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Marca CEO Juan Ignacio Gallardo has lavished praise on Lionel Messi for his exceptional skillset on the pitch. The Spanish outlet's chieftain believes one of the Argentine icon's recently set records will never be beaten,
Messi lifted his record 46th trophy after his MLS Supporters' Shield triumph with Inter Miami on October 3. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner has won the most silverware in football history for club and country.
He has also amassed 56 individual awards during his career, making it a total of a whopping 102 in his trophy cabinet. The Barcelona legend was recently awarded the inaugural Marca America award at the Chase Stadium in Florida, US, for being the most decorated player in history.
Marca CEO Juan Ignacio Gallardo stepped up and gave a speech to honor Lionel Messi. He said (via Marca):
"In my eight years as MARCA's CEO, I have had the honor to give multiple awards to Leo Messi. Awards like LaLiga's Top Scorer or the Golden Boot, which he won with his huge and incomparable talent on the field, with his incredible ability to take on rivals and his amazing and undescribable capacity to put the football just where the goalkeeper could not reach."
"It always made me happy to give them to him, and I always had the conviction that it wasn't his last award, that Messi was going to be the next top scorer of Europe or LaLiga and I would be here once again handing him another award. That was something that kept on repeating again and again," he added.
"This time is different. It makes me happy meeting you again. But this time I know I will not give this award of the player with the most titles in the history of the game again, not to another player. Why? Because of the simple reason that no one will surpass you, Leo. It is absolutely impossible," Ignacio Gallardo concluded.
Messi will next feature in Inter Miami's final game of the regulation MLS season against the New England Revolution on Saturday (October 19).
Lionel Messi speaks on future after scoring hat-trick in Argentina's World Cup qualifier against Bolivia
Lionel Messi has said retirement could soon be on the cards as he's in the twilight stages of his career. The 37-year-old opened up about his future after Argentina's 6-0 thrashing of Bolivia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers on Tuesday (October 15).
Lionel Messi put in an incredible performance against La Verde as he bagged a hat-trick and two assists. Fans at the Estadio Mas Monumental were ecstatic after the Argentine icon's display as they chanted his name in unison.
During a post-match interview, Lionel Messi showed gratitude for his supporters before touching on his future. He said (via The New York Times):
"It's really nice to come here, to feel the affection of the people. It moves me how they shout my name. I haven't set any date or deadline regarding my future, I just want to enjoy all of this."
"It moves me more than ever to be here and feel the love of the people because I know these could be my last matches. This drives me. Enjoying being happy where I am. Despite my age, when I'm here, I feel like a kid because I'm comfortable with this team. As long as I feel good and can keep performing the way I want, we'll keep enjoying it," he added.
