafael Nadal, is
often referred to as the “Lionel Messi” of tennis. 

The tennis legend considers the diminutive forward to be the greatest
footballer of all time.

Also Read | Is Copa America 2021 Messi’s last chance to win an international trophy?

“I love watching him play. What I love probably most is when he gets the
ball and is able to turn his body towards goal. Then he’s going to pass,
dribble or shoot. There’s always three options for him – he’s one of the few
who’s got that. I think Messi is the best player in the history of football,”
said the star tennis player.

• Zlatan Ibrahimovic

“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.”

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is one of the most outspoken football players, and he
is known to make outrageous comments from time to time. The 39-year-old
striker’s favourite player is none other than himself, but even Zlatan had high
praise for Lionel Messi.

• Ronaldinho

Before Lionel Messi, the No. 10 jersey at Camp Nou was worn by Brazilian
legend Ronaldinho. With his otherworldly skills, elasticos, and pinpoint
free-kicks, the forward and his teammates heralded a new era of exciting
football to the club.

Despite being regarded as one of the greatest of all time, he admitted
that a young Lionel Messi was already better than him during his time at the
Camp Nou with the Argentine.

This is what he had to say about Messi:

“Messi is the greatest in history, without doubt. Nobody has done what
Messi has done. When he retires, nobody will be worthy of using the No10
shirt.”

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• Cristiano Ronaldo

Receiving praise from your opponent is the ultimate sign of respect, and Cristiano Ronaldo has frequently praised Messi’s brilliance over the years. The
Portuguese has frequently credited his left-footed adversary with keeping him
on his toes.

“I have no doubt that Messi has made me a better player and vice-versa.
I have an excellent professional relationship [with him] because we have been
sharing the same moments for 15 years. We’ve never had dinner together but I
don’t see why we can’t in the future. I don’t see a problem with that.”

• Jose Mourinho

At one point, he referred to Messi as “the God of football,”
which is probably the highest compliment a football player can receive. 

Mourinho is always wary of the six-time Ballon d’Or winner when they
meet on the field.

“When Messi has the ball one on one, you
are dead. That’s why I never I like the individual man to man against
Messi.”

“Messi is a god, you have to create a
cage”

• Carles Puyol

Carles Puyol has won everything there is to win with Barcelona and Spain
in a 15-year career. He led the team during Pep Guardiola’s golden era, and
even he admitted that despite the presence of so many superstars, it was
Messi’s Barcelona, not Xavi’s, not Villa’s, but Messi’s.

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“This Barca will be remembered as Lionel Messi’s Barca. He’s well above
anything else I’ve ever seen. He’s an alien.”

• Raul

“The other day I saw one of his games. He was running with the ball
at a hundred per cent full speed, I don’t know how many touches he took, maybe
five or six, but the ball was glued to his foot. It’s practically
impossible.”

Even Raul, arguably one of the greatest Real Madrid players of all time,
admitted that what Messi does on the field is not only difficult but also
practically impossible.

• Kobe Bryant

“I wear the number 10 Jersey for the US National Team in honour of
the Greatest athlete I have ever seen: Messi.”

Bryant, arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, went so far
as to call the Barcelona #10 the greatest athlete he has ever seen.

Also Read | Lionel Messi gets angry at teammates during Argentina vs Uruguay | Watch

• Xavi

The Spaniard is often regarded as the embodiment of the famous Tiki-Taka
football, which originated in Barcelona and was successfully practised by the
Spanish national team. 

Messi is the greatest footballer to have ever graced the pitch,
according to Barcelona’s record appearance holder.

“It is clear that Lionel Messi is on a level above all others.
Those who do not see that are blind.”