The football world will never see another player as talented as Lionel Messi, according to former Barcelona teammate Thierry Henry.

The Argentine broke Raul's record of 71 Champions League goals with a hat-trick in Tuesday's win at APOEL to sit on 74.

The feat came just days after the 27-year-old became the most prolific goalscorer in La Liga history with another historic treble in Saturday's 5-1 thumping of Sevilla.

Consequently, Henry, who spent three years playing alongside him, says that the world should cherish Messi because we will never see his kind again.

"Messi is doing things for Barca and the football world in general that we will never see again - let alone someone who does everything that Messi has done in such a short time," Henry told ARA.

"I loved seeing him so happy after scoring [his record-breaking] goal against Sevilla. I was lucky to have been watching it at home and you could tell how much he wanted it.

"We should enjoy him while we can because the day he leaves Barca, the people will realise what he is and how great a player he has been."

The Argentina star is in contention for a fifth Ballon d'Or award in January.