There are ever-diminishing arguments against the claim that Lionel Messi is the greatest footballer of all time. After all, he has won the Ballon d'Or more times than any other player (eight), and has won the World Cup, while also leading Argentina to the final in 2026 at the age of 39.
With that success, however, comes attention and with that attention comes scrutiny. During the 2026 World Cup, there have been claims that FIFA wanted the Inter Milan star to go all the way, with Argentina said to have received preferential treatment.
When Messi's team beat Egypt in the Round of 16, defeated manager Hossam Hassan furiously claimed: “They want Argentina and Messi to stay in the World Cup for marketing. If they wanted Argentina to win, why invite other teams to participate? This match was clearly rigged, and the whole world witnessed it."
While FIFA have denied any chances of match fixing to help Argentina at the World Cup, many still believe Messi has been given preferential treatment across his career. One of his former Barcelona teammates has revealed this was the case in training, and it didn't always go down well.
Lionel Messi with the World Cup trophy Related
'I Won World Cup With Lionel Messi - He Refused to Talk to Me For Three Months'
Leandro Paredes and Lionel Messi once had a three-month feud over a misunderstanding, but would later win the World Cup together.
Jeffren Suarez: 'Messi Relied on Xavi and Iniesta to Succeed'
Messi Iniesta and Xavi with Ballon d'Or
Jeffren Suarez is not the best-known Barcelona player of that era, but he did come through the youth set-up to spend three senior seasons with the Spanish club between 2008 and 2011. In that time, he shared the pitch with Messi on 18 occasions and won three La Liga titles as well as the 2011 Champions League.
Jeffren went on to have a journeyman career at the likes of Sporting CP, Real Valladolid, Grasshoppers and AEK Larnaca, before retiring in 2024 after a season with Chiangmai United in Thailand. Speaking in 2025 to Helado Oscuro (via World Soccer Talk), the former winger reminisced about what it was like to play with Messi.
Interestingly enough, though, Jeffren wasn't exactly glowing with his comments. He claimed that the Argentine was reliant on the talent of others to truly reach his peak, remarking:
“It’s like if Xavi and [Andres] Iniesta hadn’t played with Messi, Messi wouldn’t be who he is. Look at when he went to PSG.”
It's true that Messi struggled a bit at PSG, but he still managed 32 goals and 35 assists in 75 games in Paris. He also won Ligue 1 in each of his seasons with the French club.
Jeffren Frustrated By Messi Protection During Barcelona Training
lionel messi barcelona
Jeffren went into more detail about what it was like to be Messi’s teammate during that era at Barcelona. He claimed that the star man got preferential treatment, which caused problems in training:
“You couldn’t touch Messi and there were a lot of problems with that. If you went in hard during training, people would look at you funny. Or he would say something himself. It was like, ‘Hey, what are you doing? Be careful.’”
What's more, Jeffren then claimed that the subject wasn't even spoken about in the locker room unless you were close to the player. He noted:
“If you were part of his circle, you could joke about it, but if not, he was more distant. And I get it — he was the one saving your games. No one dared to go in hard on him, of course.”
This may well have been the case, but when there is a talent as good as Messi in the squad, it makes a fair amount of sense to protect him. After all, part of the reason why he has proven himself as an all-time great and is still able to deliver the goods at the age of 39 is that he's avoided any truly serious injuries across his career.