“These are big, big words” - Pep Guardiola names Manchester City star as best passer he worked with after Lionel Messi

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has named Kevin De Bruyne as the second-best passer he has worked with after eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi. In his nearly 18 years as a manager, Guardiola has collaborated with some of the greatest players who understand the nuances of passing the ball.

At Barcelona, Pep Guardiola worked not only with Lionel Messi but also with the likes of Andrés Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez. Besides De Bruyne, he also worked with David Silva at City, who is also recognized as a great passer.

De Bruyne will leave Manchester City when his contract expires at the end of the season, concluding a 10-year journey with the club. Recently, Guardiola stated it would be difficult to find another player who passes the ball like the Belgian midfielder. He ranked De Bruyne above Xavi and Iniesta as one of the best passers he has worked with.

He said (via BBC):

"One is Messi. And the other two, let me think about it...OK, let me put Kevin second."

He added:

"Messi is the best I have ever seen because Messi has done it really, really close to the box but Kevin is there. It's just the stats, the goals, the assists, that he provides to the team in the final third and the talent. That is unique, that is why he has been one of the best players this club has had in the whole history. These are big, big words because he has been a special player."

Guardiola has always held Messi in high regard. In an interview in 2020, he stated that the Argentine is the best in nearly every position on the pitch.

When Pep Guardiola said Manchester City striker is only like Lionel Messi in terms of scoring goals

For Pep Guardiola, Lionel Messi will remain the greatest player to ever play the sport. The Argentine holds the record for the most goals among all the players he has managed.

However, at City, he has also developed some world-class players. Erling Haaland, who joined City in the 2022-23 season, proved to be unplayable in front of goal during his first two seasons at the club, scoring a plethora of goals.

Earlier this year, Guardiola was asked if the Norwegian is like this generation’s Messi, to which he responded, saying:

"Nobody's like Messi. He's a different type of player. Leo has been like Cristiano, I would say. Both have been, for 14 or 15 years, scoring a [large] amount of goals every season. Leo can play in different positions and can produce many things for his mates. So Leo is incomparable but I think Cristiano has been there, so close.

"Erling is a different type of player, everybody knows it. But in terms of numbers, scoring goals, they are similar. I don't know, at the age Erling is right now, how many goals Leo or Cristiano had scored but it doesn't matter. All three, and Kylian Mbappe as well, they have an unbelievable number so all of them are top."

Lionel Messi is the player with the most Ballon d’Or awards.