“Messi showed it was possible to surpass him” - Henrik Larsson says he thought former teammate was best in the world until Lionel Messi came along

Former Barcelona striker Henrik Larsson has claimed that Ronaldinho was the best player in the world until Lionel Messi made his debut. He said that the Argentine surpassed the Brazilian legend and quickly became the best player he had ever seen.

Speaking to Flash Score, Larsson said he did not think any player could get better than Ronaldinho, as the Barcelona legend was the best in the world during his playing days. However, Messi managed to impress swiftly after making his debut, and the former Sweden striker said:

"You could see he had the potential to become a great player. At that time, I was playing with the best player in the world, Ronaldinho, and I didn't see anyone better than him. But Messi showed that it was possible to surpass him."

"He had good control, speed, skill, and vision. Having those components is one thing, but putting them all together is another. He did it and became, without a doubt, the best player we've ever seen."

It was not the first time Larsson has heaped praise on Messi by saying he is better than Ronaldinho. He told the BBC in 2022 during the FIFA World Cup:

"When I saw Ronaldinho, I thought this was the best footballer I will ever see, until that day Ronaldinho handled everything with a smile. Leo, I think saw what it takes to be the main man (from Dinho)."

Lionel Messi played just nine matches with Henrik Larsson at Barcelona, but they never combined for a goal.

Brazil legend Ronaldinho on Barcelona icon Lionel Messi

Brazil legend Ronaldinho spoke to The Athletic in 2023 about Lionel Messi, hailing the Argentine as a natural talent who did not need others to help him. He admitted that the Barcelona first team knew about the Argentine even before he made his debut and said:

"Me, Deco and the whole team had been following Leo since the youth team, going to watch his games. We already expected that he would be the best."

"Leo needs no comments. The only advice I had for him is [to] play with joy and freedom. Just play with the ball at your feet, the rest will come naturally. We spent so much time together, travelling and playing games that we become a family, as we are always together, laughing and enjoying. He sat next to me in the locker room. Leo has always been more reserved, but we get along well, and to this day, whenever we can see each other, it is a joy."

Ronaldinho played 80 matches with Lionel Messi, famously assisting the Argentine's first goal for Barcelona.