Much has been said about the longevity of Lionel Messi and Carles Puyol has shared his opinion on the matter.
Lionel Messi is still capable of playing football at the top level for at least three to four years, says ex-teammate Carles Puyol.
The Argentine continues to set all sort of records and his latest came on Tuesday where he surpassed Pele to have the most goals for a single club (644).
Messi has won La Liga 10 times, the Copa del Rey six times, and been part of four Champions League-winning squads.
On an individual level, his accolades include winning the Ballon d’Or on six occasions and being La Liga’s top scorer in seven different seasons.
Messi currently has an uncertain future at the club, with claims that he could leave at the end of the season.
Also, the Argentine’s usual performances seem to have dropped by his own standards of late.
Regardless, former teammate Puyol still believes Messi can remain at the top of his game for a while.
“He is now 33 years old and takes care of himself,” Puyol told Goal.
“He is motivated and eager, and I think he has three or four years to go at this level if he is lucky enough to not have any major injuries and if he continues playing with the same desire to improve and keep winning, with that motivation.”
“I think we still have Leo for a while.”
It’s obvious Messi has the talent but Puyol also claims the Barca talisman has had to stay focused to remain at the top of his game.
“I am sure that talent is not enough,” he added.
“Talent is needed, of course, but also work and dedication, a desire to learn and be motivated to seek new challenges every day. We have seen it in Messi.”
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