Lionel Messi quotes: What have football’s biggest names said about him?

Lionel Messi turns 35 on June 24, 2022, and this sadly means that we’re another birthday closer to the day football fans are all dreading.

Football after Messi almost doesn’t bear thinking about but the great man will inevitably hang up his boots at some point in the not-too-distant future.

Hopefully he goes on to play well into his late-30s – or better still, early 40s – but the day of Messi’s retirement is closer than many of us want to believe.

As Messi celebrates his 35th birthday, we’ve decided to collate the greatest quotes about the Paris Saint-Germain and Argentina forward from the biggest names in football.

It’s hard to believe there’s been another footballer in history who has received such widespread admiration from so many icons of past and present.

So, without further ado, let’s take a closer look at what football’s greatest have said about the player many believe is the GOAT.

Johan Cruyff

“For the world of football, Messi is a treasure because he is a role model for children around the world… Messi will be the player to win the most Ballons d’Or in history. He will win five, six, seven. He is incomparable. He’s in a different league.”

Arsene Wenger

“Who is the Best Player in the World? Leo Messi. Who is the Best Player Ever? Leo Messi.”

Happy Birthday Leo Messi