The Barcelona legend has hailed his former team-mate
as the finest footballer in history and believes the Goal 50 winner can
keep on improving as he has since his teenage years
Former Barcelona midfielder Xavi says Goal 50 winner Lionel Messi is already the greatest player ever and believes the Argentine attacker can get even better.
Xavi and Messi featured together for over a decade at Camp Nou, claiming 24 trophies in the most successful spell in the entire history of the Catalan club.
The midfielder, now 35, called time on his career at the Blaugrana earlier this year after winning the treble in 2014-15, but he is still impressed by former team-mate Messi as he watches on from new club Al Sadd in Qatar.
"He has had an incredible career," Adidas ambassador Xavi told Goal in Dubai as he opened the brand new flagship GO-Sport store in Mall of the Emirates.
"He has continued to get better and better. Ever since he started out at 17 or 18, he has got better every year. And every year he can get better still.
"For me, he is the best footballer in history."
Xavi made the short trip over from Qatar to Dubai on behalf of adidas to meet and greet fans, and test out the latest edition of the adidas Primeknit X and Ace football boots in the new adidas skills cage set up in store.
The World Cup winner grew up in Barca's famed La Masia academy, but the club were banned from transfer activity in 2015 for irregularities in the signing of young players for their youth system.
"That's a Fifa matter, a legal matter," Xavi said. "La Masia has always worked very well with young players and Barca are trying to improve their relationship with Fifa.
"Barca have always fed off off footballers formed at La
Masia and for Barca that is so important. Now you have [Andres] Iniesta,
[Sergio] Busquets, Sergi Roberto, [Marc] Bartra, Jordi Alba, Messi -
there are so many footballers created at home.
"It's so important for Barca that the relationship with Fifa is good in order for the youngsters to be allowed to work."
In the meantime, Xavi says he is impressed by the standard of players in Qatar.
"The tactical level is lower than in Europe," he said. "But the technique and physical levels are very good. There are a lot of good players at Al Sadd and at other clubs here. The level is very high."
And the midfielder admits he still does not know if he will take up a coaching career like former team-mates and Barca bosses Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique.
"I don’t know," he said. "I think I will work in football for sure. Maybe as a coach, maybe as a manager. Football is my passion for sure."
"It's so important for Barca that the relationship with Fifa is good in order for the youngsters to be allowed to work."
In the meantime, Xavi says he is impressed by the standard of players in Qatar.
"The tactical level is lower than in Europe," he said. "But the technique and physical levels are very good. There are a lot of good players at Al Sadd and at other clubs here. The level is very high."
And the midfielder admits he still does not know if he will take up a coaching career like former team-mates and Barca bosses Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique.
"I don’t know," he said. "I think I will work in football for sure. Maybe as a coach, maybe as a manager. Football is my passion for sure."
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