To the majority of football fans, Lionel Messi is considered the greatest footballer of all time. There has never been anyone quite like the Argentine. Whether it was for his nation, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain or even now with Inter Miami in the United States, he's dominated his opponents on the pitch for two decades.
The forward has earned plaudits from some of the biggest names in the beautiful game and considering his reputation and the level of players he's both teamed up with and faced off against, it's hard to imagine anyone could ever leave him star-struck. That doesn't mean it's not possible, though.
The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner once admitted that there was one star who he 'couldn't even look in the eye' once he moved to Camp Nou. It all came down to their work in the Premier League and the reputation that they'd built up and that man was Thierry Henry.
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Messi on Thierry Henry
The two teamed up at Barcelona in the late 2000s
Barcelona's Lionel Messi (L) celebrates a goal against Recreativo Huelva with his team mate Thierry Henry
During his time at Barcelona, Messi had the chance to team up with some of football's all-time greats. He worked with Luis Suarez, Neymar, Xavi and Gerard Pique, but it was when former Arsenal superstar Henry moved to the Catalan giants and arrived at Camp Nou that the Argentine was truly star-struck.
The Frenchman spent eight years in North London and was electric for the Gunners. He scored 228 goals in 377 games for the club and his time in England ensured he has gone down as the greatest Premier League player of all time. It was those exploits with Arsenal that ensured Messi couldn't even look him in the eye when they became teammates. Speaking to L'Équipe, with quotes shared via The Sun, Messi said:
"The first day he entered the dressing room, I didn't dare look at his face. I knew everything he had done in England. I had a picture of him made and suddenly we were on the same team.
"What I feel for Titi is best described as admiration. I loved Henry's ease at finishing his chances, as he takes the path to goal and ends the play. He gives the impression that it is natural. His movement, his dribbling, the shot - it is all fluid."
The two went on to spend three years together in Spain, winning two La Liga titles and a Champions League trophy alongside one another as well as a handful of other pieces of silverware. His time in La Liga wasn't quite as fruitful as his run at Arsenal, but by the time Henry left Barcelona in 2010, he'd played 121 games for the side, scoring 49 goals along the way.
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt and accurate as of 29/05/2025