Real Madrid winners, Manchester City better to watch: Lionel Messi picks favorites

Argentina’s football icon and eight-time Ballon D’or winner Lionel Messi considers Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City to be a top side when it comes to gameplay, but hails Real Madrid better when it comes to results. The former FC Barcelona forward picked rivals Real Madrid to be the better side in terms of results, while heaping praise on City as one of the most attractive sides to watch amongst other European clubs. Carlo Ancelotti-managed Madrid extended their European dominance after beating Borussia Dortmund on June 2 to clinch what was their 15th UEFA Champions League title.

Madrid’s UCL 2023-2024 glory campaign also saw them beat City in the Quarter-Finals following an intense penalty shoot-outs. Although City were clearly dominant when it came to possession, shots on target and the rest of the match statistics, it was Los Blancos who ultimately had the winning laugh. When it comes to domestic success, Guardiola won a record-fourth consecutive Premier League for the 2023-2024 season, while Madrid were also crowned this season’s La Liga winners. In recent European football terms, the clash between Madrid and City has been hailed as one of the biggest and one of the most highly-valued in the last 6 years, to say the least.

Speaking to Infobae, the current Inter Miami forward chose his pick for the “current best team in the world” where he could not shy off from singing praise for his former Barcelona manager, Guardiola.

“If you speak in terms of results, it is [Real] Madrid, the current Champions [League] holders… If you speak in terms of play, I personally like Guardiola’s City. I think that any team where Guardiola is will be special because of the way he is, the way he trains, the way he works and how he makes his teams play. At the level of play for me, City is the best, and in terms of results, Madrid,” Messi said.

Messi played under Pep Guardiola in FC Barcelona for five seasons, from 2008 to 2012, and their close-knit relationship, even beyond that tenure, is not secret to the football world. Currently, Messi-led Argentina is in preparation for the upcoming 2024 Copa America in the USA, where they will be fighting top national sides to defend their title.