Highlights

• Lionel Messi has played with some of the greatest players of the current and previous generations during his career.
• Arguably the greatest footballer of all time, Messi has been fortunate to play alongside many wonderfully talented teammates.
• Competition for a place in the line-up is so strong that Ronaldinho must settle for a place on the bench.

Lionel Messi has played with some phenomenal players, making it extremely difficult to nail down a starting XI of names to have lined up next to the wonderful Argentinian.

The footballing phenomenon boasts one hell of a trophy cabinet. He's won Champions Leagues, league titles in Spain and France, the Copa America with Argentina and, of course, the FIFA World Cup – but he's certainly had some help along the way thanks to many brilliant teammates. During his career at Barcelona, Paris Saint Germain, Inter Miami and the Argentina national side, Messi has played with some of the greatest players on the planet.

But who makes it into the starting team, and which superstar names have to settle for a place on the substitutes' bench? We've put together the greatest XI comprised of teammates from Messi's illustrious career.

Goalkeeper - Victor Valdes

Played with Messi at: Barcelona

A forgotten keeper who was brilliant during his time for Barcelona, Victor Valdes locks down the spot between the sticks. There's some strong competition with the likes of Keylor Navas and Marc-Andre ter Stegen being wonderful shot-stoppers in their own rights, but the Spaniard edges it mainly due to longevity.

The pair played over 300 games together for the Spanish giants and won many trophies together. Due to the marvellous Iker Casillas, Valdes was often overshadowed by his compatriot, but to have played for Barcelona for such a long period of time shows the true qualities he possessed.

Left-back - Jordi Alba

Played with Messi at: Barcelona, Inter Miami

Jordi Alba was a truly fantastic servant at Barcelona and is undoubtedly the most outstanding left-back that Messi has played alongside over the course of his career. One of the rare positions where there's a lack of serious competition in this side, Alba blows most other left-backs out of the water.

A mainstay for club and country for the best part of a decade, the defender was a joy to watch at his peak Constantly getting up and down the left flank to provide another attacking option for his teammates, Alba was one of the best to play the role in the 2010s.

Centre-back - Gerard Pique

Played with Messi at: Barcelona

The first centre-back is Gerard Pique, who lifted three Champions League trophies alongside Messi at Camp Nou. Having returned to the Catalonian club in 2008 from Manchester United, the Spanish international spent 13 years in the same side as the little magician.

Pique decided to hang up his boots in 2022, retiring as a Barcelona icon. Only one player has played more games with Messi than the 37-year-old, who lined up beside the Argentine over 500 times. It wasn't only continental success that the duo enjoyed together, as they won La Liga a staggering eight times while representing the Spanish side.

Centre-back - Sergio Ramos

Played with Messi at: Paris Saint-Germain

Our first non-Barcelona player is Spanish centre-back, Sergio Ramos. Enemies in Spain, but surprisingly united in Paris, Ramos has slightly fallen off in terms of quality but he's undoubtedly one of the best players to have ever played with Messi, given his remarkable career at Real Madrid.

Countless ferocious battles in the world-renowned El Clasico derby in Spain weren't enough to prevent Messi and Ramos from getting on while teammatesa at Paris Saint-Germain. It's a shame that the pair linked up so late in their respective journeys, as they are two of the best players to have graced a football pitch in the 21st century.

Right-back - Dani Alves

Played with Messi at: Barcelona

An iconic full-back who revolutionised the position, Dani Alves will go down as one of the finest right-backs of all time. The Brazilian was actually the outright most decorated player in history until he was joined at the top of the list by Messi himself.

The majority of Alves' 44 trophies were won alongside the Argentine in the famous blue and red shirt. Barcelona could hurt teams from all angles and directions under Pep Guardiola, but the right-hand side with Alves and Messi linking up was a frightening prospect for any opposition side. They were on the exact same wavelength and made the most dominant team of their generation thrive.

Defensive midfield - Sergio Busquets

Played with Messi at: Barcelona, Inter Miami

At defensive midfield, it's a player that makes football look so simple: the brilliant Sergio Busquets. The cultured midfielder and absolute Rolls-Royce of a player was one of the first names on the teamsheet for Barca over the years. He has now linked up with Messi once more at Inter Miami, along with Alba.

Busquets was in a team full of world-class superstars and had to wait until the latter years of his stint at Camp Nou before getting the recognition he deserved. The midfield maestro had an almost unmatched intelligence at the base of the engine room. His passing range allowed the team to run smoothly, while others were given the majority of the plaudits.

