Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta makes feelings clear about Lionel Messi considering him as third-best coach in the world

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has shared his thoughts on Lionel Messi voting him as the third-best coach in the world this year. The Spanish tactician saw his side finish second in the Premier League and reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League in the 2024-25 season, narrowly missing out on silverware.

Arteta spoke with Sky Sports this week and was asked for his thoughts on Messi's ranking of him in world football. He expressed his delight at the recognition from the Argentine superstar of his and his team's good work, pointing out that he considers him to be the greatest of all-time.

"Hearing that is of course a beautiful thing, he's someone I have immense admiration for, the best player in football history... So if he has this view of our team and the work we've done, it's really wonderful to hear", he said (via @AlbicelesteTalk on X).

Lionel Messi voted as Argentina captain in this year's FIFA The Best awards, and the votes were made public after the winners were announced. The Inter Miami superstar had Arteta in third place in the coaches category, placing him only behind Luis Enrique of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Barcelona's Hansi Flick.

Lionel Messi voted for Ousmane Dembele as the winner of the players' award, with former teammate Kylian Mbappe coming second in his votes. He had prodigy Lamine Yamal as the third-best player on the planet, according to his choices in the voting process.

Barcelona star has broken Lionel Messi record for club

Barcelona midfielder Pedri has broken Lionel Messi's record for the club this season after appearing against Osasuna. The 23-year-old midfield maestro was in action for La Blaugrana last week, providing an assist in their 2-0 win over the club from Pamplona.

Aged 23 years and 18 days old, Pedri became the youngest player to appear in 150 league matches for Barcelona, beating Messi's record. The Argentine great was 23 years and 121 days old when he played his 150th league game for the club back in October 2010, holding the record for 15 years.

Pedri has enjoyed a hugely impressive career at Barcelona, helping the club to win the league title in the 2022-23 and 2024-25 seasons. In his 150 LaLiga appearances for the club, he has scored 22 goals and provided 17 assists. He will not be making his 151st appearance against Villarreal this week, as he is out with a minor hamstring problem.

Edited by Sulayman Salahudeen