Pep Guardiola hails Lionel Messi as the greatest footballer ever to play the game

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has settled the GOAT debate in football. He has picked Argentina superstar Lionel Messi as ‘the best football player’ ever to grace the sport. Gaurdiola went on to state that Messi is better than the likes of Pele and Diego Maradona, two of the greatest players to play football.Messi vs Ronaldo is the most famous debate among the fans on social media when it comes to picking the modern-day greats.

However, one of the greatest football coaches of all time, Guardiola, has a completely different take on the matter.

“For me it’s easy to say he’s the best of all time, but the stars came together at the right moment. The GOAT? Maybe that’s a lack of respect to Pele and [Diego] Maradona, but for me, he is,” he said on the Italian television program Che Tempo Che Fa.

This is a huge compliment for Messi as Guardiola has won La Liga, Premier League, Bundesliga, and Champions trophies multiple times. For the unversed, Guardiola was the manager of the star-studded Barcelona team from 2008 to 2012, leading them to 13 titles in four years.

Messi was already a superstar for the club when Guardiola joined the team. But the Argentine footballer turned one of the most fearsome attackers in the world under the demanding Catalan coach. Messi scored a staggering 73 goals under Guardiola and also won Ballon d’Or for four successive years from 2009 to 2012.

"When you see him up close, you think of Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan"- Pep Guardiola on Messi  

Further spilling his thoughts, the now Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola considers himself lucky to have worked with Lionel Messi. 

“I’ve never seen someone like him as a coach, you can’t imagine him maintaining this continuity for 15-20 years. I watched that kid train every day and play every three days in an incredible manner. When you see him up close, you think of Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan, we were lucky to work with him,” he said.

As for Messi, he is still going strong at the age of 37 and recently clinched the 46th trophy of his illustrious career. His current Inter Miami won the MLS Supporters Shield competition as he scored twice in their 3-2 win over Columbus Crew. Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola is into the last year of his contract with Manchester City, the reigning Premier League champions.