Real Sociedad winger Ander Barrenetxea claims that it is “a joke” and “absurd” to say that Lionel Messi is “finished” at the top level as the youngster prepares to face Barcelona in Wednesday evening's Supercopa de Espana.
At 33 years old, the Rosario-born attacker has reached an age at which most outfield players would be considering retirement, but the six-time Ballon d'Or winner has stated his desire to continue playing – with or without Barcelona.
The examples of ageing duo Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus and Zlatan Ibrahimovic at AC Milan have proven that stars can continue to contribute at the highest level well into their 30s if managed correctly, and Barrenetxea believes that Messi should still be considered the best of all time.