For him, nobody can compete with Messi when it comes to moments of match-altering magic. That skill set has allowed the mercurial playmaker to win eight Ballons d’Or, the World Cup and a collection of honours that make him the most decorated player in history.
Asked to pick between the brightest stars to ever illuminate a football pitch, Luis told The Obi One podcast: “I played against Messi, he’s number one, for sure. By far, there’s no one even close. He’s the player I most enjoyed watching; I watched every Barcelona game. And you know, every game, every team, every coach who faced Barcelona, their concern was doing something to stop him.
“Like I said, I watched every Barcelona game, even when I was playing for Deportivo La Coruna or Atletico. If Barcelona was playing on Saturday at eight o'clock at night, I couldn't go out to eat; I had to stay and watch the game because Messi was going to be playing. And when I played against him, my only thought was to stop him, to think about how to try and beat him. He's the player who challenged me the most.”
Luis added: “Of all the players I've seen - because I didn't see Pele or Maradona - I didn't feel anything like that with Messi. He's number one, I'm a huge fan of his, and I think he's brought a lot of joy to many people with his style of play.”