Barcelona legend Lionel Messi ignored Barcelona while mentioning the best two football clubs in the world currently.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner chose 2023–24 Champions League winners Real Madrid and the Champions of England, Manchester City, as the two best teams in the world.
Messi revealed this in his latest interview with Infobae. He said, “Best team in the world? Real Madrid are the current European champions. If we talk about results, Real Madrid is the best.”
He proceeded to say, “If we are talking about performance-wise, Manchester City, led by Pep, is the best.”
“I personally like Guardiola’s City. I think that any team where Guardiola plays will be special because of the way he is, the way he trains, and the way he works. He makes his teams play.”
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City were knocked out by Real Madrid in the 2023–24 Champions League quarterfinals via penalty shootout.
![Lionel Messi](https://i0.wp.com/futballnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/image-35.jpeg?resize=660%2C464&ssl=1)
Real Madrid’s win over Manchester City marked the end of the Manchester City’s Champions League title defense.
Real Madrid went ahead to eliminate Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-final before the team defeated German Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund in the final.
The Real Madrid win over Borussia Dortmund secured the club’s 15th Champions League title in football history. In addition, the Los Blancos won the La Liga title and the Spanish Super Cup to complete the season treble.
Manchester City, on the other hand, won their fourth Premier League title on a row. The Pep Guardiola team were on their way to winning the double, but they were defeated by their archrivals Manchester United in the FA Cup finals.
Lionel Messi left Barcelona in 2021 after the club revealed their inability to register the player under the new La Liga regulations.
He proceeded to join Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 and left the French club in 2023 after a strained relationship with the PSG fans.
After he left Paris Saint-Germain in 2023, he went ahead to join Inter Miami in Major League Soccer in 2023. Since his move to the MLS, his impressive performances have not ceased.
Messi had scored 12 goals and created 13 assists for the Inter Miami side this season. The Argentine is focused on winning silverware at the end of the season.
What Next for Lionel Messi?
The Inter Miami attacker will be available for the Argentina friendly match against Ecuador on Monday, June 10, 2024, at 12:00 a.m.
The Argentina national team are expected to defeat the Ecuadorian side, with Lionel Messi leading the attack. The 2022 World Cup winners are looking forward to winning the 2024 Copa America.
What do you think about Lionel Messi’s statement on Real Madrid and Manchester City? Air your views in the comments section.