Barcelona forward Pedro has hailed Lionel Messi after the Argentine struck another hat-trick at the weekend.

Messi hit a treble in Sunday's 5-0 win over Levante, with the three goals taking his tally to 37 in 33 games for the season.

Pedro, who has played alongside Messi in the Barca first team since 2008, has said that it is "a privilege" to have the 27-year-old as a teammate.

"What I will say is it's a privilege to have him as a teammate and to share a dressing room with him," Pedro told AS. "He's a unique and different player. He always has the ambition to be the best."

Messi has netted 391 goals in 458 first-team games for Barca.