Luis Enrique pays tribute to Lionel Messi

Barcelona manager Luis Enrique has said that 'it is clear that Lionel Messi is the best player in the world' after the Argentine scored a hat-trick against Manchester City in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

Messi only returned from a troublesome groin problem off the bench last weekend, but capped his first start for three weeks with a treble in his team's 4-0 success over Pep Guardiola's side.

The result has left the Spanish giants with nine points from their three Group C matches and Enrique has paid tribute to difference-maker Messi once again.

"It's clear that Messi is the best player in the world. He's the total definition of what football means. Doubting Leo is simply naive. He's back to his more decisive self," Enrique told reporters.

"He was involved in all the most important moves of the match. And [jokingly] he became nervous when he was given a gift for his first goal! That's what happens when you give him one centimetre to our most dangerous player."

Messi has now scored six times in his last two Champions League appearances at Camp Nou.