"Maybe I'm disrespecting Pele and Maradona" - Pep Guardiola hails Lionel Messi as the 'best football player ever'
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has hailed Lionel Messi as the best player to grace the beautiful game, ahead of the likes of the late Pele and Diego Maradona. The legendary Spanish boss managed Messi at Barcelona for four seasons.
Together, the duo achieved unprecedented success, with Messi scoring goals galore as Barca won three La Liga titles and their first continental treble, among other titles.
More than a decade has elapsed since their association ended in 2012, but Messi is still going strong. Now at MLS side Inter Miami, whom he had joined last summer on a free transfer, Messi (843) is approaching 850 career goals for club and country.
“Leo Messi is the best football player ever," Guardiola told Che Tempo Che Fa (as per transfer guru Fabrizio Romano). "Maybe I’m disrespecting Pelé and Diego Maradona, but I can’t imagine anyone like Messi, with his consistency. He’s unique."
Messi recently won a record-extending 46th title with club and country when he helped the Herons to their first-ever Supporters' Shield for topping the MLS regular season points table.
Earlier this summer, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner became the most titled player in the sport, moving past his former Barcelona teammate Dani Alves. He did so by leading Argentina to the 2024 Copa America title in Miami in July, beating Colombia 1-0 in extra time in the final.
How Lionel Messi fared under Pep Guardiola
Lionel Messi achieved tremendous success under Pep Guardiola, who was the Barcelona manager between 2008 and 2012. In four seasons together, the 37-year-old plundered 211 goals and 94 assists in 219 games across competitions.
In the first season of their association, Barca won their first continental treble, with Messi contributing 38 goals and 20 assists in 51 games across competitions. Most of those goal contributions - 23 goals and 13 assists in 31 games - came in La Liga.
In Pep Guardiola and Messi's last season together in 2011-12, the Argentine produced a campaign for the ages, plundering a staggering 73 goals and 34 assists in 60 games across competitions. He scored as well as assisted in six different competitions, with Barca winning four of them, including a stunning 50 strikes in La Liga in 37 games.
However, the Blaugrana were beaten to the La Liga title by their arch-rivals Real Madrid, while they lost to eventual winners Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals 3-2 on aggregate.