Xavi Hails Messi as Football's Michael Jordan Amid Stellar 2026 World Cup

Xavi HernándezCoach·Xavi Hernández, the former midfield maestro and coach of FC Barcelona, has reiterated his profound admiration for Lionel MessiPlayer·Lionel Messi, drawing parallels between the Argentine superstar and basketball legend Michael Jordan. In his first World Cup column, published on June 21, 2026, Xavi described Messi as "incomparable, closer to being non-human," reflecting on his journey from watching Messi break through at 16 to seeing him star in the current 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup.

"I always say he is the Michael Jordan of football," Xavi stated, as reported by The New York Times. "There is no one like him in history, and I don't think we will see a player like him again." This sentiment echoes remarks made by Xavi in May 2026, where he called Messi a "unique talent football may never see again," emphasizing his complete mastery of the game both on and off the pitch. Having shared the pitch with Messi for 15 years at Barcelona, Xavi witnessed firsthand his unparalleled dedication and skill. "I lived with Leo every day for 15 years, and he was the best at everything: technique, physicality, understanding the game, heading, his weaker foot, his mentality… he's a competitive animal. Unbeatable."

Xavi also reflected on his attempts to facilitate Messi's return to FC Barcelona in 2023, a move that was ultimately halted by the club president. Despite this, his respect for Messi's enduring brilliance remains undiminished.

Messi's 2025/26 season with Inter Miami CF has been nothing short of exceptional. Across all competitions, he registered an impressive 32 goals and 25 assists in 36 appearances. In Major League Soccer (MLS) alone, the Argentine captain scored 23 goals and provided 16 assists in 24 appearances. His dominant form saw him make history by becoming the first player in MLS to win the Landon Donovan MLS MVP award in consecutive seasons. Messi also set new records for the most Player of the Month and Player of the Matchday awards in a single MLS season and became the first player to surpass 35 goal contributions (goals and assists) in back-to-back league campaigns. Having topped the scoring charts in 2025 with 29 regular-season goals, he had the opportunity to secure the MLS Golden Boot in consecutive seasons in 2026. On the international stage, Messi has continued to lead Argentina, notably scoring a hat-trick against Algeria as they commenced their 2026 World Cup campaign.

Meanwhile, Xavi HernándezCoach·Xavi Hernández remained without a managerial role for the 2025/26 season after departing BarcelonaTeam·Barcelona in the summer of 2024. He reportedly rejected multiple coaching offers, including one from Spartak Moscow in Russia in October 2025, indicating a deliberate approach to his next career move. Towards the end of the season, in May 2026, reports emerged that ChelseaTeam·Chelsea was pursuing Xavi for their head coach position for the upcoming 2026-27 season, suggesting his return to the dugout may be imminent.