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The news of Lionel Messi's departure from Barcelona reverberated throughout the world, shocking almost everyone on the planet. The Blaugrana had enjoyed the most successful period in the club's history, with Messi leading their attack. While Barcelona were once stacked with legendary players, they have now been reduced to a club with elite stature but mediocre personnel.
Lionel Messi has had some distinguished teammates over the years
In his illustrious senior career, Lionel Messi has had the opportunity to play alongside some of the greats of modern football. While earning a chance to share the pitch with the Argentine would be a dream come true for any player right now, it wasn't the norm in his youth days. As Samuel Eto'o cleverly mentioned in a recent statement, Lionel Messi used to play with him during his Barcelona days and not the other way around.
Nurtured by the dribbling wizard Ronaldinho, Messi was just a small cog in the all-conquering Barcelona side of 2006. In addition to a formidable centre-back partnership of Rafa Marquez and Carles Puyol, the Catalan giants were also represented by the likes of Deco and Henrik Larsson back then.
With so many stars to call as his teammates, Lionel Messi has had the cream of the bunch in terms of acquaintances. Nevertheless, La Pulga also had his fair share of underwhelming allies who were fortunate enough to be on the same team as the Argentine. On that note, let's take a look at five players who were lucky to play with Lionel Messi:
#5 Andre Gomes
The Barcelona faithful were exhilarated to hear the news of Andre Gomes' transfer to Camp Nou back in 2016. Following a confident showing at the Euros that year, Gomes seemed to be an ideal pick for the Blaugrana. His passing proficiency and technical abilities made him the perfect team-mate for someone like Lionel Messi.
However, Gomes failed to cope with the enormous pressure that accompanied the job and was a shadow of his former self in Catalonia. The Portuguese midfielder could not find his footing in two years with Barcelona and was subsequently offloaded to Everton on loan.
Gomes' dismal performances made him an ideal scapegoat for the club's failures. Now at Everton, the 28-year-old has successfully recouped a small portion of his reputation. Considering his inability to construct a stable mentality while playing at the topmost level, Gomes was lucky to have played 68 games with Lionel Messi.
#4 Malcom
One of the strangest transfers made by Barcelona in the club's history, Malcom's €41 million acquisition from Bordeaux in 2018, shocked everyone in the footballing world. The Brazilian youngster was one of the hottest properties back then, having impressed thoroughly in Ligue 1.
He was moments away from being unveiled as a Roma player, with pictures surfacing of fans waiting at the airport for their latest star. However, Barcelona swooped in at the last moment to hijack the deal. Subsequently, Malcom was presented at Camp Nou with expectations of cementing his place in the starting lineup in the near future.
Nevertheless, due to a lack of opportunities and dwindling confidence, Malcom failed to make his mark in Catalonia. Apart from a few flashy performances, the Brazilian dribbler was mostly toothless going forward. Even 17 appearances alongside Lionel Messi could not bring the best out of him. Malcom joined Zenit St Petersburg just one year after his forgetful switch to Camp Nou.
Also read: 5 La Liga records that Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi failed to break
#3 Jose Manuel Pinto
Having played second fiddle to Victor Valdes throughout his Barcelona career, Jose Manuel Pinto was a close associate of Lionel Messi's. While his on-field contribution was poor enough to earn him an ousting from the club, Pinto's antics in the locker room made him an important figure at Barcelona.
After spending most of his senior career with Celta Vigo, Pinto was purchased by the 26-time La Liga champions in 2008 to provide cover for Valdes. However, the Spanish shot-stopper was more popular for his error-prone nature than his saves.
Pinto's strong relationship with Lionel Messi clearly meant that Barcelona were better off with him in the squad. If reports are to be believed, Lionel Messi played an influential role during Pinto's contract extension with Barcelona as well.
Without the shadow of a doubt, Pinto can count himself lucky to have played 68 games with Lionel Messi. In hindsight, he probably never belonged at the same level as his peers.
#2 Jeremy Mathieu
In his 18-year long career, Jeremy Mathieu has amassed a trophy cabinet that can make any player green with envy. The Frenchman has two La Liga wins and a Champions League title to his name, amongst 10 other accolades. Despite being painfully average at football, Mathieu has enjoyed a career that many budding youngsters dream of.
He signed for Barcelona in the summer of 2014 for a massive €20 million fee, following the retirement of club captain Carles Puyol. Brought into a team consisting of Andres Iniesta, Gerard Pique and Lionel Messi, Mathieu looked out of his depth as soon as he landed in Catalonia.
Nevertheless, he still managed to extend his stay with Barcelona to an impressive three seasons, making 91 appearances in the process. Considering that he was unable to live up to expectations, Mathieu was very fortunate to play 77 of his games in a Blaugrana shirt alongside Lionel Messi.
#1 Martin Braithwaite
In all honesty, Martin Braithwaite's entire Barcelona career is the result of pure luck. The Danish striker had never played for an elite-level club in his career prior to his transfer to the Catalan giants. A serious injury to Ousmane Dembele in February 2020 forced Barcelona to make use of a special La Liga clause, bringing Braithwaite to Camp Nou as an emergency signing.
Having played for the likes of Middlesbrough and Leganes in his prime years, a player like Braithwaite was never meant to don the Blaugrana colors. And he was definitely not fit to lead the Barcelona attack alongside Lionel Messi.
Nevertheless, fate had other ideas. Not only has the Denmark international partnered Lionel Messi at club level, but he has also done so 44 times. While the output of 10 goals in 56 appearances is dismal in its own right, his impact on the overall build-up play is non-existent, to say the least.
Braithwaite is lucky enough to have entered his third season with Barcelona, let alone partner the great Lionel Messi.
Also read: 5 superstars who failed as managers at former clubs
