“We study him like we would study a player from Celta Vigo or Levante” - When Real Madrid superstar made emphatic claim on Lionel Messi
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made a bold claim about Barcelona legend Lionel Messi ahead of an El Clasico in 2020. The Belgian keeper faced Messi in 20 matches for clubs and country, with the Argentine winning eight, losing five, and drawing seven times. Messi scored nine goals against Courtois, all before the latter's move to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Having previously faced Lionel Messi during his time at Chelsea and Atletico Madrid, Courtois joined Real Madrid in 2018. The Belgian keeper went on to play against Messi in five El Clasicos, losing just once, before the latter left Barcelona in 2021.
Before facing Messi and Co. in a LaLiga El Clasico in February 2020, Courtois made a rather controversial statement about the former Barcelona superstar. At that point, Los Blancos were only two points behind their Catalan rivals in the LaLiga table. Courtois had said (via Express UK):
"Messi? For me, he's like any other player. We study him like we would study a player from Celta Vigo or Levante. There is no difference. It was the case during my first season with Atletico Madrid, especially when you played Camp Nou for the first time, with all these stars. At that moment, if you don’t think about it, it is because something is wrong with you.”
Courtois' statements did not land well at Barcelona, who hit back through a social media post. The Catalan giants shared a clip of Lionel Messi scoring against the Belgian keeper during the latter's time at Chelsea and Atletico Madrid. The caption of the post read:
“The GOAT vs current Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois…”
Los Blancos had the last laugh as they beat Barcelona 2-0 in the Clasico. The Merengues also went on to claim the LaLiga title in the 2019-2020 season.
"If you talk about results, it's Madrid" - When Lionel Messi named Real Madrid as the current best team in the world
In a June 2024 interview with Infobae, Lionel Messi named Real Madrid the best team in the world in terms of results. He added that he liked the playing style of Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, saying (via beIN SPORTS):
"The best team, if we have to say, is Real Madrid, because they are the reigning Champions League winners. If you talk about results, it's Madrid; if you talk about style of play, personally, I like Guardiola's City. In terms of style of play, for me, City is the best; for results, Madrid."
Throughout his career, Lionel Messi faced Los Blancos in 47 games. He won 20 of them, losing 16, and drawing 11. The Argentine legend scored 26 goals against the Merengues.
El Clasicos specifically saw a massive rise in popularity between 2009 and 2018. During this time, Lionel Messi played for Barcelona while his archrival, Cristiano Ronaldo, played for Real Madrid.