Scientist claims that Messi could be cloned

Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi could be cloned with the help of modern techniques, according to genetic specialist Arcadi Navarro, who is head of the European Genomes Archive.

This season, the Argentine is in some of the best form of his career and received the applause of the Estadio Benito Villamarin on Sunday night thanks to a phenomenal performance.

In an interview with Que t'hi jugues, Navarro outlined his plan for having even more Messi magic.

"We could get a player very similar to Messi. We would be able to clone him with current techniques and get something that would look like a twin," he said.

"If would be as if two twins had been born and one of them would have been kept frozen in a time chamber.

"Then 20 or 30 years later we would return him to his correct time. If everything had went well, it would be the same."

However, he did also acknowledge that cloning the Barcelona captain would not be a guarantee of uncovering a worldwide superstar.

"Genetics gives us a scope. This person could have the same potential as Messi but in the end, Messi's footballing qualities have two components," he continued.

"One is very clear and it is genetic and the other is educational, circumstantial and environmental.

"Messi is Messi and isn't who he is only because of genetics. He is a product of his environment, of growing up in La Masia, of the hormonal treatment he received...

"What genetics does is to give a potential, as was the case with Messi but whether that is fulfilled or not comes down to the circumstances and what happens around us."