Deco overlooks Lionel Messi in Barcelona best teammate reveal | OneFootball

Barcelona sporting director Deco has opened up on his greatest-ever La Blaugrana teammate from his glittering playing career.

Deco’s role at Barcelona focuses on bringing the best talent to the club but the situation was reversed when he arrived in 2004.

The former midfielder played a vital role in Porto’s incredible UEFA Champions League win under Jose Mourinho in 2003/04.

His superb displays at the heart of Mourinho’s team convinced Frank Rijkaard to bring him to Catalonia where he won two La Liga crowns and another Champions League trophy.

Deco’s first campaign at Barcelona also saw the rise into the first team of an incredible La Masia talent by the name of Lionel Messi.

Messi rocketed to stardom alongside Deco, before the latter moved on to Chelsea in 2008, and Deco is a huge fan of Barcelona’s GOAT.

Deco names No.1 Barcelona teammate in bold admission

Countless Barcelona stars have not blinked when naming Messi as their greatest ever teammate.

However, despite being there for Messi’s breakthrough, Deco had a different answer as part of an interview with legendary former Brazil and Barcelona striker Romario.

“I played with the first versions of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo [with Portugal]. But, if I had to choose, I would choose Ronaldinho,” as per Mundo Deportivo.

“Of those players I played with in my career, Ronaldinho was the best. He had so much technical ability, it was just wow!

“He did things very different to anyone else. However, the most complete teammate I had was Messi.”

Ronaldinho arrived at Barcelona the year before Deco, joining from Paris Saint-Germain in 2023, after previously opting against a move away from the French capital after winning the FIFA World Cup with Brazil in 2002.

The 47-year-old wowed the Camp Nou with 94 goals in 207 games before choosing to move on to AC Milan in 2008.