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The place are they now? Lionel Messi’s 10 favorite teammates from his profession


Lionel Messi has shared the pitch with some legendary footballers from Barcelona to PSG to Inter Miami right this moment, however which did he most get pleasure from linking up with?

Again in 2023, Messi was requested by Chinese language outlet Titan Sports activities who he most loved enjoying alongside. He responded with 10 names.

We’ve checked in on the place these 10 greats of the sport are right this moment.

Ronaldinho

Messi has usually spoken about what it meant to share a pitch with the good Brazilian Ballon d’Or winner when he was first breaking via at Barcelona.

After leaving Barca when Pep Guardiola took cost in the summertime of 2008, Ronaldinho spent a number of years at AC Milan earlier than lifting additional silverware again in Brazil with Flamengo and Atletico Mineiro.

The 44-year-old retired in 2015 after a brief stint with Fluminense however remains to be noticed again on the pitch in legends charity matches. He appears to be having fun with his post-football life, because it all the time felt like he would.

Deco

In addition to serving as an agent to stars together with Raphinha, Deco has served as Barcelona’s sporting director since 2023.

He hadn’t but been appointed to the function when Messi selected Inter Miami over a return to the Camp Nou that summer season, however he maintains a detailed relationship along with his former team-mate and has teased some form of reunion in the future.

“Messi will certainly play a farewell sport at Barcelona, however when that will likely be, we don’t know,” Deco informed Brazilian outlet Lance in 2023.

“He’ll all the time be the best idol within the membership’s historical past. The membership had nice idols, like [Johan] Cruyff, Ronaldo, however he’s maybe the best of all.”

Lionel Messi Cristiano Ronaldo Team-Mates Played With Both Mystery Player Quiz

QUIZ: Are you able to title all 27 gamers who’ve performed alongside each Messi and Ronaldo?

Samuel Eto’o

After peaking with a ridiculous achievement of successful back-to-back trebles with two completely different golf equipment, Eto’o’s journeyman later years noticed him characterize the likes of Anzhi Makhachkala, Everton, Sampdoria, Antalyaspor, Konyaspor and at last Qatar Sports activities Membership.

The striker retired in 2019 and a few years later was elected president of the Cameroonian FA, the place he’s made some inauspicious headlines. First there was footage of him getting concerned in some form of fracas in the course of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, then he was served a six-month ban from attending matches by FIFA for “offensive behaviour and violations of the rules of truthful play” associated to an incident on the 2024 Ladies’s Below-20 World Cup.

Eventful, no less than.

Luis Suarez

The Uruguayan has straight mixed with Messi for over 100 targets, which is significantly greater than any of his different team-mates.

He reunited with Messi within the Miami sunshine final 12 months they usually appear to be having fun with their twilight years collectively in MLS.


READ NEXT: The 11 gamers Lionel Messi has offered probably the most assists for: Suarez, Neymar…

TRY A QUIZ: Are you able to title the 20 gamers who’ve made probably the most appearances alongside Lionel Messi?


Andres Iniesta

After calling an finish to his legendary Barcelona profession again in 2018, Iniesta stored on enjoying for an additional six years; 5 in Japan with Vissel Kobe and one within the UAE with Emirates Membership.

There was a quick interval the World Cup successful icon spent with no membership by which he was fancifully linked with golf equipment within the Championship, however in October he tearfully introduced his retirement.

“One of many team-mates with probably the most magic and the one I get pleasure from enjoying collectively probably the most. Andres, the ball goes to overlook you and so are all of us,” responded Messi on social media.

The 40-year-old has wasted no time in getting his teaching badges and has said his want to return to Barcelona’s bench sooner or later.

Xavi Hernandez

The legendary midfielder made his inevitable return to Barcelona again in 2021 and led his boyhood membership to the La Liga title in 2022-23. However 12 months three didn’t fairly go as deliberate and his exit ended up messy.

He’s at the moment out of labor, however a current report in Spanish outlet Marca recommended the 45-year-old is ready for a possibility to teach “a European membership with aspirations and a medium-long time period undertaking.”

Watch this house.

Sergio Busquets

Like Suarez and Jordi Alba – who didn’t fairly make the lower in Messi’s all-time favourites listing – Busquets is as soon as once more lining up alongside Barcelona’s all-time prime goalscorer out in Miami.

Like Messi, Suarez and Alba, the veteran midfielder’s contract with the MLS outfit expires on the finish of the upcoming 2025 marketing campaign. It is going to be fascinating to see whether or not the ex-Barca quartet prolong their keep.

Neymar

The Brazilian left PSG alongside Messi in the summertime of 2023, making a big-money transfer to Al-Hilal that’s turned out an absolute catastrophe. Accidents have restricted Neymar to simply 428 minutes throughout two seasons with the Saudi Professional League outfit.

“Neymar can now not carry out on the stage we’re used to. Issues have turn into troublesome for him, sadly,” said Al-Hilal boss Jorge Jesus, explaining his choice to deregister the ahead for the rest of their 2024-25 marketing campaign.

A romantic return to boyhood membership Santos is reportedly imminent. He’s nonetheless solely 32 and would love one final dance at subsequent 12 months’s World Cup; might a homecoming be what he must put his damage hell behind him and return to his earlier ranges?

Pep Guardiola and Lionel Messi

READ: The 5 gamers Pep Guardiola considers within the GOAT debate alongside Lionel Messi

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Arguably probably the most stunning title in Messi’s response, Ibrahimovic gained the La Liga title in his solely season alongside the Argentinian at Barcelona however he famously did not gel with Pep Guardiola.

Evidently Messi isn’t too fussed in regards to the ‘prefect’ vibe within the infamously outspoken Swede’s autobiography.

“Messi began saying issues,” Ibrahimovic wrote.

“Lionel Messi is superb. He’s completely superb. He joined Barça when he was 13. He was introduced up in that tradition and doesn’t have an issue with that college crap. However now I used to be there, and I used to be scoring extra targets than him.

“He went to Guardiola and mentioned: ‘I don’t need to be on the fitting wing any extra, I need to play within the centre.’ I used to be the striker. Guardiola didn’t give a rattling about that, although. He modified the tactical formation. Guardiola needed to hearken to him. However I imply, come on, I had scored a great deal of targets at Barça and I’d been fairly superior as effectively.”

Ibra retired on the age of 41 again in 2023, however he nonetheless serves at AC Milan as a ‘senior advisor’.

David Villa

After serving to Atletico Madrid win the La Liga title at Barcelona’s expense in 2013-14, Villa trod the MLS path 9 years earlier than Messi – and he was wildly prolific for New York Metropolis FC, notching 80 targets in 126 appearances for the membership.

Spain’s all-time prime goalscorer retired in 2019 after a stint linking again up with Iniesta at Vissel Kobe.

He’s stored a comparatively low profile since hanging up his boots however he stays lively within the sport as an entrepreneur. He’s the proprietor of the DV7 Group, which manages a number of soccer academies in nations together with the USA, Puerto Rico, Spain, Japan and Dominican Republic.

Villa additionally serves because the vice chairman for decrease league outfit CF Benidorm.



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