Six-minute compilation of Lionel Messi's masterclass shows he's still the best player in the world, he's back

A six-minute compilation of Lionel Messi's masterclass for Paris Saint-Germain against Clermont Foot shows he's back to his very best.

Messi delivered a stellar performance in PSG's opening league match of the new season on Saturday.

He starred for his side, scoring a sublime brace - including a magical bicycle kick goal - and recording an outrageous assist for Neymar.

But it wasn't just his goal contributions that got fans purring over his scintillating outing.

Messi looked to be back to his best following an underwhelming campaign last season.

He was extremely influential in the attacking third, dropping deep to pick up the ball to dictate play.

The 35-year-old showed off his playmaking skills, spraying the ball over the park and appears fully integrated into the team.

Twitter user @TotalLM10i shared a clip of Messi's individual highlights and it makes for incredible viewing.

Lionel Messi Vs Clermont foot - 22/23 (A)pic.twitter.com/6S5pTKE5mn

— Λ (@TotalLM10i) August 6, 2022

Needless to say, his performance sent social media wild.

One Twitter user wrote: "He scored an overhead kick, but his playmaking was unrivalled as always. The line-breaking passes, how he carried the ball forwards, how he glided through the pitch, just wow."

A second tweeted: "Playmaking and goalscoring masterclass in a single game."

A third added: "35 and still playing like a young player."

Another commented: "He really is back."

PSG boss Christophe Galtier spoke glowingly about Messi and revealed the conversation he had with the superstar forward in pre-season.

"I talked to Leo during our stay in Japan, and with the defensive sector too to try and ensure that he can perform to the best of his abilities all the time," he said.

"He is very sharp, very clear tactically. He sees very quickly where he has to be, the way he has to position himself to play. He's in a zone he likes. He likes playing with players around him. When Leo smiles, the team smiles too."

On his goal, Galtier added: "Was I surprised by what he did? No, but I liked the goal. He's been playing at the very top level for 17 years. He had a difficult season last year, he was adapting. Every season before that he'd scored a minimum of 30 goals.

"Given he's had a full pre-season, is settled both in his family life and at the club, there's no reason he won't have a great season. When he teams up with Kylian, we'll have even more attacking power."