Barcelona legend Gerard Pique: “Messi is the best player in the history of this sport”

Speaking to ESPN Argentina, former Barcelona defender and club legend Gerard Pique has claimed that his ex-teammate Lionel Messi is the best player in the history of football.

Pique and Messi spent many years together at Barcelona and tasted a lot of success together until the latter was forced to leave the club in 2021.

While many considered him the greatest of all time for years now, there were detractors who cited the lack of a World Cup triumph against the Argentine icon.

However, Messi ended that debate for good when he led Argentina to the World Cup trophy in Qatar in 2022, winning the Golden Ball at the tournament in the process.

And Pique is of the belief that the World Cup triumph put Messi at the top of the mountain for good, as he said: “Messi is the best player in the history of this sport.”

“Not only in Spain, but also football fans, everyone wanted Messi to win the World Cup that he deserved. All those who doubted that Messi was the best player in history because he missed the World Cup… I think those doubts no longer make sense,” he added.

Further elaborating on Messi and the World Cup triumph, Pique remarked: “I think Messi enjoyed the World Cup more at the time he got it than if he had won it at a younger age.

“When it costs you so much to get something, you really value it. He did it at the perfect time. There is no doubt that he is the best in history.”

Continuing, Pique added: “Messi took Barcelona to another level… I see Messi happy and in good condition and contributing to increasing the popularity of football in America.”

While Pique’s admiration for his former teammate is clear, there had been some bad blood between the pair during Messi’s final phase at Barcelona.

It emanated because Pique allegedly told Barça president Joan Laporta not to renew the Argentine superstar when his contract had run out, leading to his exit, and a massive rift between the two.