Under Messi’s former team-mate Xavi, the Spanish giants finished 10 points behind rivals Real Madrid last season, while they were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League at the quarter-final stage with a defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
But under new boss Hansi Flick, Barca have looked a different side. The likes of Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha have all thrived in a new-look outfit to propel the club to the top of La Liga with 11 wins from their opening 13 games.
Talking to Catalan television station TV3, Messi said, "I m hugely proud to see how the first team is representing the club right now.”
"This Barca side is spectacular, although it doesn t surprise me. It is nothing new, it s always happened, or at least since I arrived at the club as a 13-year-old."
"It s spectacular that the kids have had chances in the last two years," Messi added.
"When you put confidence in them, this is how they respond, because they know the club better than anyone.
Flick responded to Messi’s comments, saying that it was "an honour" to hear such kind words from "the best player from Barca’s history".
Messi scored a whopping 672 goals in 778 appearances for the club as he established himself as one of the greatest players of all time.
Earlier, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni is confident there will be Lionel Messi jerseys in the home section despite the Paraguayan Football Association s (APF) ban on rival shirts ahead of Thursday s South American World Cup 2026 qualifier.
Argentina will play Paraguay at the Defensores del Chaco stadium in Asuncion, and APF manager Fernando Villasboa warned the home crowd to wear only Paraguayan shirts as no jerseys from Argentina, Argentine clubs or clubs that contain the names of players from other countries will be allowed.
"We won t allow the other team s shirt. It s not a problem against Messi. We respect the careers of all footballers. It s just that the home ground is very important to us," Villasboa told local press.
Paraguay coach Gustavo Alfaro said: "I have nothing to do with the t-shirt ban. I had no idea about that. I think the idea is to reduce the margin of a possible source of conflict."
"Messi is our rival tomorrow, I wish him the best game of his life against Peru, but not tomorrow," he added.
However, Scaloni said the global impact of Argentina s number 10, the country s all-time leading scorer and World Cup winner, is far greater.
"Logically, for the Paraguayan footballer, for the fan, they all want to wear the national team shirt. But Leo (Messi) is stronger than all that and there will be Argentina shirts," Scaloni told a news conference.
"It doesn t mean they don t support Paraguay. I think it s good that football people recognise what he is. And it s not because you have a shirt that you become an Argentina fan.
