Barcelona great Carles Puyol is adamant Lionel Messi is the greatest of all time.

The former Barcelona captain compared his ex-teammate stature within football to that of Michael Jordan in basketball.

"If you ask me who Michael Jordan is, I always say that he's the best basketball player in history," Puyol told Goal.

"I think the same about Messi, he has that same status. He's the best footballer in history.

"I understand that it's difficult for a Real Madrid fan to admit that he's the best, my opinion is just like any other. But his goals are there, and that's objective data."

Messi has often been criticised for not winning trophies with Argentina, but Puyol is confident that he can still do so, and he believes he'll continue to win with Barcelona as well.

"I'm confident that a Barcelona led by Leo will continue to win titles," Puyol added.

"He can still do something with the national team too. Even though I'm not Argentine, I'd be very happy if he did. I think he deserves it, and I know he's looking to do it."