Xavi believes Lionel Messi is ‘almost inhuman’ after watching his former Barcelona team-mate destroy Algeria in Argentina’s World Cup opener.
Messi shrugged off some pre-tournament injury worries to deliver another masterclass, scoring a hat-trick as the defending champions opened their campaign in the United States, Canada and Mexico with a 3-0 victory.
Xavi, who played alongside Messi at Camp Nou for 11 years, was not surprised by the Inter Miami star’s ability to silence the doubters and says it is part of his DNA.
Writing in The Athletic, Xavi said: “I get emotional watching him now. I kept going until the age of 39, but I was in the Qatari league by then and had stopped playing for Spain years earlier. Leo is that age now, but when you look at him he’s still exactly the same. He hasn’t changed. Look at the way his feet still move, that fast little shuffle: tsk, tsk, tsk. Anyone else would have retired after winning the World Cup in 2022, but he’s such a competitive animal. He’s convinced he can win it again.
“I have no doubt that Argentina will reach the final stages. And we’re going to see the very best Messi. This is his moment. He’s been preparing himself mentally for this, even though many people have said he’s not in good physical shape, that he’s not the same. Then he goes out and scores a hat-trick.
“I messaged Leo after the Algeria game. I told him that he was a joke, that I could only laugh when I saw what he had done. It was crazy, crazy stuff. But that’s Leo. He always turns up at just the right moment. For me, he’s incomparable. Incomparable. Almost inhuman.”
Xavi compared Messi to Michael Jordan, who is credited with transforming the game of basketball.
He added: “I like to say that he is the Michael Jordan of football. In football, there is no one to compare to him. He has surpassed the greats of the past because of his longevity: he’s been the best for the last 20 years. Even now, after all this time, he goes and out and shows us that.
“His mentality is extraordinary. For me, that’s what sets him apart. He can’t stand losing. He’s got the perfect temperament for football and the perfect physique: his body is tailor-made for the game. Forget about the goals he scored against Algeria; look at his all-round play, his physical condition, the sheer drive and ambition he brings to the game. He has a champion’s mentality that will never be matched.
“I could see that he was an exceptional talent at 16, but to have lasted for this long is remarkable. I feel grateful to have played with Leo, to have overlapped with him in history.
“I don’t believe we will ever see a footballer like him again.”
Messi’s ability was obvious from day one – Xavi
Xavi claimed Messi’s ability was obvious on the first day he trained with the Barca first team.
“I still remember that first training session. The way he controlled the ball, the way he dribbled, the way he passed, the way he linked up with his team-mates… he could do it all. He was a phenomenon,” he said.
“I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Nor could the other senior players – Carles Puyol, Victor Valdes, Deco, Ronaldinho. We just looked at each other, as if to say, ‘This isn’t normal.’ Leo was only 16 and he was pretty much the best player at the club, immediately.”
Messi is expected to captain Argentina once again when they take on Austria in Dallas tomorrow afternoon.
