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Right-back: Dani Alves | 349
Arguably the best defensive teammate Leo Messi has had in his storied career, Brazilian full-back Dani Alves is one of the greatest defenders of this generation, let alone that of Barcelona. Alves, along with Marcelo on the left, are considered to be players who have changed the landscape for full-backs as a whole.
The 37-year-old was renowned for his attacking prowess despite playing as a right-sided full-back for a majority of his career. Alves combined with Messi down Barcelona's right flank for an eight-year period during which the Catalans won three UCL titles, with two of them coming as part of the club's only two trebles. The South Americans shared a unique connection as Alves assisted a whopping 26 LaLiga goals for Messi throughout their time together.
Over their eight years, Alves shared the pitch with Messi on 349 occasions and remains, to date, one of Messi's most influential teammates.
Centre-back: Gerard Pique | 483 Games
Gerard Pique is set to go down as one of the greatest Spanish defenders of all-time and is one of the few current teammates of the Barcelona captain from this XI. The former Manchester United defender has won practically every trophy available to him on both domestic and international fronts, having won the 2010 FIFA World Cup with Spain and UCLs aplenty with Barcelona.
Pique has remained a totem of defence for the Blaugrana for well over a decade now, and was one of the pillars that Pep Guardiola built his dynasty on. Alongside the likes of Carles Puyol and Javier Mascherano (more on him later), the Spaniard has been one of the most consistent performers for Barcelona during their golden generation.
The 33-year-old is one of only four players in history to have won a UCL in two successive years with different clubs, and is undoubtedly one of Leo Messi's most accomplished teammates. The Catalan defender played 483 games alongside the Argentine through his time at Barcelona.
Centre-back: Javier Mascherano | 413
A player who has accumulated over 400 games with Messi, Javier Mascherano is one of Barcelona's most well-renowned veterans. The Argentine shared the stage with Messi for Argentina and the Blaugrana and remains one of the most pivotal players for Barcelona's recent success.
Mascherano and Messi acted as two of the most crucial players for Argentina throughout their time together. This was particularly the case in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, during which Mascherano played as a centre-half and helped tighten up a relatively weak defence. The now Estudiantes defender was also part of Barcelona's second treble in 2014/15 alongside Pique in defence.
Overall, the Argentine clocked over 200 LaLiga Santander games for Barcelona and won the competition five times, and also has two UCL titles and 96 European appearances to his name. Only three players, including Pique, have played more games with Messi than Mascherano.
Left-back: Jordi Alba | 301
Leo Messi shares an excellent relationship with Jordi Alba on the pitch, to an extent where the pair have managed to cut through an entire team with a simple one-two between them. The understanding that both of them have is simply sensational, and has led to some impressive goals over the last few years.
The Spanish left-back is equally comfortable going forward and in defence, but it is the former that has helped him succeed in his Barcelona career. Alba is a marauding, energetic presence on the left flank, often finding himself overlapping the left winger to provide another body in attack.
With five LaLiga titles and a UCL as part of the 2014/15 treble to his name, Alba has been an ever-present figure for Barcelona in the recent past. The 31-year-old has played 336 games for the Blaugrana in his career, and astonishingly, only 35 of them did not feature Messi.
Also Read: Top 10 teams with most goals in the 2019-20 season
