Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola noted where he views former Paris Saint-Germain standout Lionel Messi. The Argentine is near the end of his career, and so there are honest takes about where the player ranks.
With his future at Manchester City up in the air, as his contract runs until June 2025, Spanish manager Pep Guardiola took some time on Sunday to appear on the Italian talk show Che Tempo Che Fa. It was a chance to unwind during the international break, reflect on the past, and, of course, reminisce about Messi.
“Maybe I’m disrespecting Pelé and Diego Maradona, but… he’s the best player of all time,” Guardiola said (h/t RMC Sport). “I saw this guy in training, every three days… what Messi did was beautiful.
“Every game it was two goals and three assists. 15 years of consistency… When you see him up close, you realize what it really is. It’s unique. We’re lucky to have witnessed this, it only happens once in a lifetime.”
After his Barcelona tenure ended in 2021, the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner went to PSG, and the tenure didn’t go as planned for either side. The Parisians were unable to get past the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, and toward the end, it seemed both parties wanted to move on.
Recently, former Toulouse and current Charlotte FC player Brecht Dejaegere noted what Messi thought about playing in Paris.
“At the final whistle, I asked him if he felt better in Miami than in France,” Dejaegere said. “I told him that I had played against him with Toulouse at the Parc des Princes. He didn’t remember me… but it was my childhood dream coming true.
“Messi has always been my favorite player! It was crazy to run into him… And so, that day, he told me that for him, at PSG, it was ‘la mierda.’ Yes, ‘la mierda’ (He bursts out laughing).”
