Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets have shared virtually a lifetime on the pitch, first taking their earliest steps collectively at FC Barcelona, after which reuniting on the twilight of their careers on the opposite aspect of the Atlantic with Inter Miami. Past the numerous trophies gained alongside the best way, the Messi-Busquets partnership has now cemented itself within the historical past books with a exceptional report.
All of it started in 2008, when Messi was already rising as one of many sport’s most fun skills and a 20-year-old Busquets, a product of La Masia, was nonetheless working to earn his place on the largest stage. Within the 2008-09 season, Pep Guardiola’s first in cost on the Camp Nou, the brand new supervisor turned to certainly one of his former B crew gamers, handing Busquets his debut on September 13 in a 1-1 draw in opposition to Racing Santander, the primary time the 2 shared a pitch collectively.
From that time on, Messi developed into arguably the best ahead in soccer historical past, whereas Busquets reinvented the defensive midfielder place with a method so distinctive that nobody has fairly managed to duplicate it. By the point of Messi’s emotional departure from Barcelona in 2021, the 2 had shared the pitch collectively for the Blaugrana on 569 events.
Their reunion got here in 2023, when each organized strikes to Inter Miami, a franchise that was struggling on the backside of the MLS standings on the time. Collectively, they helped remodel the Herons into one of many league’s powerhouses, contributing to Leagues Cup, Supporters’ Protect and MLS Cup glory throughout the 84 video games they shared in South Florida earlier than Busquets made the choice to retire final season.
Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF celebrates with Jordi Alba #18 and Sergio Busquets #5.
Messi, Busquets, and a report that might be robust to interrupt
When combining their appearances collectively at Barcelona and Inter Miami, Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets have been confirmed by the IFFHS because the pair who’ve performed probably the most video games alongside one another in soccer historical past, with a staggering whole of 653. The quantity speaks not solely to their extraordinary chemistry, however to the exceptional consistency and longevity of one of many sport’s most iconic partnerships.
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To place it in perspective, certainly one of Messi’s most prolific attacking companions, Luis Suárez, has shared the pitch with the Argentine simply 324 instances in keeping with Transfermarkt, fewer than half the appearances Busquets managed alongside him.
The earlier report holders had been Busquets himself and Gerard Piqué who made their Barcelona debuts concurrently Busquets made his alongside Messi in 2008. With each enjoying not solely at Barcelona but in addition as key figures in one of many biggest Spain nationwide crew sides in historical past, the 2 amassed 533 membership appearances collectively and one other 87 with La Roja, for a mixed whole of 620, falling 33 wanting the Messi-Busquets mark.
Third on the all-time listing are Bayern Munich and Germany legends Gerd Müller and Sepp Maier, the striker and goalkeeper duo who shared 14 seasons to build up 611 video games collectively. The one present pair with any life like likelihood of threatening the listing is Thomas Müller and Manuel Neuer, additionally on 611, however with Müller now at Vancouver and Neuer nonetheless at Bayern, including to their tally would require one to observe the opposite, an more and more unlikely state of affairs given the place each discover themselves within the last chapters of their careers.
