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Footballing great Humberto Maschio said that Lionel Messi is the best player he has had the pleasure of witnessing.
The Argentine great, who is famous for his stints with River Plate and Atalanta, put Messi over some of the most illustrious names in the history of the game.
Speaking to Goal, Maschio admitted that Messi flourishing in the modern era is the reason he put his compatriot over the likes of Pele, Diego Maradona and Johan Cruyff.
"I've seen Di Stefano, Pele, Maradona, Cruyff - I've seen them all. But Messi is the best."
“I've faced some of those myself but I repeat, again, Messi is the best.”
"Just look at the goals he has scored" - Maschio in awe of Messi's brilliance
Hailed as one of the greatest players of all time, Messi has continued to set the standard over the years and is still going strong in his 30s.
Maschio said that the Barcelona superstar doesn't run around on the pitch and lavished praise on his outrageous ability on the ball.
“They were great players in their time but the pace of the modern game is so different. Just look at the goals Messi has scored."
“Leo doesn't run around much on the pitch but when he needs to, it's as if the ball is stuck to his feet."
“I've seen players with unbelievable pace but when they have the ball, they slow down. Yet with Leo it's the opposite and he does it in such a fantastic way.”
Messi has been in stunning form this season and enjoyed a prolific season in the La Liga, with a staggering 25 goals and 21 assists to his name. However, his individual brilliance was not enough to get his team over the line domestically, as Real Madrid won the La Liga title.
The Argentine topped the league for goals and assists and single-handedly won Barcelona points. Despite the Blaugrana's La Liga failure, they have an opportunity to make amends in the Champions League this month.
Barcelona face Napoli in the second leg of the round of 16 and all eyes will once again be on Messi, as he aims to spearhead his side to continental kingship.
