A former FC Barcelona captain has heaped praise on five-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi, claiming that the Argentine has already surpassed legendary duo Alfredo Di Stefano and Pele.
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The Blaugrana and Albiceleste's all-time record goalscorer has long been the subject of widespread debate and comparisons with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Di Stefano, Diego Maradona, Johan Cruyff and Pele regarding which of them can be considered the greatest player of all time.
Having come up against Los Blancos legend Di Stefano during his 10 seasons with Barcelona, former midfielder and Catalan club Josep Maria Fuste has now weighed in on the hotly-contested topic.
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"I've not seen anyone better than Messi," he told Radio MARCA.
"I've always thought that Pele and (Alfredo) Di Stefano set the benchmark, but I think Messi is ahead of those two."
The three-time Copa del Rey winner also commented on the second leg of Barcelona's quarter-final tie against Manchester United on Tuesday night.
"This Barcelona side have many players who know how to play," he added.
"Those that start are very good, but the other players (on the bench and outside the squad) still have to adapt to this style."
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Messi is currently the top scorer across Europe's top five leagues, and has scored 43 goals in 41 games across all competitions so far this season.
Do you consider Messi to be the greatest footballer to have graced this planet? If not, who is? Have your say in the comments section below.
