Argentine superstar Lionel Messi is a ‘machine built to play football’, according to his former Barcelona teammate Xavi.

Messi, 30, is considered among the all-time greats, having enjoyed a spectacular career that has included success at both team and personal level.

The Argentina star has won eight La Liga titles and four Champions League crowns among numerous other trophies.

Messi is also a record five-time Ballon d’Or winner, and Xavi, the midfielder who was at Barca until 2015, lauded his former teammate.

‘Leo can do [what] Xavi, [Andres] Iniesta and [Sergio] Busquets [do] at the same time and continue to do Messi,’ he told The Tactical Room.

‘He seems a machine built to play football, with that rubber ankle that sticks to the ball.’

In good news for Barca amid speculation over his future, Messi signed a new deal earlier this month to keep him at Camp Nou until 2021.

– This story originally appeared on FourFourTwo.co.za