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Lionel Messi is arguably one of the best players to have graced the beautiful game, scoring goals and winning titles galore for club and country.
During a near two-decade-long career, the six-time Ballon d'Or winner tallied close to 1100 goal contributions for Barcelona (672 goals and 305 assists), winning ten La Liga titles and two continental trebles.
One of two players to have scored over a hundred goals in the Champions League, Lionel Messi has been a part of several attacking trios over the years, most of them with his old club Barcelona, whom he left this summer to join PSG. Now with the French giants, Messi is set to join an exciting attacking triumvirate comprising himself, his good friend Neymar and French starlet Kylian Mbappe.
On that note, let's take a look at the five best attacking trios Lionel Messi has been a part of over the years:
#5 Lionel Messi - Luis Suarez - Antoine Griezmann (Barcelona)
Two years following Neymar's exit, Barcelona thought they had found the Brazilian's replacement when they landed the prolific Antoine Griezmann in the summer of 2019 to pair alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.
On paper, the partnership did look formidable. But the Frenchman was not a like-for-like replacement for Neymar, and largely struggled in an unfamiliar position out wide, scoring just 15 goals. With Luis Suarez also enduring a difficult campaign, managing only 21 strikes, the onus of scoring fell on Messi.
The Argentine, unfortunately, had an underwhelming campaign as well, scoring 'only' 31 times across competitions. That meant Barcelona endured a first trophyless campaign in more than a decade, culminating with a humbling 8-2 defeat against eventual champions Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals.
The partnership of Messi, Suarez and Griezmann had no chance of redeeming itself, as the Uruguayan was let go in the summer.
Incidentally, Griezmann and Messi produced better campaigns the following season, scoring 20 and 38 goals, respectively. Although the La Liga title eluded the Blaugrana once again, they ended their near two-year title drought by triumphing in the Copa Del Rey.
#4 Lionel Messi - David Villa - Pedro (Barcelona)
Lionel Messi, David Villa and Pedro formed a formidable attacking trio for Barcelona in the early 2010s.
In three seasons (2010-11 to 2012-13) the trio played together, they combined for a staggering tally of nearly 280 goals and 144 assists as Barcelona won two La Liga titles and one Champions League title, among other pieces of silverware.
Messi was at the peak of his powers during this period, plundering 186 goals in all competitions, including an incredible 73-goal campaign in 2011-12; he also registered an impressive 76 assists and won three consecutive Ballon d'Or awards.
Villa, although not as prolific as Messi, provided decent support to the Argentine, chipping in with 48 goals and 23 assists. Pedro, who largely came off the bench, provided 45 goals and 29 assists.
The partnership drew to a close at the end of the 2012-13 season when Villa left for Atletico Madrid. Two years later, Pedro moved to Chelsea.
#3 Lionel Messi - Samuel Eto'o - Thierry Henry (Barcelona)
Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry and Samuel Eto'o enjoyed a productive two-season stint at Barcelona. Messi and Henry largely played on the wings, while Eto'o operated down the middle.
The partnership started in the summer of 2007 when the Arsenal legend arrived at Camp Nou to join forces with Messi and Henry. However, the trio managed only 53 goals between themselves as the Blaugrana endured a trophyless campaign, which forced a change of manager.
In came Pep Guardiola, and then there was no looking back for the Blaugrana, especially for Messi, Eto'o and Henry, with all three men significantly upping their output. The Argentinian contributed 38 goals, including a stunning header in the Champions League final.
Eto'o scored 36 times, including the opener in that final, while Henry chipped in with 25 goals as Barcelona became the first Spanish team to win the continental treble.
However, the attacking partnership came to an end when Eto'o left Camp Nou for Inter Milan, where he went on to win another continental treble.
#2 Lionel Messi - Ronaldinho - Samuel Eto'o (Barcelona)
Lionel Messi's first attacking triumvirate of note was that with Brazilian legend Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o.
While both Messi and Eto'o commenced their stints at Barcelona in 2004-05, Ronaldinho had arrived at Camp Nou a year before that. The partnership yielded over 200 goals, with a young Messi contributing 42 strikes, Ronaldinho 72 and Eto'o 94.
Barcelona won consecutive La Liga titles and the Champions League in 2006 during the four years Messi, Ronaldinho and Eto'o played together.
After the Brazilian departed Camp Nou in the summer of 2008, the Blaugrana went through a season of transition before hitting dizzying heights, heralding a period of unprecedented success and dominance for the club.
#1 Lionel Messi - Neymar- Luis Suarez (Barcelona)
Lionel Messi formed one of the most devastating attacking triumvirates in the history of the sport with Neymar and Luis Suarez when the latter arrived at Barcelona in the summer of 2014.
Neymar and Messi largely played on the flanks, while Suarez featured down the middle. The partnership lasted three years, with the Blaugrana winning the continental treble and two league titles among various other domestic and continental honors during this period.
In their first campaign together, in 2014-15, Messi scored a monstrous 59 goals, Neymar 39 and Suarez 25 as Barcelona won their second continental treble. Although the Blaugrana could not defend their Champions League title the next campaign, they won the league and the Copa Del Rey.
MSN took things up a notch, bettering their previous season's goal tally of 123 by eight goals. This time, Suarez (59) outscored Messi (41), while Neymar chipped in with 31 strikes.
In what would be the final season of the prolific partnership, MSN tallied 100 goals once again, with Messi scoring 54 times, Suarez 36 and Neymar 20. Despite the trio's exploits, Barcelona only won the Copa del Rey this time as Real Madrid beat them to the La Liga title.
In three years, Messi, Suarez and Neymar scored a jaw-dropping 354 cumulative times and registered 203 assists, numbers unlikely to be replicated by any attacking triumvirate any time soon. Well, the brand-new trio of Messi-Mbappe- Neymar might have something to say about that.
