Former Barcelona striker Henrik Larsson has claimed that Lionel Messi learned about responsibility and being the protagonist from Ronaldinho.
Larsson was an important part of the Barcelona team under Frank Rijkaard. He played 59 games for the Catalan club, scoring 19 goals and providing six assists.
Larsson won one UEFA Champions League trophy, two La Liga titles, and a Spanish Super Cup alongside Ronaldinho in his side.
The Swedish forward has now revealed that he was amazed to see the Brazilian in training, as he believed that Ronaldinho was the best player ever.
Larsson added that Messi learned from the legendary attacker and learned what it takes to become one of the best players in the world. Speaking to BBC, he said:
“When I saw Ronaldinho, I thought this was the best footballer I will ever see, until that day Ronaldinho handled everything with a smile. Leo, I think saw what it takes to be the main man (from Dinho)”
The former Brazil forward is one of the best players to ever don the striped jersey of the Blaugrana. He made 207 games for the club, scoring 94 goals and providing 70 assists.
He won the Ballon d’Or award in 2005 while at Barcelona. Collectively, the Brazilian wizard managed to win one UEFA Champions League, two Copa del Reys, and two Spanish Super Cup trophies.
It is worth noting that the 2005 Ballon d’Or winner provided the assists for Messi’s first official Barcelona goal as well.
Can Lionel Messi follow in Ronaldinho’s footsteps and win the FIFA World Cup?
While Lionel Messi has won it all in his career, the FIFA World Cup trophy, which Ronaldinho won, has eluded him so far.
Adding the 2022 FIFA World Cup to his already stacked trophy cabinet would be a massive achievement for the Argentine maestro.
Messi has been in great form for his club side Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) this season. He has scored 12 goals and provided 14 assists in 19 games across all competitions.
Argentina’s campaign in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar is set to start on November 22 against Saudi Arabia. La Albiceleste will also face Mexico and Poland on November 27 and December 1 respectively in Group C.
Argentina will take on the United Arab Emirates in a friendly today (November 16) to prepare for the upcoming World Cup.