Mauricio Pochettino snubs Lionel Messi, Neymar & Mbappe while naming greatest player he has coached

The former Chelsea boss worked with Messi, Neymar & Mbappe at PSG.

Unexpectedly, Lionel Messi, Neymar & Kylian Mbappe were not named as the “greatest player that I saw in my life” by Mauricio Pochettino, who is currently leading the United States national team.

In 2021–2022, Argentine tactician Pochettino worked alongside fellow countryman Messi for a season at Paris Saint-Germain, a Ligue 1 powerhouse. When the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner made a surprise move from Barcelona as a free agent, Pochettino was the manager at Parc des Princes.

Pochettino also had the opportunity to tutor players like Kylian Mbappe and Neymar at that time. He managed a number of other famous players throughout his tenures as manager of Tottenham and Chelsea, notably Harry Kane, the all-time top scorer for Spurs and England.

Despite boasting some top stars at PSG Pochettino failed to lead the Ligue 1 side to any big trophy as they struggled to perform in the competitions such as the Champions League.

However, Pochettino has referred to this gifted former PSG player as “the greatest.” In a quickfire quiz with GOAL, the man who will lead the United States to a home World Cup in 2026 admitted.

When he was asked to list some of the players he had mentored, Pochettino called:

Thiago Silva a “leader”, Kane “top scorer”, Neymar a “magician”, Mbappe a “killer” and Messi a “genius”. It was, however, Italian midfielder Marco Verratti that earned his “greatest player” billing.

Verratti was PSG’s top player as he joined them at a very young age and went on to become their star player. He established himself there and remained loyal to the club for years.

The way Mauricio Pochettino described Marco Veratti 😮‍💨 @matchforhope pic.twitter.com/LEefnvpYel

— GOAL (@goal) February 14, 2025

Between 2012 and 2023, Verratti, the winner of Euro 2020, made more than 400 appearances for PSG. He is currently playing for Al-Arabi in Qatar at the age of 32, with just under 18 months remaining on his contract. He also played alongside Messi and won two titles with him.

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