If there's one team Lionel Messi loves beating, it's Real Madrid.

Since making the step up to Barcelona's senior team in 2004, the Argentine has faced Los Blancos on 33 occasions in all competitions - and to much success.

In those 33 El Clasico's, Messi has scored 21 goals - making him all-time top goalscorer in the fixture - and been on the winning side 15 times, drawing eight and losing 10.

In truth, Real's players must hate playing against Messi, who terrorises their defence with his pace, dribbling and creativity.

His most famous goal in El Clasico came in the 2010/11 Champions League semi-finals, where he produced an unbelievable solo run to beat five players and fire past Iker Casillas at the Bernabeu.

Put simply, when Messi is in the mood, he's unstoppable.

Real's players know that fact all too well and video evidence has emerged of just how many times the 29-year-old has humiliated them down the years.

In the lengthy but incredible montage below, Messi dribbles past some of Los Blancos' best ever players with ease time and time again.

MESSI HUMILIATING REAL MADRID

It's because of videos like this that Messi is regarded as not only the world's best player, but perhaps the greatest of all time.

And it seems he was always destined for greatness judging by a fascinating story NBA legend Kobe Bryant told last year about Messi and a certain Ronaldinho.

"A long time ago, Barcelona came to Los Angeles," Bryant told ESPN.

"Ronaldinho was a good friend, I was talking with him and he told me: 'Kobe, look, I'm going to introduce you to the guy who is going to be the greatest player of all time'.

"I said: 'You what? You are the best', but he said: 'No, no. This kid right here (pointing at Messi) is going to be the best'."

"And that guy was Lionel Messi, who was only 17 at the time."