WHAT HAPPENED? Real Madrid legend Roberto Carlos considers himself “lucky” not to have had to face the “new Maradona” Lionel Messi very often. The Brazilian full-back was in the Blancos’ ranks when another Argentine superstar was beginning to shine on the professional stage with Barcelona. Carlos left Spain in 2007, but it was enough to see Messi’s obvious potential.

THE WIDER CONTEXT It was in the 2008-09 season that Messi became a prolific presence for Barca, breaking the 30-goal barrier for the first time. However, Carlos, along with fellow World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro, had already come to the conclusion that the now eight-time Ballon d’Or winner would become the best player on the planet.

WHAT DID CARLOS SAY? Madrid legend Carlos shared with 90min his limited experience of trying to contain one of the most elusive players in football history: “When Messi dribbled past Cannavaro and me, and he went over us, and the game was over, I turned to Cannavaro and said: ‘My God, who is this player? He’s the new Maradona’. I was lucky, I didn’t have much time left before I retired, how will the next generation of defenders cope? They’re really going to have a tough time with him. I knew he would be the best player in the world. In the future, he would win everything and I’m happy because I saw him more than I played against him.”

And now? Messi faced Cannavaro and Carlos in a match at the Bernabeu in 2006 that Real won 2-0. Although Messi caused plenty of problems that day, he was already on his way to becoming a player who now sits comfortably at the top of many all-time lists.