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Lionel Messi is arguably the greatest player to have graced the game. The diminutive Argentinian, one of the last remnants of the true one-club era, has only played for Barcelona since his professional debut in 2004.
Not surprisingly, Lionel Messi has etched out a plethora of records in club football. The record 6-time Ballon d'Or winner is the all-time top scorer (444) and assist-provider (201) in the La Liga. He is also the only player in the Champions League to score against 35 different opponents and has the most goals (114) in the competition for a single club.
There is no doubt about the genius of Lionel Messi that has enabled him to scale footballing heights few can ever fathom to come close to. His short stature, which gives him a lower centre of gravity than most other players, coupled with upper body strength, searing pace and ability to dribble at pace allows him to take on physically imposing and taller opponents with elan.
Lionel Messi's five favourite teammates
Football is a team game. Lionel Messi's singular brilliance wouldn't have come to the fore as often as it has without the presence of skilful teammates who work tirelessly away from the limelight to feed the ball to the Argentine in forward areas where he is at his lethal best.
That perhaps explains why there is a gulf of difference between Lionel Messi's performances while playing for his club Barcelona and while doing so for his country Argentina. On that note, let us have a look at the diminutive Argentinian player's five favourite teammates, in no particular oder
#1 Ronaldinho
Brazilian legend Ronaldinho may have played only 80 games with Lionel Messi. But they came at a time when the Brazilian's powers were on the wane while the precocious Messi had just arrived on the scene.
Ronaldinho, who was once described by Deco as being more talented than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, was the one who provided the assist for Messi's first goal for Barcelona.
Messi has fond memories of that moment, which he talked about in a later interview:
"The ball didn't settle, it bounced off a defender, then I touched it back to Ronaldinho and I waited. He lifted it over to me, and I lobbed the goalkeeper. I liked a similar one that was ruled out earlier [for offside]. That annoyed me into action."
The two-time Ballon d'Or winner eased the nerves of the then teenager, made him welcome in the dressing room.
"He mentored me and made me feel comfortable, and I loosened up. Afterwards on the pitch, I always looked for him, but we didn't have many years to enjoy together. Besides, we didn't play as much at that time. I would have liked to play more with Ronaldinho," recollects Lionel Messi.
Ronaldinho was maganimous enough to offer his jersey number to the young Argentine whom he mentored both on and off the pitch.
"He had it in his mind that he was leaving and he told me to have his number. I took it without looking at what he had done with the shirt. If I did, I would not have taken it."
Ronaldinho departed Camp Nou in the summer of 2008, when Pep Guardiola took charge and revamped the squad which was coming off a trophyless season, but not before leaving an indelible mark on Lionel Messi who soon blossomed into the player he has become today.
However, Messi has not forgotten Ronaldinho's friendship and mentorship at a time, something he has spoken about in numerous interviews over the years.
#2 Xavi
Barcelona and Lionel Messi enjoyed their most successful spell from 2008-2015.
During this period, Messi rose to stratospheric heights and was aided in no small part by a Barcelona midfield comprising Xaxi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets. More on the latter two later.
Under Pep Guardiola's tiki taka philosophy, Xavi and Lionel Messi struck a kind of telephatic understanding on the pitch that continued much after the Spanish tactician left the club.
Combining with the brilliant overlapping of Dani Alves on the right-wing, Messi would cut inside with devastating effect as Xavi Hernandez, with his immaculate vision and technique threaded immaculate defence-splitting passes into spaces where the Argentine could capitalise on.
Xavi, who was the tireless engine room of the Barcelona midfield, has been bestowed the highest of praise by Lionel Messi:
"He is the best player in the history of Spanish football."
Incidentally, in one of his 'sub-par' seasons last campaign, when he managed 'only' 25 goals in the La Liga, Lionel Messi broke Xavi Hernandez's long-standing record of most Liga assists (20) in a single season.
#3 Andres Iniesta
Andres Iniesta played alongside Lionel Messi for 14 long years and is undoubtedly the one to have played the most games (489) alongside the Argentinian maestro.
The duo together won 32 trophies at Barcelona, a tally that includes nine La Liga and four Champions League titles among other domestic and continental honours.
Lionel Messi was one of the chief beneficiaries of the brilliance of Andres Iniesta, who like Xavi, had an impeccable understanding with the Argentine in the attacking-third, especially in the opposition penalty box.
Not surprisingly, Messi has often spoken eloquently about the role of Iniesta in his and Barcelona's success over the years as the two players, who do not talk much, shared an excellent camaraderie both on and off the pitch.
"He has more contact with the ball than me; he's the person who starts moves, who gets things going. I know how difficult it is to do what he does. His play is different, it comes from when he was very little, even though he has clearly improved over time and with different coaches. Maybe you could say that both of us have something of the street in the way we play," Lionel Messi says about Iniesta in an extract of the book The Artist: Being Iniesta.
#4 Dani Alves
Lionel Messi formed a dream triumvirate with Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta at Barcelona and benefitted immensely from arguably Spanish football's greatest midfield duo, but Brazilian Dani Alves has also provided a signficant number of direct assists to the Argentine.
There is good reason for that. Alves and Messi operated on the same side of the field. The marauding right-back often overlapped with Lionel Messi to devastating effect as his teasing inch-perfect crosses unerringly found the Argentine maestro who cut inside to breach the tightest gaps in opposition defences.
No wonder, 26 of Dani Alves' 43 assists for Lionel Messi came in the La Liga alone. Messi enjoyed a great relationship with the Brazilian whom he has often talked highly about.
"We've spent many years together, both on and off the field. Day-to-day, we've got a very strong relationship, which is also of a great help on the field -- it means we understand each other's games very well."
However, Alves, on his part, tore into critics who attributed Lionel Messi's 'decline' behind Barcelona's trophyless 2019-20 season.
"I still think the one untouchable person in football is Leo (Messi) because of what he brings to the game. Even if things don't turn out well, Leo's always fine. But this is a team sport and everyone has his responsibility".
#1 Luis Suarez
Luis Suarez, along with Neymar and Lionel Messi, formed one of the most attacking triumvirates in the history of football. Affectionately nicknamed MSN, the trio essentially fed of each other and Barcelona reaped enormous dividends.
Even when MSN broke up after Neymar left Camp Nou to join Paris St. Germain, Suarez has continued his fruitful partnership with Lionel Messi.
It is the Uruguayan striker, and not one of Xavi, Iniesta or Alves, who has provided the most assists (54) to Lionel Messi since the former joined Barcelona in the summer of 2014.
Suarez, operating in a number nine role, and Messi through the centre, provided fireworks galore for Barcelona even after Neymar's exit. The Uruguayan's untiring work-rate and ability in tight spaces have immensely beniffited Lionel Messi. In 2018, Suarez broke Dani Alves' record of most Liga assists to Messi (26).
The former Liverpool and Ajax man, who is widely tipped to leave Barcelona, shares enormous mutual respect with Lionel Messi, with the latter calling Suarez the best number nine ever.
"It's hard to compare him to anyone I've played with. What I can say is that he's the best No. 9 in the world today, that it's a pleasure to play with him, for what he brings to the team. I get on really well with him off the pitch too. I'm very happy to be sharing all this with him."
