"Barca can still make moves" - La Liga president Javier Tebas hails Lionel Messi as 'best player in the world', hopes Barcelona re-signs him
La Liga president Javier Tebas has said that he hopes that Barcelona re-sign Lionel Messi while hailing him as the best player in the world.
Messi, 35, continues to be linked with a remarkable return to the Camp Nou in the summer. His contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires at the end of the season, but talks over a renewal have reached an impasse.
Reports claim that Barcelona have sought talks with La Liga to generate more flexibility in the Financial Fair Play rules. Tebas has been insistent that Barca need to reduce their wage bill by at least €200 million.
However, the La Liga president has opened up on the Blaugrana's pursuit of Messi. He says that although a deal seems unlikely at the moment, he hopes it happens (via 90min):
“Today I don’t see his signing as feasible. But there’s a lot of time left, and Barca can still make moves to get him, I hope and wish they make it happen. I’m a fan of Messi; he is the best player in the world."
Lionel Messi became a Barcelona icon during his 16 seasons with the club. He scored 672 goals and provided 303 assists in 778 games at the Camp Nou. However, the Blaugrana were unable to afford a new contract for the Argentine in 2021. He departed despite being eager to remain with the La Liga giants.
PSG snapped up Messi in the summer of 2021 as a free agent, but it hasn't been the most ceremonious of spells for the player in Paris. The Parc des Princes faithful have booed the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner on occasion. That's despite the forward bagging 20 goals and 18 assists in 36 games across competitions this season.
When Barcelona manager Xavi said that Lionel Messi was better than Cristiano Ronaldo
Barcelona boss Xavi was still playing for the club alongside Lionel Messi in 2017. The Argentine icon was in the midst of one of the most fascinating rivalries with his longtime foe Cristiano Ronaldo at the time.
Ronaldo had just pulled level with Messi on five Ballons d'Or awards when Xavi said that the latter was the better player (via AS):
"Messi is the player that makes the most difference in the world. It's more than obvious."
Xavi continued by insisting that those who have watched Messi up close and personal know the talent he possesses:
"Messi does more things compared to Cristiano. Messi is the best. If Cristiano considers himself the best player in history, that's fine, but those of us who see him train, there is no comparison. Messi is the best in history, and we don't see it any other way."
Messi scored 474 goals and provided 216 assists in 520 La Liga games during his time with Barca. Meanwhile, Ronaldo managed 311 goals and 95 assists in 292 games for Madrid in the Spanish league.