There is very little doubt that Lionel Messi will go down as one of the greatest ever players when he finally hangs up his boots.

The Barcelona legend - who only turned 30 in June - has scored a remarkable 582 goals during his career thus far and he has won every club-level competition possible.

The international stage has seen Messi a beaten finalist on a few occasions, and that is where many argue that Pele and Maradona - even Cristiano Ronaldo - have a stronger claim to the title 'greatest of all-time'.

According to FIFA 18, Messi is the second best player in the world today. His overall rating weighs in at 93, one point below long-time rival Ronaldo.

Is that fair? Whether you believe it is or not, one of his stats could certainly do with a boost.

Although the Argentinian forward is a renowned goalscorer, his creative juices shouldn't be overlooked.

Messi has managed 237 assists throughout his career and that equates to just over one every three games. And yet, his passing on FIFA 18 is just 86, despite being one of the most technically gifted and creative players in world football.

As you can see from the video below, Messi has an array of passes in his locker that the vast majority of his peers could only dream of:

Speaking to FourFourTwo earlier this month, former teammate Dani Alves insisted that Messi was the greatest player that he had ever seen, while his former and new teammate Neymar isn't far behind.

"I say Messi because I've seen him play," Alves insisted.

"Of the others, I have heard what they speak of them, but I can't corroborate it because I haven't seen them.

"I choose Messi next to Neymar, they are the most spectacular I've seen."

Whether Ronaldo got the edge because he is this year's cover star for FIFA 18 one can only speculate, but the suggestion that Messi is a point behind Ronaldo is certainly something to get the fans talking.