- Formation: a 4-3-3 built almost entirely from Messi's Barcelona years.
- Biggest surprise: Kylian Mbappé gets the third attacking slot ahead of Thierry Henry.
- Big names missing: Piqué, Busquets and Víctor Valdés.
- MSN together again: Neymar and Suárez complete one of the deadliest trios ever.
When the man with eight Ballon d'Or trophies, four Champions League titles and a World Cup picks his best-ever teammates, people listen. And when that list leaves out a Barcelona legend for a former rival, people argue.
Lionel Messi was asked to build his ideal starting XI using only players he has shared a dressing room with. The selection, originally reported by Spanish daily Mundo Deportivo and relayed by Goal Arabia, has resurfaced this week. It is mostly a love letter to Barcelona — with a few twists nobody saw coming.
🧤 Ter Stegen gets the gloves — not Valdés
The first eyebrow-raiser comes before a ball is kicked. Messi picked German international Marc-André ter Stegen in goal, even though he won three Champions League titles with Víctor Valdés behind him at Barcelona.
🛡️ Alves and Alba on the flanks — and no Piqué
At full-back, no surprises. Dani Alves takes the right and Jordi Alba the left. Alves built an almost telepathic link with Messi down the right wing, while Alba was the go-to outlet on the other side. Both later reunited with him at Inter Miami.
In central defence, Messi went with Javier Mascherano and Carles Puyol. That means there is no room for Gerard Piqué — a decision that will sting for plenty of culés.
🎩 Xavi, Iniesta and Ronaldinho: pure magic in the middle
The midfield reads like a museum of football art: Xavi Hernández, Andrés Iniesta and Ronaldinho.
Xavi, Iniesta and Messi famously filled the entire podium at the 2010 Ballon d'Or. Messi has long described the Spanish duo as one-of-a-kind players who made the game more exciting and gave Barcelona control of the ball.
"Andrés and Xavi are unique players." — Lionel Messi
Ronaldinho earns his place for a special reason: he set up Messi's first-ever Barcelona goal, and the pair combined for eight more after that.
The notable absentee? Sergio Busquets, despite one of the longest and most successful partnerships of Messi's career.
⚡ MSN is back together
Up front, Neymar and Luis Suárez join Messi's list, completing the legendary MSN — one of the most destructive attacking trios the game has ever seen.
Figures as cited by GIVEMESPORT.
After leaving Barcelona, Messi briefly reunited with Neymar at Paris Saint-Germain, then linked up with Suárez again at Inter Miami.
🇫🇷 The shock: Mbappé over Thierry Henry
Here is the pick that lit the fuse. For the final attacking spot, Messi chose Kylian Mbappé over fellow Frenchman Thierry Henry.
Messi's Barça teammate. With Samuel Eto'o, the trio scored 100 goals in 2008/09 — the season of Barcelona's historic treble.
Messi's PSG teammate — and his opponent in the 2022 World Cup final, where the two shared 5 of the game's 6 goals.
The rivalry ran off the pitch too. Mbappé once recalled the 2018/19 European Golden Shoe race: every time he scored, Messi would answer by scoring one more.
Yet the respect has always been mutual. Messi has praised Mbappé as a different kind of player — strong in one-on-one duels, clever in space, extremely fast and a relentless scorer — and predicted he will stay among the very best for years to come.
🚫 The big names who missed out
| Player | Position | Picked instead |
|---|---|---|
| Víctor Valdés | Goalkeeper | Ter Stegen |
| Gerard Piqué | Centre-back | Mascherano & Puyol |
| Sergio Busquets | Midfield | Ronaldinho |
| Thierry Henry | Forward | Mbappé |
❓ Quick answers
Who is in Messi's ideal XI of former teammates?
Ter Stegen; Alves, Mascherano, Puyol, Alba; Xavi, Iniesta, Ronaldinho; Neymar, Suárez, Mbappé.
Why Mbappé and not Thierry Henry?
Messi didn't spell it out, but he has repeatedly called Mbappé a complete forward — fast, powerful one-on-one and a constant goal threat.
Which legends did Messi leave out?
Thierry Henry, Gerard Piqué, Sergio Busquets and Víctor Valdés.
How good was MSN?
364 goals and 173 assists in three seasons together (2014–2017), per GIVEMESPORT.
Messi's dream team is 90% Barcelona nostalgia and 10% modern-day surprise. MSN and the Xavi–Iniesta axis were never in doubt — but choosing Mbappé over Henry, and leaving out Piqué and Busquets, guarantees this XI will be debated for a long time.
This article is based on a report by Youm7 (اليوم السابع), one of Egypt's leading news websites.
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