In two months time, Lionel Messi will turn 30 and every football fan will suddenly realise that we only have a few more years left before the Barcelona superstar retires.

Hopefully he’ll never lose his love for the game and will continue playing into his 40s because the thought of Messi retiring from football in his early-to-mid 30s should fill every lover of the beautiful game with dread and sadness.

It’s genuinely possible that we’ll never see a player like Messi again in our lifetimes. In the opinion of many football fans, he has surpassed the likes of Pele and Diego Maradona as the greatest footballer of all time.

Of course, there are some people who maintain that Messi must win a World Cup before he can be considered the best ever.

But even if he fails to land his hands on that particular trophy, nobody can take away his extraordinary achievements. More importantly, no football fan will forget the joy he gave them every time he crossed the white line.

Messi, famously humble off the pitch, is hugely respected by his teammates - current and former - as well as his peers.

There have been some brilliant quotes from the great and good of football about the Argentina international - and we’ve decided to collate the best here in one article.

Video: Quotes on Messi from great names in football

First of all, though, watch this video of great players and managers talking about Messi and try not to get goosebumps…

The greatest quotes about Messi

Xavi

"It is clear that Messi is on a level above all others. Those who do not see that are blind."

Luis Figo

"For me, to watch Messi play is a pleasure – it’s like having an orgasm – it’s an incredible pleasure."

Carles Puyol

"This Barca will be remembered as Messi’s Barca. He’s well above anything else I’ve ever seen. He’s an alien."

Luis Enrique

"Messi is the best in the world without any doubt and for me the history of football."

Samuel Eto'o

"Messi is God, as a person and even more as a player. I knew him when he was a boy and I’ve watched him grow. He deserves it all."

Javier Mascherano

"Although he may not be human, it’s good that Messi still thinks he is."

Zinedine Zidane

"He is always going forwards. He never passes the ball backwards or sideways. He has only one idea, to run towards the goal. So as a football fan, just enjoy the show."

Johan Cruyff

"For the world of football, Messi is a treasure because he is a role model for children around the world… Messi will be the player to win the most Ballons d’Or in history. He will win five, six, seven. He is incomparable. He’s in a different league."

Arsene Wenger

"Who is the Best Player in the World? Leo Messi. Who is the Best Player Ever? Leo Messi."

Diego Maradona

"I have seen the player who will inherit my place in Argentine football and his name is Messi. Messi is a genius."

Pele

"I like Messi a lot, he’s a great player. Technically, we’re practically at the same level."

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

"Messi does not need his right foot. He only uses the left and he’s still the best in the world. Imagine if he also used his right foot, Then we would have serious problems."

Gary Lineker

"Fella’s a genius. Best ever by a distance in my life time. Never really saw Pele… Souness, Gullit, Venables and now Rooney agree Messi is the best they have seen. He plays a game with which we are not familiar."

John Terry

"Lionel Messi is quite clearly the best player ever. It’s a pleasure to pit myself against him and when I finish my career it’s something I can look back on and know I’ve tested myself against the very best."

Roy Keane

"I was a big fan of Maradona growing up and of the current crop Ronaldo is good but Messi is the best I’ve ever seen. I don’t dish out praise lightly but Messi deserves it. I look for weaknesses in his game and I can’t find them."

Michael Owen

"I can’t believe anyone can have played the game of football as well as Messi."

Radamel Falcao

"Is Messi a real player or a PlayStation character?"

Franz Beckenbauer

"Messi is a genius. He has everything. When I watch him, I see a player who is very, very, skilful, very clever and his left foot is like Diego Maradona’s."

Pep Guardiola

"Don't write about him, don't try to describe him. Just watch him."

(H/T Eurosport)