"Messi played with me, I didn't play with Messi" - When former Barcelona star got furious at Lionel Messi question
Barcelona legend Samuel Eto'o once reacted furiously to a question on Lionel Messi. The former Cameroon striker shared the pitch with the diminutive Argentinean for five seasons at Camp Nou.
Eto'o had just joined Barca when Messi broke into the scenes. The legendary striker watched Lionel Messi transform into a world-beater in front of his eyes.
When a reporter told Eto'o he had 'played with Messi' during a conversation in 2021, as cited by SPORT, the Cameroonian didn't take the matter too well.
Eto'o insisted that the Argentinean had played in his era, not the other way.
"No, no, no. Messi played with me, I didn't play with Messi. In my era, Messi played with me, it's different. Totally different," said Eto'o.
However, Eto'o most probably responded in jest, as he has previously stated that he was blessed to have played with Lionel Messi. The two shared the pitch 105 times for the Catalan giants and won the European treble in 2009.
The Cameroonian joined the club in 2004 and when he left in 2009, he had registered 130 goals from 199 games across competitions. He won three league titles, two Champions League trophies, one Copa del Rey, and two Supercopa de Espana. Along with Ronaldinho, Eto'o played a pivotal role in Messi's formative years.
How many goals has Lionel Messi scored for Barcelona?
Lionel Messi has scored 672 goals and set up 303 more from 778 games across competitions for Barcelona in his career. Of these, 474 were scored in LaLiga from 520 games.
The Argentine is the league record goalscorer and assist provider (216), winning the LaLiga title 10 times.
The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner has registered 120 goals and 41 assists for the Catalan giants in the Champions League. He won the tournament four times, all with Barcelona. Messi also has nine goals and four assists from 14 games in the tournament with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
The Argentinean has scored 56 goals in 80 games in Copa Del Rey for Barcelona. He won the trophy seven times with the club.
Messi's time at Camp Nou ended in 2021 when the club failed to renew his contract. He moved to Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent and spent two seasons in Ligue 1. He left the Parisians in 2023 to move to Inter Miami.
