Carlos Puyol has branded former Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi 'the best player in the history of football'.

Puyol was already established in the Barcelona first team when Messi made his debut in 2003 and the duo played alongside each other until 2014, when Puyol hung up his boots.

It has long been debated whether the likes of Pele, Diego Maradona or Cristiano Ronaldo are top of the class, but Puyol has insisted that Messi is the number one.

"Messi does things with the ball that nobody can," Puyol told I am Naples. "He has been playing at an incredible level for 10 years, which has led him to be the best in history."

Puyol, who won 21 major trophies during his time at Camp Nou, retired from professional football at the end of the 2013-14 campaign and has since set up his own football agency.