SUMMARY
- Recently, Pep Guardiola has acknowledged Phil Foden's talent.
- But Guardiola believes that Foden is still far away from reaching Lionel Messi's level.
Lionel Messi is one of the most idolized soccer players of all time. Many aspiring soccer players try to learn from Messi by analyzing his game. The Argentine has impressed the youth with his perseverance and dedication to the game. Such is the 36-year-old’s influence that people often label the biggest young talents as the next Messi.
5⃣0⃣0⃣ goals in league football for Messi! 🙌
▪️ 587 appearances for Barcelona, PSG and Inter Miami combined
▪️ 500 goals scored
▪️ 225 assistsAll details: https://t.co/hPlGjLzbhZ pic.twitter.com/OArx1epUkf
— MESSISTATS 🐐 (@MessiStats_) March 3, 2024
However, Pep Guardiola, Messi’s former coach at FC Barcelona, is asking for the trend to stop. He believes it is wrong for the legacy of the Argentine to be compared with somebody else. The Spaniard believes even none of his Manchester City players can equal Lionel Messi’s greatness.
Pep Guardiola believes Phil Foden hasn’t reached Messi’s level yet
It looked like the Englishman would be ready by now to challenge Lionel Messi. Foden had shown incredible promise in his early days and looked all set for a career path like the Argentine.
Even Pep Guardiola agreed that Phil Foden’s talent was special. The Spaniard had admitted once (via Marca), “I have said many times in press conferences, but maybe not said it in front of him, Phil is the most, most, most talented player I have ever seen in my career as a manager.”
🗣️ Pep Guardiola: “Good players can play well – but you have to win games, and I met the biggest ever player: Lionel Messi. Phil Foden can win games, and I don’t want to compare because he is not on Leo Messi’s level, but he is also winning games.” pic.twitter.com/hDLuh5r6WH
— Barça Worldwide (@BarcaWorldwide) March 9, 2024
However, despite acknowledging the Englishman’s talent, Pep Guardiola believes Phil Foden is still far from reaching Lionel Messi’s level. Guardiola said, “Phil Foden can win games, and I don’t want to compare because he is not on Leo Messi’s level, but he is also winning games.” According to Pep Guardiola, Lionel Messi is the biggest match-winner he has ever seen.
The Guardiola-Messi duo is one of the scariest manager-player combinations in soccer history. The former FC Bayern Munich coach was able to bring out the best in the Argentine. The duo enjoyed huge success on the pitch, winning two UEFA Champions Leagues and three consecutive La Liga titles from 2008 to 2011. Lionel Messi scored a whopping 211 goals and assisted a further 94 in just 219 games under Pep Guardiola.
Phil Foden agrees with his manager about Lionel Messi
It is these crazy numbers that do not allow any other player to compare themselves with the Argentine. Even Phil Foden has refuted the claims that he is on Messi’s level. The 23-year-old believes the Inter Miami player is in a league above the rest of the players. Despite all the success enjoyed on the pitch, Phil Foden does not believe he could be as successful as Lionel Messi.
Phil Foden said, “No way? You can’t compare anyone to Messi, he is in his own world.” However, according to the Englishman, it feels nice when his manager compares him with the FIFA World Cup 2022 winner. Foden had earlier publicly announced that he considers Leo Messi to be his idol. The Englishman would also like to go fishing with the Argentine.
Phil Foden on Pep Guardiola comparing him with Messi: “No way? You can’t compare anyone to Messi, he is in his own world. But to hear that from the manager is really nice.” @tv2sport 🏴 pic.twitter.com/NlpLrfqS1c
— All About Argentina 🛎🇦🇷 (@AlbicelesteTalk) March 8, 2024
He said, “If I had to spend all day fishing and could take one person with me, that would be Messi. He’s been my idol since I was little. If I could just sit down and talk to him.” Foden is obsessed with watching Lionel Messi videos on YouTube and tries to replicate his passing on the pitch.
Even Phil Foden has bowed down in front of soccer’s all-time greats. The Englishman’s comments prove once more that people should steer away from comparing Lionel Messi with any other player since it tarnishes the legacy of the Argentine.