Barcelona president says Messi put club on 'universal' level

Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu has claimed Lionel Messi is responsible for Barcelona's overwhelming popularity, picking up the mantle from Ronaldinho and Johan Cruyff.

Messi crowned a stellar 2015 with his fifth Ballon d'Or on Monday, and in Bartomeu's eyes, the 28-year-old is the best to ever play the game.

"Messi deserves everything. He is the best player in history. The statistics show that, and he isn't going to stop here," Bartomeu told Italian newspaper La Repubblica. "There has never been anyone like him and nobody will ever exceed him.

"We have had great champions in the past, from the days of Laszlo Kubala and Luis Suarez. Cruyff, as a player, brought us back to life, and as a manager he put us on the map with the European Cup win in 1992. With Ronaldinho, we became global, but with Messi, we are universal."

Messi scored 52 goals for the club and country across 2015, reasserting himself as the world's top player after losing out to Cristiano Ronaldo in the previous two years.

Bartomeu sees Messi not just as an extension of Barcelona's attractive football, but its greatest product. The Argentine has evolved as the team has, says Bartomeu, and the player is happy to go through those changes.

"Messi is fine here. It's been his home since he was 13 years old," said the president. "He will be bound to Barcelona for the rest of his career."