Barcelona ace Samuel Eto'o hailed Lionel Messi after his brace against Shakhtar Donetsk. "He is able to do things on his own," gushed Eto'o. "He is one of the footballers who will make history, like Diego Maradona, Romario or Raul."

Barca striker Thierry Henry added: "Messi is the best player in the world and deserves to win the Ballon d'Or."