Barcelona midfielder calls for a farewell match for Lionel Messi – “Best player of all time”

Barcelona midfielder calls for a farewell match for Lionel Messi – “Best player of all time” Lionel Messi was recently in Spain to receive the 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for Sports, where he talked fondly about his time at the club. Unfortunately, Messi couldn’t connect much to the current situation at Barcelona due to his fractured relationship with president Joan Laporta. However, Barcelona players still think about Messi to this day, including Pedri, who spoke at length about the Argentine superstar in a recent interview ahead of the Clasico . Pedri hails the greatest of all time Messi shares a close bond with Barcelona. (Photo by Brett Davis/Getty Images) The midfielder left no doubt about where he ranks the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, both in the club’s history and in the game as a whole. “Messi is the greatest player ever in this club. For me, Leo Messi is the greatest player of all time,” he said (h/t DSports ). Pedri went on to recall the awe he felt watching Messi up close as a teenager, marvelling at the Argentine’s ability with the ball. “When I arrived at Barcelona, I was 17 years old. I would watch Messi, his first touch, the way he played with the ball. In the time it takes another player to make three touches, he makes seven ,” he added. Such was Messi’s brilliance, Pedri explained, that handing him the ball always felt like the right decision, no matter the circumstances. “You could see Messi being marked by two players during a match, and you would still give him the ball ,” he added. Pedri calls for a proper send-off Will Messi ever get a farewell match at Barcelona? (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) With Messi now in the twilight of his career at Inter Miami, Pedri believes the club icon merits a fitting goodbye. “For me, Leo Messi deserves a big farewell,” he said. It is a sentiment shared by swathes of the Barcelona fanbase, many of whom feel the Argentine’s departure in 2021 never afforded him the send-off his legendary status warranted. Having shared the pitch with Messi during the 2020/21 campaign, Pedri, for his part, also looked back fondly on just how seamless their understanding was. “We got along really well and understood each other on the pitch. Playing with him was so easy. You just had to give him the ball and watch what he did.” “I was lucky enough to play with Messi, but only for one year. It felt too short… I would have loved to play alongside him for much longer.” For now, though, Pedri will be looking forward to the Clasico , where he is expected to play a crucial as Barcelona look to maintain their hundred percent winning record in La Liga.