Lionel Messi has developed a unique understanding with several former teammates over the years, but only one player knows him “to perfection,” according to Messi himself.
Last summer, this telepathic teammate joined Messi at the DRV PNK Stadium.
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Jordi Alba is the player with whom Messi has an unmatched rapport, making him the third Barca legend to join David Beckham’s franchise in the same transfer window.
During their prime at Barca, the duo combined with devastating effect. Messi would often move inside and instantly spot Alba’s run behind the right-back, delivering the pass with perfect weight and timing.
Alba would surge forward and easily lay the ball back for Messi to score. Alba assisted 23 of Messi’s 672 goals for Barca, with only five players having more assists in the charts.
“Jordi Alba knows me to perfection,” Messi told Catalunya Radio, via the Barca website. “He knows when I will give him a no-look pass. I have a special connection with him.”
That expertly disguised pass is undoubtedly Messi’s favorite, and he used it frequently during Argentina’s World Cup triumph.
However, Marcos Acuna wasn’t exactly on the same wavelength, as he struggled to capitalize on the quality service he received down the left flank.
Messi and Alba have already linked up for several goals in their Inter Miami career, and it’s clear their connection is unmatched.
Alba recently discussed his move to Inter Miami. “I don’t get tired of winning,” he told CBS Sports.
“I want to keep winning, to keep competing. If I didn’t have that excitement, I wouldn’t have come here. I would have stayed in Barcelona, at home, not playing football. The opportunity was very attractive.
“I also wanted to reunite with Leo [Messi] and Busi [Sergio Busquets], and now Luis [Suarez] has also come. These were the incentives that led me to make that decision.”