'Messi is doing what Maradona did 30 years later'

When asked about the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, Xavi, who currently plays for Al-Sadd in Qatar, said: "He's uncomparable. He's like Maradona on his day, like Pelé on his day. Now, he's the best player of all-time."

"Messi is the best. Better than Iniesta, than Xavi, than Busquets. Why? Because he dominates all aspects of the game. Like I was saying, Messi can play like Xavi, but Xavi can't play like Messi. It's the same with the rest of the players," he added. 

Xavi then went on to add that Barcelona's legendary No. 10 is lacking a World Cup: "I haven't seen anyone better than him. I understand that Maradona was and still is the idol of many people. What he did with Argentina beats the current generation of players."

"For that reason, some people say that Messi hasn't done what Maradona achieved. I get it, but on a footballing level, Messi is doing what Maradona did 30 years later. In 2018 it's twice as hard, tactically, physically, technically and mentally," he concluded. 

Barcelona's homegrown maestro will spearhead Argentina's national team as they hope to go one step further than they did in 2014 and get their hands on the coveted trophy.