Lionel Messi’s spell at Barcelona has a case for being the greatest period any player across the history of football has spent at a single club. Messi spent 17 years in his boyhood club’s senior team and made a habit of making history. From individual records such as becoming La Liga’s highest-ever goalscorer (474 goals) to winning every possible trophy at club level, the Argentine’s spell at Barcelona is arguably incomparable to any other. Manuel Akanji named Messi as his toughest-ever opponent — which is a testament to his longevity in the game. Erling Haaland named Messi as the greatest pla…
