Ranking 5 greatest forwards who partnered Lionel Messi at club level
After 21 years of immeasurable success, Lionel Messi was unceremoniously ousted from Barcelona due to the club's financial predicament. The Argentinian wizard departed his footballing home in tears, having scored a mind-boggling 672 goals for the club. In addition to so many accomplishments, Lionel Messi also had the best players around him during his stay in Spain.
Some notable teammates of Lionel Messi
Having played at the summit of professional football for 16 years, Lionel Messi played alongside a number of legendary players during his stay in Catalonia. Making his debut in 2005, Messi was an integral cog in multiple Barcelona squads. As a result, he got the opportunity to play alongside the likes of Carles Puyol, Lilian Thuram and Yaya Toure.
The Footballing Greatest Trio Of All Time.
Xavi Iniesta Messi https://t.co/jBvyfBmXIo
However, his most prominent teammates have to be the two distinguished Spanish midfielders. The fabled trio of Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta have gained mythical status at Barcelona, with the three players at the center of the club's most successful period. Thierry Henry, Eidur Gudjohnsen and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are some of the other all-time greats to have shared the locker room with Messi.
Safe to say, Lionel Messi has played with an insane number of world-class players throughout his illustrious career. Having been the focal point of numerous attacking lines, he has been assisted by established offensive players throughout his footballing journey. On that note, let's take a look at five of the best forwards that have partnered Lionel Messi at club level:
#5 David Villa (Barcelona)
The all-time top scorer for Spain, David Villa, played at the topmost footballing level for a long while. The Spanish striker was especially lethal during his time at Valencia, which earned him a big-money move to Barcelona in 2010. Primarily a center forward, Villa was often used on the wings in Pep Guardiola's intricate system.
His arrival at the Camp Nou was met with widespread approval from the fans as Villa's exceptional goalscoring abilities perfectly complimented Lionel Messi's attacking skills. The duo played 102 games together in just three years, propelling Barcelona to two Spanish league titles and one Champions League, among other wins.
🏟 La Liga games: 353
⚽️ La Liga goals: 185
🅰️ La Liga assists: 40
🇪🇸 Spain's record scorer: 59 goals in 98 games
🏆 A spearhead to FC Barcelona's league and European double in 2011
🙌 La Liga winner at Atlético
The kids today will never know how good David Villa was 🔥 https://t.co/rjY0u4sjTx
Following certain injury struggles, Villa was offloaded to La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid in 2013, bringing an abrupt end to his partnership with Lionel Messi. However, there is no denying the fact that the duo clicked together at Barcelona.
#4 Samuel Eto'o (Barcelona)
Samuel Eto'o is a bona fide legend of the game, having played for some of the biggest teams on the planet. The winner of two consecutive European trebles with Barcelona and Inter, the Cameroonian striker, was bought by the Blaugrana in 2004 for €27 million.
At the time of his signing, Eto'o was one of the most clinical forwards in the world. His reputation gained serious momentum after coming to Catalonia due to a string of scintillating performances. In a recent statement, Eto'o said that Lionel Messi got to play with him at Barcelona and not the other way around, hinting at his super-stardom in the late 2000s.
Samuel Eto’o: “As a Barça fan, I felt kind of sad when Messi left for PSG. However, I also felt happy because I’m a PSG fan too. It’s one of the teams that I have in my heart. Messi represented so much for Barça, and we all wanted him to retire there.” https://t.co/k5Yd6qpDTw
Prior to his surprise move to Italy in 2009, Eto'o was involved in 105 games with Lionel Messi. In the span of four years, following the Argentine's debut in 2005, the duo wreaked havoc for Barcelona. Eto'o retired in 2019, having played for 13 different clubs in his professional career.
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