Leo Messi is the best footballer of all time, like Michael Jordan in basketball: Carles Puyol

Puyol believes that there are different opinions on whether Messi or Jordan are the best in history but the facts speak for themselves.

The former Barca captain says that Messi's genuine numbers and achievements, like the latest all-time record for the most goals scored, prove that he is the best.

"If you ask me who Michael Jordan is, I will say that he is the best basketball player in history," Carles Puyol told Goal.

"I think Messi will have the same status – the best footballer of all time. It is also talked about whether Michael Jordan is the best in history, and these are opinions, and sometimes it is difficult to be objective. It is difficult for a Real Madrid fan to recognise that Messi is the best.

On Leo's another mind-blowing record, the former captain added: "We have been lucky to have him but I really say, taking away the feeling of being a cule, that the numbers are there, these have not been invented and they show that he is the best."

Yesterday against Valladolid, Messi scored his 644th goal for Barca, surpassing Pele's all-time record for the most goals scored for a single club.