Lionel Messi abandons Barcelona when he is named the best football club in the world

Barcelona star Lionel Messi has named Real Madrid and Manchester City as the two best football clubs in world football at the moment.

Messi is approaching the three-year anniversary of his sudden and shocking departure from Barca due to his inability to register his contract under La Liga rules. He then signed a two-year contract with French giants Paris Saint-Germain before joining MLS side Inter Miami in the summer of 2023.

In interview no infobaeMessi revealed his choice of the two best teams in the world right now, and risked upsetting Barca fans by confirming Madrid.

“The best team in the world? Real Madrid, the current European champions. If we talk about results, Real Madrid is the best,” Messi said.

However, the Argentinian also kept special reservations for former manager Pep Guardiola, who has racked up trophies during his time with City.

“Technically speaking, Manchester City, led by Pep, are the best,” added Messi.

Guardiola's City were knocked out of this season's Champions League in the quarter-finals by Madrid on penalties following a 4-4 draw over two legs. This marked the end of the Cityzens' title defense in Europe, with Madrid going on to eliminate Bayern Munich in the semi-finals before beating Borussia Dortmund in the final.

Messi and Guardiola were set to reunite in 2020 when the striker asked to leave Barcelona and City were the frontrunners to sign him in case of failure, but he stayed at the Camp Nou for one season until his contract expired.

After leaving Barca, Messi won the FIFA World Cup with Argentina in 2022 – a victory that helped him to a record seventh Ballon d'Or – while interest in Major League Soccer has grown since joining Inter Miami.

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