"Every time you will talk about this I will always say him" - PL superstar explains why he believes Lionel Messi is still the best player in the world

Star Manchester City defender Josko Gvardiol has explained why he believes Lionel Messi is still the best footballer in the world. The Croatian claimed that he has always named the Argentine maestro as the greatest, and that he will continue to maintain the same stance 'every time'.

Messi is widely considered to be one of the greatest players of all time. He has racked up an eye-watering 886 goals and 398 assists in 1129 appearances across all competitions for club and country.

The 38-year-old currently plies his trade for Major League Soccer (MLS) side Inter Miami. Although he is in the twilight years of his career, many still consider him as one of the best in the game, including Gvardiol.

The Manchester City man was on the receiving end of one of the most impressive assists delivered by the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner - in the semi-final of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The Argentine captain out-muscled and out-dribbled the young defender before putting it on a platter for Julian Alvarez's second in a resounding 3-0 victory.

In a recent interview with ESPN UK, Gvardiol said (via @AlbicelesteTalk on X):

"Who is the best player in the world right now? Every time you will talk about this I will always say Messi. I've played against him three times, whenever he wants, he can make a difference and decide to win the game."

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Joško Gvardiol: "Who is the best player in the world right now? Every time you will talk about this I will always say Messi. I've played against him three times, whenever he wants, he can make a difference and decide to win the game." @ESPNUK

Up next, Messi will be seen in action in Inter Miami's MLS fixture against Nashville SC on Saturday (October 18).

"One day, I'll tell my kids" - When Josko Gvardiol opened up on facing off against Lionel Messi at 2022 FIFA World Cup

After Argentina's 3-0 victory over Croatia in the semi-final of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Josko Gvardiol reflected on his encounter against legendary forward Lionel Messi.

The young Croat had already faced off against the Argentine icon at club level months before the high-stakes World Cup encounter. He lined up for RB Leipzig against PSG in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League, drawing one game 2-2 and losing the other 3-2 courtesy of a brace from the ex-Barcelona man.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of Croatia's third-place match against Morocco, Gvardiol said (via GGFN):

"It was a nice experience even though I played against him at club level. He’s a completely different type of player at club level and in the national team. I'm glad that I played against him even though we lost but one day I’ll tell my children that I defended against Messi, the best player who’s ever played, for 90 minutes.”

Gvardiol will next be seen in action in Manchester City's Premier League clash against Everton on Saturday (October 18).