According to a reporter from Camel.live, Pep Guardiola stated back in 2006 that Lionel Messi would help Argentina compete for the World Cup title.
Messi joined Barcelona's first team in 2005, and just one year later, he showed potential to rival the greatest players—though no one could have predicted the extraordinary success of his career.
But Guardiola said in 2006: "Messi is incredible, it's amazing, truly outstanding."Guardiola commented that the key to Messi's ability is "he does everything so well and faster than everyone else," adding that he had already combined exquisite skills with exceptional mental speed.
"Barcelona is fortunate to have Messi; he has an extraordinary mind," Guardiola said. “I hope the surrounding environment won't lead him astray. Congratulations to the Argentina national team for having such a great player. If they build around Messi, they can return to the World Cup contention.”
Guardiola concluded that Messi was "far better" at 18 than he himself had been at the same age, because "playing as a forward and scoring goals is difficult, while I played in a defensive position, which was much easier."