Central midfield - Xavi

Played with Messi at: Barcelona

Arguably the most outstanding passer of all time, Xavi had immense vision and passing that helped set Messi up for many goals. The heroic Spaniard is one of the greatest players to play in the role of his era and is still remembered fondly by fans around the globe.

He was more of a box-to-box midfielder in his younger days, but Xavi became the conductor of the choir in his twilight years, controlling the game from a deeper position. Without the imperious playmaker, Messi would almost certainly have fallen short of the success he enjoyed at club level during his wonderful Barca career.

Central midfield - Andres Iniesta

Played with Messi at: Barcelona

Another world-class playmaker throughout his time in Spain, Andres Iniesta will go down as one of the midfield greats. He and Xavi are often seen as a pair and while they did play many games in the middle of the park together, Iniesta had a stint of playing as a winger for Barcelona and Spain.

Opposing defences couldn't cope with the close control of both Messi and Iniesta as the Spanish side's tiki-taka style was too much to handle for many teams. Iniesta and Messi won the Champions League four times together, as well as a whole host of domestic trophies.

Left-wing - Neymar

Played with Messi at: Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain

Often scrutinised, fairly or unfairly, Neymar possesses undeniable talent. The forward was one-third of one the best attacking trios in recent memory, MSN, alongside Messi and Suarez. Initially joining Messi at Barcelona as an emerging talent, the Brazilian quickly became a household name in the world of football with incredible displays of technical ability in La Liga.

Neymar was pivotal in Messi's last-ever Champions League success, scoring a vital goal in the final against Juventus. The duo were reunited in Paris, with Neymar being established as the biggest name at the club. Cristiano Ronaldo's legacy and standing in the game is never in question, but Neymar and Messi may just be the greatest players with the ball at their feet in this generation.

Striker - Luis Suarez

Played with Messi at: Barcelona, Inter Miami

The final piece in the MSN trio, Luis Suarez. The Uruguayan was breathtakingly clinical in front of goal and will go down in history as one of the most prolific strikers ever. His connection with Messi on the pitch was so natural and beautiful to watch. These are two of the most technically gifted players to have played for Barcelona.

At the time of writing, Suarez and Messi have set each other up for goals 99 times, per Transfermarkt. This could increase further in the near future as Suarez is the latest of the Argentine's ex-Barcelona colleagues to join him in America with Inter Miami. The two men may be well past their peak at this point, but during their time in Spain, Suarez was the perfect centre-forward to link-up with Messi.

Right-wing - Kylian Mbappe

Played with Messi at: Paris Saint-Germain

Completing the side is the young Frenchman, Kylian Mbappe. To be in the most incredible XI to ever play with Messi at 25 years old is remarkable, and it shows what an exceptional talent this guy is. He is largely expected to lift the Ballon d'Or in the coming years, potentially several times.

Mbappe would have hoped to play alongside Messi a few years prior, as the forward was past his best years when he signed on the dotted line for PSG. His arrival was expected to add to the already phenomenal attack at the Parc des Princes, which included Mbappe and Neymar. While back-to-back Ligue 1 titles were lifted in their short time together, the pair were disappointed to have fallen short in the Champions League.

Substitutes

Emiliano Martinez, Carles Puyol, Javier Mascherano, Ronaldinho, Pedro, Angel Di Maria, Sergio Aguero

Messi finally got his hands on the biggest prize in international football as Emiliano Martinez starred for Argentina in their 2022 World Cup triumph. This earns the Aston Villa shot-stopper a place on the bench as Valdes' backup. Fellow Argentinians Javier Mascherano and Sergio Aguero are unlucky to miss out on the starting XI, with the former playing alongside Messi at Barcelona also.

Angel Di Maria - like Martinez - was crucial to Argentina's victory in Qatar in December 2022 as the former Real Madrid and PSG winger scored in the final. Playing next to the 36-year-old for club (PSG) and country, Di Maria is more than deserving of a substitute role.

Ronaldinho is the most talented player to have lined up in the same team as Messi, and he definitely has a case to sneak into the starting team, but the 2005 Ballon d'Or winner narrowly misses out as he spent fewer years next to a young Messi in comparison to the likes of Neymar and Suarez, who played with him in his prime.

Pedro and Carles Puyol make up the final two places on the bench here, with the latter being Messi's captain for a large portion of his Camp Nou career. Pedro was extremely underrated in the Barcelona side of the early 2010s as he joined Messi and David Villa in the front-line.