beIN SPORTS NBA
  • Soccer
  • MLW
  • Other Sports
  • Watch Live
  • Change language
    English
    Español
Watch beIN SPORTS XTRA
  • Get beIN
  • TV Guide
  • Live Scores
  • Videos
Español
beIN SPORTS NBA
  • Live Scores
TV Guide
  • Soccer
  • MLW
  • Other Sports
  • Videos
  • Watch Live
  • TV Guide
Watch beIN SPORTS XTRA
  • Sports Burst
  • Ligue 1
  • La Liga
  • The Match
  • Get beIN
  • Home >
  • Soccer >
  • LaLiga >
  • Video
LaLiga
  • Videos
  • Live
  • Fixtures
  • Results
  • Tables
  • Statistics
  • Alavés Alavés
  • Athletic Bilbao Athletic Club
  • Atletico Madrid Atletico
  • Barcelona Barcelona
  • Cadiz Fc Cadiz
  • Celta de Vigo Celta
  • Eibar Eibar
  • Elche Elche
  • Getafe Getafe
  • Granada CF Granada
  • Huesca Huesca
  • Levante Levante
  • Osasuna OSA
  • Real Betis Betis
  • Real Madrid Real Madrid
  • Real Sociedad Real Sociedad
  • Sevilla Sevilla
  • Valencia Valencia
  • Valladolid Valladolid
  • Villarreal Villarreal

Ivan Rakitic: " Lionel Messi Is The Only Number One In Soccer"

November 20, 2020 00:38
1:05 min

A former Blaugrana star believes the Argentine is "on another level" to all the greats of the sport that have come before him

GOAL

Lionel Messi is the "only number one" in football, according to Ivan Rakitic, who says it was a "dream" to play alongside the Barcelona superstar for so many years.

Rakitic moved to Camp Nou from Sevilla for €18 million (£16m/$19m) in the summer of 2014, and went on to appear in over 300 games for the club across all competitions, scoring 35 goals while also providing 42 assists.

Messi was often the man to get on the end of the Croatia international's searching passes in the final third, as the two men enjoyed an effective partnership that garnered four La Liga titles and the Champions League during a six-year period.

The Argentine is generally regarded as the greatest player of his generation, having won a record six Ballon d'Or awards while establishing himself as Barca's all-time record goalscorer, but Raktiic thinks he is also head and shoulders above legendary figures of bygone eras.

Asked what he thinks of Messi as a player, the 32-year-old midfielder told FIFA.com: "One hundred percent football. It doesn’t matter who you are, you just have to watch and enjoy this guy. He’s on another level.

"With all respect to the other greats, there’s only one number one – it’s Leo. To play 311 games next to him, it was a dream.

"I enjoyed it so, so much. I just want to say this: ‘Thank you for everything, Leo, because you’ll never know how much it meant to me to play next to you.'"

Asked what he thinks of Messi as a player, the 32-year-old midfielder told FIFA.com: "One hundrRakitic returned to Sevilla in September after being deemed surplus to requirements at Camp Nou, but says he will always look back on his time with Barca fondly for both professional and personal reasons. It doesn’t matter who you are, you just have to watch and enjoy this guy. He’s on another level.

"Six years, 311 games – the foreigner with the fourth-most games after Messi, Dani Alves and Mascherano – 13 titles. I think I can say that I’m part of the history of the club," he added.

"I got so much out of those six years. I will have Barcelona – the club, the city, the people – in my heart for the rest of my life. My family got bigger there – my youngest daughter was born in Barcelona.

"I’m really proud of my time there and will always cherish it."

Rakitic will be back in action with Sevilla when they play host to Celta Vigo on Saturday, while Messi will line up for Barca against Atletico Madrid at Wanda Metropolitano in the weekend's standout La Liga fixture.


Lionel Messi Barcelona La Liga Ivan Rakitic
-

Latest Videos

Highlights: Uganda 2-5 Morocco - CHAN 2020
12:21 min

Morocco Overcome Uganda Scare To Progress

Highlights: Togo 2-3 Rwanda (FT)
10:07 min

Rwanda Advance With Comeback Win Over Togo

Uganda 2-4 Morocco - GOAL: Saidi Kyeyune
0:39 min

Kyeyune Screamer Gives Uganda Hope

Togo 2-3 Rwanda: GOAL Sugira
1:34 min

Sugira Puts Rwanda In Front Of Togo

Togo 2-2 Rwanda: GOAL Tuyisenge
1:17 min

Tuyisenge Levels Rwanda With Togo At 2-2

Togo 2-1 Rwanda: GOAL Akoro
1:04 min

Akoro Restores Togo Lead Over Rwanda

Uganda 1-2 Morocco - GOAL: Soufiane Rahimi
0:57 min

Rahimi Fires Morocco In Front Against Uganda

Togo 1-1 Rwanda: GOAL Niyonzima
1:10 min

Niyonzima Equalizes For Rwanda Against Togo

Uganda 1-1 Morocco - GOAL: Ayoub El Kaabi, penalty
0:43 min

El Kaabi Pulls Morocco Level Against Uganda

Togo 1-0 Rwanda: GOAL Nane
1:13 min

Nane Nets Togo Opener Against Rwanda

  • Results
  • Standings

beIN SPORTS, the biggest show

Subscribe
The Best Soccer Leagues
  • LaLiga
  • Ligue 1
  • Copa Libertadores
  • Copa Sudamericana
  • Turkish SüperLig
  • African Cup Of Nations
Live Scores
beIN SPORTS App store Get it on Google Play
beIN CONNECT App store Get it on Google Play
  • Contact Us
  • FAQs
  • beIN SPORTS CONNECT
  • beIN MEDIA GROUP
  • Digiturk
  • TV Guide
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • beIN SPORTS AUSTRALIA
  • Get beIN SPORTS
  • beIN SPORTS en Español
  • Get beIN SPORTS Canada
  • beIN SPORTS FRANCE
  • beIN SPORTS MENA
  • English
  • Español
beIN SPORTS App store Get it on Google Play
beIN CONNECT App store Get it on Google Play
Follow us