Lionel Messi continues to receive praise for his FIFA World Cup and Ballon d’Or triumph at the age of 36. Amid all the glory and praise, some critics and pundits are still of the opinion that the Argentinian doesn’t deserve such an exclusive status at this point in his career. But, surprisingly, an Atletico Madrid rival star has backed Lionel Messi as a ‘deserving’ candidate to still win individual accolades due to his consistency on the pitch.

Quite honestly, this is a big statement because of the rivalry between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. It also showcases the mutual respect that the soccer icon holds amid rivals too.

Atletico Madrid star praises Messi and deems there should be ‘no discussion’ further!

The debate about Lionel Messi winning the Ballon d’Or over Erling Haaland continues to remain a hot topic. In addition to this, the ‘GOAT’ debate also continues between fans. However, Atletico Madrid’s Koke has no doubts over his preference. He said, “He is the best player of all time. He has proved it with great regularity: goals, assists, making his team play”. He is justly deserving of winning the World Cup, and we must congratulate him. There is no discussion about who is the best in the world”.

The recent praise by Koke also portrays how much of a likable career Messi is when you aren’t facing him on the pitch. However, during his tenure at Barcelona, the Argentine was always a menace and had an upper hand on Atletico Madrid. There were even times when the players, manager, and fans had no choice but to applaud his brilliance.

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Lionel Messi has a brilliant record against Atletico Madrid

Lionel Messi played against Atletico Madrid in 43 matches. He scored 32 goals and provided 9 assists. This calculates to almost 1 goal contribution in every game against them. It is undoubtedly a brilliant record, considering the level of rivalry between the teams. Barcelona also won 24 games out of 43 games. The 11 games ended as a draw, whereas, in the rest of the 9 games, Messi ended up on the losing side. There is also a famous incident that is still shared on social media.

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The incident includes Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone. In the 2015/16 season, Lionel Messi started the fixture on the bench. Fernando Torres got the lead for Los Blancos in the 51st minute. However, Simeone decided not to celebrate. When asked about his reasons for not celebrating, he said that he saw Messi training to come on. His fear, unfortunately for him, turned into reality. The Argentinian came on and the team looked much more dangerous. Neymar got the equalizer and then the mighty Messi scored the winner!

Soccer fans and experts will continue to debate on if Lionel Messi is the greatest player in the history of the sport. However, there is no doubt that his goals and trophies with his club and national team will positively make a strong case. What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.

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