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There is little doubt that Lionel Messi is one of the greatest players in the history of world football. The Argentine magician relocated to Spain as a child, joined Barcelona's famed La Masia academy, and quickly graduated into the first team.
For well over a decade, Messi's presence at Camp Nou offered Barcelona supporters a worthy idol to worship and a great leader to emulate. There have been many different squads that have played for Barcelona in the past two decades. But Messi was the key constant in them that guided the club to some of the best years of success in their history.
His partnership with Neymar and Luis Suarez created some of the best attacking plays the world had ever seen. His connection with Xavi and Andres Iniesta ensured a midfield stronghold that proved impossible to break down. His effortless pairing with Dani Alves on the right flank provided entertainment, pace and goals.
Lionel Messi was an essential cog in Barcelona's wheel and his exit to Paris Saint-Germain this summer has left the Spanish giants in the lurch. The side currently look directionless as they sit humbly in mid-table insignificance, struggling to garner convincing performances. After a poor run of results, manager Ronald Koeman was sacked.
Clearly, Messi's importance to Barcelona was underestimated and his absence has hit the side hard.
In his Barca days, the star played alongside some of the greatest attackers in world football, including Samuel Eto'o, Ronaldinho, and even Zlatan Ibrahimovic. However, there are some world-class attackers who never got the chance to play with the Argentine maestro. Let's take a look at five of them.
#5 Didier Drogba | Chelsea legend
Didier Drogba is notably one of the most clinical strikers to have played in the Premier League. He would have been the perfect striker to complement Lionel Messi's free role on the pitch. The duo clashed a number of times in Champions League games, and Drogba often made Barcelona feel the prowess of his goalscoring abilities.
Barca remained interested in Drogba, even after the star turned 34 in 2012. The club seriously entertained the possibility of bringing the Ivorian to the Nou Camp.
Although much of it was rumored, Drogba made it quite clear that he would have loved to play alongside Messi. It's easy to see how brilliantly they would have worked together.
#4 Edinson Cavani | Manchester United
If Edinson Cavani and Lionel Messi both have something in common, it would be their remarkable presence in the final third. Cavani spent a few seasons playing alongside former Barcelona striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic during his time with PSG. The duo were ruthless in Ligue 1.
The Uruguayan has also played with another former Barca star, Luis Suarez, in their national team Uruguay, but he's never played with Messi.
Barcelona seemed intent on bringing Cavani to Camp Nou during the last transfer window. But even that would've been too late for both players to work together on the same team as Messi had already left for PSG.
They might never play together, as both players are near the end of their careers. But it's easy to imagine how ruthless Cavani would've been alongside Messi.
#3 Wayne Rooney | Manchester United legend
If anyone had a target-man presence in the box, as well as the creative skill to dictate play and drive the team forward, it was Wayne Rooney. During his long stint with Manchester United, the star enjoyed a striking partnership with Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Rooney's influence on the team guided Alex Ferguson's side to numerous trophy wins. But the star might have moved to Barcelona if things had gone a little differently.
Back in 2010, Rooney handed in a transfer request after relations soured between him and Sir Alex Ferguson. Real Madrid and Barcelona were both very intent on bringing the star to La Liga. At Real Madrid, he would have been reunited with Cristiano Ronaldo. The appeal of playing for a riveting Barcelona side was hard to ignore as well, but the star eventually stayed put at Old Trafford.
#2 Robert Lewandowski | Bayern Munich
The 8-2 scoreline that Bayern Munich and Barcelona brought to the Champions League in 2020 will likely never leave the history books. Both Lewandowski and Messi played in that game, but the Spanish side were hopeless in defending against the Bavarians' attacks.
Lewandowski found the net in that game and became the most clinical striker in the world, netting a Bundesliga record of 41 league goals last season.
There was never a chance of the Pole moving to Barcelona in previous years, even though some reports surfaced about the Catalans' interest in the striker. Lewandowski has always been at home in Munich, ruthlessly scoring goals against every team in the first division of German football. He looks set to continue his streak.
Messi would certainly have enjoyed providing the assists for the star, like Thomas Muller currently does.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo | Manchester United
There arguably isn't a better duo that would have played on the same team than Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Messi's world-class playmaking qualities combined with Ronaldo's clinical eye for goalscoring would provide any outfit with the best attacking presence in the world.
Both players are past their prime years, but it's hard to forget the ruthless power they showcased at Real Madrid and Barcelona over the past decade. The 2014-15 season saw the duo score over 40 goals each in La Liga. They drove their respective teams forward with over 90 points in the league that season.
With Ronaldo now 36-years-old and playing for Manchester United, there's barely any chance of the two ever joining the same team again.
