Real Madrid Icon Raul Hails Lionel Messi as the Best Player He's Played Against

Raul, a Real Madrid institution, has said that of all the players he's faced in the game, Barcelona's Lionel Messi is the best.

It's a remarkable admission given not just the quality of players the Spaniard has played with in the course of his exceptional career but also the politics between the two giant clubs.

Although Raul didn't explicitly say Messi is better than the Galacticos he played alongside, he hinted at it, phrasing his response in such a way as to stress the different qualities the Argentinian possesses.

Raul, now 37 and playing for the New York Cosmos, told Sports Illustrated's Planet Futbol (quotes via AS):

"

I was lucky enough to play with Zidane, Ronaldo, Figo, Cristiano...but Messi is different; he makes everything look so easy, so effortless – even the impossible. When you watch him play, it’s almost as though you are watching him in the street playing with his mates. From the time when I started out, the best players around then were Roberto Baggio and Ryan Giggs.

"

Today also marks the 10th anniversary of Messi's first Barcelona goal. Since then, he has become the leading goalscorer in the club's history, and he looks set to improve that mark to an astonishing level.

[AS]