From Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Thierry Henry: 5 footballers whose career suffered due to Lionel Messi

When it comes to the greatest footballer of all-time, Argentine superstar Lionel Messi is one such name that has to strike the mind first. He has gained tremendous success in Barcelona, although he hasn’t really fired at the international level.

However, Messi’s legacy at club football has been so unparallel that other talented players cannot make a name for themselves, let alone matching his level. In the same light, we look at the footballers whose careers were overshadowed due to Messi’s dominance.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic
The Swedish legend is often referred to as the ‘God’ of football. Although he has gained enormous success over the past decade, his career struggled to get enough attention during Barcelona’s stint. In his autobiography, Ibrahimovic has mentioned that his career at Camp Nou took a hit due to Messi and then-manager Pep Guardiola. He alleged that since Messi wanted to play in the middle, Guardiola preferred the Argentine over him, as the Swedish’s spot in the side was sacrificed, leading to his downfall. Nonetheless, he has proved that he is indeed one of the top players in his desired position, having attained success in almost every club he has played for, barring Barca.

Samuel Eto’o
The Cameroon legend was one of the prolific goal-scorers for Barca, as he helped the Catalan earn a treble in 2008-09, in Guardiola’s first season. However, since Messi demanded a more central role, Eto’o was sidelined to prefer the Argentine. Although Eto’o delivered when given chances, it was not regular enough and was used just as a backup to Messi. Eventually, the Cameroon international had a fallout with Guardiola. While he also demanded a better contract, his request was rejected, as he bragged about it in the media, leading to his dismissal from Camp Nou. Nonetheless, he went to Inter Milan to win the UCL under Jose Mourinho.

David Villa
The Spanish forward played a pivotal role in Spain’s 2010 FIFA World Cup success. However, it was his stint in Barcelona that was not really up to the mark. It was not that he did not play well, but Messi consequently putting in his demands and the management agreeing to it unnerved Villa. Despite being a central player, he delivered even by playing in the wing, thanks to his top quality. Although he never complained of anything, he was displeased. Keeping in mind his long-term success, he moved to Atletico Madrid, despite having tremendous success at Camp Nou. Nonetheless, he won the La Liga in his first season at Atletico and retired on a top note.
The Spanish forward played a pivotal role in Spain’s 2010 FIFA World Cup success. However, it was his stint in Barcelona that was not really up to the mark. It was not that he did not play well, but Messi consequently putting in his demands and the management agreeing to it unnerved Villa. Despite being a central player, he delivered even by playing in the wing, thanks to his top quality. Although he never complained of anything, he was displeased. Keeping in mind his long-term success, he moved to Atletico Madrid, despite having tremendous success at Camp Nou. Nonetheless, he won the La Liga in his first season at Atletico and retired on a top note.

Philippe Coutinho
The Brazilian’s transfer from Liverpool to Barcelona continues to baffle fans to date. Even before the deal was done, it was sure that he wouldn’t get as much success as he gained at Anfield and would become secondary to Messi. As he went to Barca, the role he played at Anfield was handled by Messi at Camp Nou. Eventually, he wasn’t given a fixed playing position and was often asked to play as a defender as well. Consequently, he chose to make a loan move to Bayern Munich, which thrashed Barca 8-2 in the UCL quarters last season. Meanwhile, he is back with the Catalan, as he has been given a central role under Ronald Koeman.

Thierry Henry
The French superman who was absolutely unstoppable at Arsenal made a move to Barcelona in 2007. However, it was towards the end of his career, as he found it extremely difficult to attain the same success, especially under the dominance of Messi. He played three seasons and could manage just 49 goals in 121 games, with his third season being the worst, scoring just four off 32. He realised that his glory days were over and moved to Major League Soccerto to play his final days.