Lionel Messi scored twice as the Barcelona beat Bayern Munich 4-1 at home on Tuesday to seal their passage to the Champions League group stage. Messi, who is out of contract with the Catalan giants at the end of the season, said he intends to stay and the team hopes he does too. Barcelona sit atop La Liga ahead of arch-rivals Real Madrid and they take on Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday. “They say Barca is a club that should be sold and I disagree with that,” Messi told CNN in an interview from England on Tuesday night. “I want to be part of Barcelona forever. There are always rumours. I still have years left in me here. I’m optimistic that I will stay here for many years to come.”
Messi said he is relishing the idea of facing Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. “The best opponent would be PSG,” he said. “That’s the team that is next. It’s a chance to win in Paris.”
“We are good enemies to have. We know each other very well.”
Asked who is the best player in Europe, Messi said, “That’s a tough question. I would say Messi is the best in Europe. You know the names. Neymar and Edinson Cavani are world class. Cavani is my favourite player to play with. He’s the only player I can hold in one touch.”
On Tuesday night Messi, with goals of 61st and 68th minutes, set the record for most goals in a calendar year in European competition. This puts him one match away from surpassing Raul’s record of 54 goals in the Champions League.