“That team was different from anything seen before” – When Lionel Messi named the team he considers the greatest in football history

Lionel Messi has been part of several exceptional squads in his illustrious career and remained key to their success. However, the legendary forward said earlier this year that he considers Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona (2008-2012) the greatest team in football history.

Not just Messi, marked by their unique play style and revolutionary tactics, Guardiola’s era at Camp Nou is considered the most successful in La Blaugrana’s history by many. During the said period, Guardiola won two Champions League titles, three La Ligas, two Copa del Reys, two Club World Cups, three Spanish Super Cups, and two UEFA Super Cups with the club.

Lionel Messi has dubbed Guardiola’s Barcelona the greatest team in football history in several interviews over the years. Speaking to ESPN ahead of the 2024 Copa America, he reiterated:

That team was different from anything seen before, or at least anything I’ve ever seen. For me, it’s the best team in history.”

In October 2023, Messi made similar claims about Guardiola’s side, comparing it to Argentina’s 2022 World Cup-winning squad.

“Barcelona was the greatest team in history, no question. But this [Argentina] team is close, having won the Copa América and the World Cup, and that’s a huge achievement,” Messi said (via Bolavip).

Pep Guardiola made a significant contribution to Lionel Messi’s tactical evolution as an attacker, with the Argentine arguably reaching his peak under the coach’s guidance. The Catalan manager used Messi as a false nine — a move that became key to the side’s success and could be considered one of the best tactical decisions of all time in football.

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Messi recorded sensational figures under Guardiola between 2008 and 2012, scoring 211 goals and recording 90 assists in 219 appearances across competitions for Barcelona.

“It was a surprise for me” – When Lionel Messi spoke about playing as a false nine under Pep Guardiola at Barcelona

UEFA Champions League Final 2011 – FC Barcelona vs. Manchester United – Source: Getty

In a 2020 interview with La Liga on DAZN, Lionel Messi recalled how Pep Guardiola used him in the false nine role at Barcelona. He first played in the position against Real Madrid in May 2009. Messi said (via GOAL):

“I remember that it was a surprise for me, because I was called up the day before the game, was made to go to Guardiola’s office at the Ciutat Esportiva, and I was told that he had been watching Madrid’s games a lot, as he did with every opponent.”

“He had been talking with Tito Vilanova and they had thought about me playing as a false nine. He was going to put Samuel and Thierry Henry on the outside, and I was going to play as the false centre forward,” he added.

Lionel Messi further explained the reasoning behind Guardiola’s decision, saying:

“I wasn’t going to stay there, but rather come out and join up with the central midfield. The idea was that Madrid’s centre backs would follow me out, and the two fast wingers that we had would go around the back.”

The Argentine icon concluded by saying the false nine role was not a major challenge for him.

“I’d never played as a centre forward, but I knew that position because it meant coming through from deep to get forward, without being a static number 9. It wasn’t a big change for me. I’d been playing on the outside for years, and so I knew what that position was about,” he said.

In his later years at both the club and international level, Lionel Messi has primarily played as a right winger and has been extremely successful in the position. He is best known for his versatile attacking abilities and overall impact on gameplay, making him one of the greatest players of all time.