He is the only player that understands me perfectly — Lionel Messi reveals 'best friend' on the pitch

Lionel Messi has formed connections with numerous footballers, but there is one player with whom he shares an exceptionally special bond on the field.

Over the years, Messi has had some truly remarkable teammates. The lengthy list includes Ronaldinho, Neymar, Luis Suarez, Sergio Aguero, Andres Iniesta, and many more.

However, the Argentine World Cup winner believes there is one footballer who knows him perfectly.

Speaking to Radio Catalunya, the Barcelona legend said: "Jordi Alba knows me to perfection,"

"He knows when I will give him a no-look pass. I have the most special connection with him."

At Barca, the two combined to devastating effect. It was common for Messi to drift inside and immediately spot the movement behind the right-back, threading through a pass with impeccable weight and timing.

 With Alba galloping in behind, he had no trouble passing the ball back to him for a notch. In total Alba assisted 23 of Messi's 672 goals for Barca, with only five players ahead of him in the charts.