Elche boss, Fran Escribá paid tribute to Barcelona's Argentine striker, Leo Messi by saying that he has never seen "a better player and I don't know if I ever will".

Escribá continued that the Argentine is simply "unplayable" when he is at his best. "You can play him out of a game if he isn't at his best, but if he brings his 'A' game he's simply the best player in the world".

The Elche manager said that the only way to contain the Barcelona forward was "with good teamwork", although he added that "he's so good that he can even get around the three players you send after him and still notice the two teammates he has in space". "It'll be hard to ever see another player like him", he said.

Despite the difficulty of the game against Barcelona, Escribá said that his team obviously have a chance to take something from the game and referred to what happened in last season's game, when Elche managed a goalless draw at their Martínez Valero stadium.

From Marca.

Legend.

His second pass to Neymar was just out of this world.

Messi the Messiah!

Now, now. Let's not get carried away with giving praise. I agree he is good but best player of all time???

Nobody said he is the best ever. He needs to win a world cup before. He still has a chance, a last chance.

^

with a WC as absolute leading protagonist, i may think to move him into my top 3; for now he makes it into my top 5.

^ Top 5 sounds fair, more 4th or 5th than in the podium. Maradona, Pelé and Crujf made the game progress, maybe Messi did too by combining stats and beauty, but no way he could be higher than the 3 at the moment...
Considering how dificult is to win a world cup comparing to past ones, with many nations progression in the game and tactical maturity of Europeen nations, if Messi could win it in his last attempt that would be beatiful...

I'd rate Nazario de Lima and Zidane over Messi as well, but thats just me. I'd say Di Stefano as well from what I have heard, but never saw him play, so I can't give a real unbias opinion. But yeah, he's defo up there with the best in history.