Lionel Messi's ultimate Barcelona teammate XI
By Tom Gott
Over Lionel Messi's 16 years as a Barcelona first teamer, it's safe to say that he played with one or two players who were pretty decent.
It's no exaggeration to say that Messi has been part of some of the most famous club sides we have ever seen, and his return of 34 trophies and a bazillion individual honours should be all the proof you need of that.
Narrowing down the list of great teammates into one lineup is a tricky task, but in honour of Messi's time at Barcelona, that's exactly what we've tried to do.
1. Goalkeeper & defenders
Victor Valdes (GK) - Marc-Andre ter Stegen could go on to surpass Valdes' legacy at Barcelona, but in Messi's career, it's the latter who deserves all the accolades. Six La Liga titles and three Champions Leagues speak for themselves.
Dani Alves (RB) - The most successful player in the history of football, Alves is a pretty easy inclusion here. He left the club in 2016, and Barcelona are still looking for the heir to his throne.
Carles Puyol (CB) - As far as centre-backs go, they don't come much better than Puyol. He was in his prime when Messi arrived and remained at the top of his game until his retirement in 2014.
Gerard Pique (CB) - Pique missed Messi's debut but has been synonymous with the Argentine ever since he came back to Camp Nou in 2008. The pair have combined to win no fewer than 30 trophies.
Jordi Alba (LB) - Prime Eric Abidal deserves a shout here, but in terms of longevity, Alba just edges it. With Barcelona's stock fading over the past few years, Alba has been one of the few superstars staying at the top of his game.
2. Midfielders
Sergio Busquets (DM) - At the base of Barcelona's midfield, Busquets has been one of the most criminally underrated players of all time. Pulling the strings and doing all the dirty work, he makes sure everyone around him looks good.
Xavi (CM) - No prizes for guessing the two central midfielders in this squad. We'll start with Xavi, who dominated Europe for ten years with Messi ahead of him.
Andres Iniesta (CM) - You can't have one without the other. Alongside Xavi is partner-in-crime Iniesta, who fed Messi countless assists and played an enormous part in his Barcelona legacy.
3. Forwards
Lionel Messi (RW) - Messi might be modest, but there's no way he wouldn't pick himself for this team. You don't win six Ballons d'Or if you're not pretty good at the ol' football.
Samuel Eto'o (ST) - There are some ridiculously tough decisions in attack. Luis Suarez was unreal alongside Messi, but Eto'o just hit a little different. He showed up on the biggest stage and always gave Barcelona that unpredictable edge.
Ronaldinho (LW) - Again, another toughie. Thierry Henry was on the wrong side of his prime when alongside Messi, while Neymar was probably just growing into his. We'll give the nod to Ronaldinho, who was the reigning Ballon d'Or winner at the time of Messi's debut. The pair were terrifying.
4. Manager - Pep Guardiola
There have been some legendary managers at Barcelona, but in Messi's era nobody changed the game quite like Guardiola.
The former midfielder turned Barcelona from a great team to arguably the scariest club side in history. His brilliance brought three league titles and two European triumphs, and there would have easily been so much more glory had he stayed on beyond 2012.