Dani Alves insists he will have no qualms if Lionel Messi overtakes him as the most-decorated footballer in history because he admits his former Barcelona teammate is a better player than him.
Seven-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi, 34, is widely regarded as the greatest talent of all time and scooped yet another trophy as Paris Saint-Germain secured the Ligue 1 title on Saturday. This marked the 11th top-flight triumph of his career, adding to a trophy cabinet which includes four Champions League winners' medals and many more.
While there is some debate over what constitutes a 'major' honour, Alves, 38, has indisputably won more than any other player and shared an Instagram post showing off his 43 career trophies on Sunday. Alongside, the Barca defender listed Messi's 39 gongs and wrote an emphatic message to the Argentina captain.
"Life always says: If you are going to be overtaken sometimes, let it be by someone better than you," the Brazilian said. "This post is not for ego, it's just for you to also believe in yourself. Define your destiny and fight every day until you reach the goal!!"
PSG were crowned French champions at the Parc des Princes but will have been disappointed to have been held to a 1-1 draw by Lens. Messi opened the scoring midway through the second half, by which time the visitors were down to 10 men, before Corentin Jean equalised in the closing seconds.
The full-time whistle was met by a somewhat muted response from players and fans alike after a troubled season under manager Mauricio Pochettino. Fresh reports suggest the Argentine could be sacked very soon and Antonio Conte is heavily linked with leaving Tottenham to replace him.
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Although Pochettino has led PSG to domestic success, they crashed out of the Champions League to Real Madrid under embarrassing circumstances at the last-16 stage, which he referenced after the draw with Lens. "I'm really happy to have won another title for the club, to have made history with the 10th title," he said.
"It's really important for everyone and for the club. Yes, it's not easy when you have a massive disappointment in the Champions League but the players were really professional and fought to win the league.
"We've already achieved that. I think it's really important to add another title for the club. We're so happy and we need to give value to the title." PSG have four games remaining this season with Messi's individual tallies at nine goals and 13 assists across all competitions.
