Former Real Madrid and Argentina striker Jorge Valdano says the next footballing genius will be more similar to "superhuman" Cristiano Ronaldo than "miracle" Lionel Messi.
"Messi contradicts everything," Valdano told Tiempo. "Being a genius, he can change anything. He has the power of a hero, of a superstar.
"This week he released a statement on Instagram responding to Eric Abidal, the technical secretary, who had for some reason criticised the players – he left Barcelona shaking.
"Then, on the pitch, he has the power to imbalance any side. He has decided three of the last four results with his devastating influence. He has become more mature and more aware of his power.
"There is only one Messi," he added. "It's hard to know what will come after him. Taking into consideration that a genius is born every 15 or 20 years, the next one will have a more academic background.
"Messi is a formative miracle: he owes his gifts to both the streets and the academy.
"Until the age of 13 he grew up in Argentina, with a more informal education, then moved to Barcelona where he learned to play attractive football - but it was much more formal.
"The streets have disappeared from training schools for football players. In South America there are still areas of poverty where football continues to reign.
"The next Messi will be more similar to Cristiano Ronaldo than Messi, more physically superhuman, more competitive, just as heroic, but cut from a different cloth."