10 greatest quotes on Lionel Messi

#8 Juliano Belletti | Former Barcelona player

It's been over a decade since Messi and Belletti played for Barcelona, before the Brazilian made the switch to Chelsea and the Premier League.

Now an assistant coach for Cruzeiro, Belletti recalls the memorable period when Lionel Messi joined the first team in training:

“When Messi came out of B Team Rijkaard put him in a 11 × 11 training game on a small stadium. Iniesta came to me and said “do you know him”? I told him no, so he told me to be careful .. In the first confrontation against him, he passed me and scored a goal, I said damn! This man is shameless.”

#7 Paul Pogba | Manchester United player

Juventus v FC Barcelona - UEFA Champions League Final

Although they've never played for the same teams, Lionel Messi and Paul Pogba have met on a few occasions on the pitch. Messi notably caused problems for Pogba's side when France and Argentina played, and also during Barcelona's games against Juventus while Pogba was still in Turin. They may not be friends, but Pogba only has words of praise for the Argentine:

“Messi and football are two things that go together. I enjoy watching him, he does things that nobody does. He has a stature that nobody has, something special for him, everything is special. He’s a player who has football inside him, who feels it, it’s incredible.”

#6 John Terry | Chelsea legend

Chelsea FC v Barcelona - UEFA Champions League Semi Final

Although the legendary Chelsea defender spent the bulk of his career in the Premier League, he's had to deal with playing against Lionel Messi in the Champions League.

He may have held Messi from scoring during those few games, but John Terry has only respect for the Argentine star:

“Lionel Messi is quite clearly the best player ever. It’s a pleasure to pit myself against him and when I finish my career it’s something I can look back on and know I’ve tested myself against the very best.”

#5 Roy Keane | Manchester United legend

Norwich City v Ipswich Town - npower Championship

The former Manchester United star had a highly successful career at Old Trafford, winning 17 major trophies during his eight-year stint at the club. His playing career was coming to an end just before Messi's began, but that hasn't stopped Roy Keane from showering praise on the Argentine international:

“I was a big fan of Maradona growing up and of the current crop Ronaldo is good, but Messi is the best I’ve ever seen. I don’t dish out praise lightly, but Messi deserves it. I look for weaknesses in his game and I can’t find them.” - Roy Keane

About the author

Nnanna is currently an analyst on Sportskeeda. He started writing about football as a hobby many years ago, but it's recently become a more important aspect of his life.

He loves sports, football particularly, and is optimistic about the growth of local leagues in Africa.

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Edited by S Chowdhury