“Good question” - Pep Guardiola snubs Lionel Messi as he names ex-Barcelona forward as player he wished he could have played with

Pep Guardiola has named another former Barcelona star over Lionel Messi as the player he wished he could have played with. He picked Neymar Jr. over the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner.

Pep Guardiola came through Barcelona's academy and made 384 senior appearances for them, scoring 11 goals and providing 57 assists. He also played for the likes of Brescia and Roma in his playing career. He then went on to manage the Catalan giants and won numerous trophies, including a sextuple.

In an interview with TNT Sports, Guardiola was asked to name a player he wished he could have played with but never did. He answered:

Neymar played for Barcelona from 2013 to 2017 before his world-record move to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) for a reported €222 million. He joined the Spanish giants just one year after Guardiola departed the club as manager in 2012. He scored 105 goals and provided 76 assists in 186 games for the Blaugrana.

Lionel Messi, meanwhile, has played under Guardiola, recording 211 goals and 94 assists in 219 games.

Pep Guardiola has often hailed Barcelona legend Lionel Messi as best in the world

Many regard Lionel Messi as the greatest player of all time, while many pick Cristiano Ronaldo over him. However, former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola has always picked the Argentine over the Portuguese. In an interview in October 2024, he said (h/t GOAL):

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are widely regarded as the two greatest players of all time. They have won 13 Ballons d'Or between them, with Messi winning eight and Ronaldo winning five.

The Argentine legend recorded 672 goals and 303 assists in 778 games for Barcelona. He won four UEFA Champions League trophies and 10 LaLiga titles, among other honors. He has also won the FIFA World Cup and two Copa America trophies with Argentina.

Edited by Aditya Singh