Messi hasn’t worked with Guardiola since 2012, but still sees him as a coach of unmatched talents.
Lionel Messi has lauded Pep Guardiola as the best coach in football, labelling the Manchester City manager as a “unique” figure who has “something different” separating him from the rest.
Messi emerged at Barcelona under the guidance of Frank Rijkaard, but it was under Guardiola that he rose to superstardom as the focal point of a dominant Barca side that won three LaLiga titles and two Champions League crowns with their former captain at the helm.
Guardiola departed after the 2011-12 season, ending a four-year spell that saw him win 14 trophies.
He followed up that tenure with seven trophies in three seasons at Bayern Munich, though the Champions League eluded him, before going on to firmly establish City as the dominant force in English football.
Guardiola has won 18 trophies since taking over at City in 2016, including six Premier League titles and the 2022-23 Champions League.
Messi: Guardiola is unique
While Messi has worked with a host of other coaches since Guardiola departed Camp Nou, the now-Inter Miami forward believes there is nobody in world football who can match him.
“For me, Guardiola is unique,” Messi told ESPN.
“There are extraordinarily good coaches, but he has something different. For me, he’s the best of all of them.
“When it comes to seeing things, preparing for matches, and communicating with the players, he’s very complete.
“He’s the best, and we were lucky to have him at Barcelona.
“He got together with the players we had and the right pieces came together for what he intended, to achieve everything that was achieved.”
Messi has been particularly impressed with Guardiola’s influence on English football, with teams across the Premier League and committing to his style of football in playing out from defence.
“He went to other places and continued winning,” Messi added. “It’s not just because of winning but because of the way his teams played.
“He did at Bayern, although he couldn’t win the Champions League there, he changed the way the game was played in Germany, the same in England with City, he changed the way the league is played.”
