Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Lionel Messi
Ryan Smart
Lionel Messi didn't hesitate when naming the best player he's ever seen play live.
Messi turned professional with Barcelona in 2004 and has since become, to many, the greatest footballer of all time.
The 37-year-old has won a record-setting eight Ballon d'Or titles, as well as four Champions League crowns with Barcelona and a World Cup with Argentina.
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His 91 goals in 2012 is also the highest amount ever scored by an individual player in a single calendar year.
Messi shows no sign of calling time on his playing career, with the forward reportedly close to an agreement with Inter Miami that will keep him at the club until at least the end of the 2026 season.
His career has seen him play alongside or against the elite players of world football, including the likes of Andres Iniesta, Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Wayne Rooney and many more.
But none of those players rank at number one when it comes to the best player Messi has witnessed live and in person.
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He instead named Real Madrid legend Ronaldo Nazario as the top star.
He told TyC Sports in 2020: "Ronaldo Nazario was a phenomenon. Of all the strikers I have seen, for me he was the best. An impressive player from any aspect."
In terms of the toughest defender Messi has ever faced, his answer may surprise fans.
He named former Manchester City right-back Pablo Maffeo as being his most difficult opponent, from when the Spaniard played for Girona.
Maffeo never played a senior match for City before leaving for Stuttgart in 2018, and has made 81 appearances for current club Mallorca since signing in 2022.
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Messi told DAZN: "Man-marking doesn't bother me. You know that there will be tough matches, and it can be strange to always have someone around you.
"In truth, it hasn't happened to me that often. Pablo Maffeo of Girona [was the toughest]. That was intense!
"I've never been one who complains. I think physical contact and kicks are part of the game."