“The players’ levels were very high”

Lionel Messi said he watched the UEFA Champions League Final between Manchester City and Inter Milan on Saturday (June 10).

The Argentine icon had a disappointing European campaign with Paris Saint-Germain, where he was knocked out by the Ligue 1 champions in the Round of 16, and the last time he won the tournament was in 2015 with Barcelona.

However, Messi watched the Champions League final this year, which ended in a 1-0 victory over Manchester City. His former Barcelona coach, Pep Guardiola, became the first coach to win a treble with multiple clubs.

The 35-year-old touched on the match between the two European heavyweights, calling it a classic (via Albiceleste Talk):

“Champions League Final? Yes, I watched it. It was a classic and very difficult final, and the players’ levels were very high.”

Manchester City won the European title after Rodri’s 68th-minute goal was decisive. It was the first time that City had won the title, capping off an impressive campaign in which they also won the Premier League and the FA Cup.

Messi will not participate in the Champions League next season, as the legendary striker will leave Paris Saint-Germain and head to Inter Miami. His Parisian team was knocked out of the tournament by Bayern Munich in the round of sixteen. Messi scored four goals and made the same number in seven matches in European elite competitions this season.

Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola compares Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland

Manchester City’s treble-winning campaign coincided with the start of Erling Haaland’s record-breaking season at the FA. Norway arrived at the Premier League champions from Borussia Dortmund last summer and scored 52 goals in 53 appearances across competitions.

Haaland broke the record for most goals in a 38-game Premier League season, netting 36 goals in 35 matches. He has been an out-and-out player in Europe this season and has drawn comparisons to Lionel Messi.

Guardiola was asked if Haaland shared the same desire to score goals as his former Blaugrana striker Messi. He said (via The Guardian):

“In terms of goals and mentality, yes. But Messi has done it every season in the last 10-15. Since he started at Salzburg, Erling has reached the same level in terms of goals. In almost every game, he scores a goal.”

The Manchester City boss went on to praise Lionel Messi as the most complete player he has ever seen:

“One or two games per game, he’s had chances to do that, but Messi is the most complete player I’ve seen in terms of vision, dribbles, passing, competitiveness, in many tough things. Hopefully Erling can be very close to Leo – that will be Great for us and him.”

Lionel Messi scored 710 goals in 875 club football matches during his illustrious career. He managed 211 of them in 219 matches under Guardiola. Meanwhile, Haaland has scored 187 goals in 236 appearances, so Norway has a long way to go to reach Messi’s goalscoring feat.