Lionel Messi believes this is the best Barcelona side he has ever played in.

The Argentine, regarded as the best player on the planet, has been at the Camp Nou since 2000, and he has been a first team regular since the 2004-2005 campaign.

Messi has won five La Liga titles and two UEFA Champions Leagues since this time, and he aims to win a third in the latter competition on Saturday.

Manchester United stand in the way of the Catalans in the Wembley showpiece final, and the 23-year-old has words of warning for the English champions.

"This is definitely the best Barcelona team I have ever played in,” he said. "A lot of the players in the team are the same as a couple of years ago, but we are all older and more experienced.

"We have the best coach because Pep Guardiola is just as loyal to Barcelona as the players from the academy. He always does what's best for Barcelona and not for himself.

“He is a symbol of the way Barcelona wants to play and behave. You have to remember that our success is carefully built up through many years.

“This is the result of years of hard work with the academy players and also getting the right players in the squad. It's much deserved that we are winning all these titles.”

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