Barcelona midfielder Xavi has heaped praise upon his teammate Lionel Messi, saying that he is arguably the greatest player of all time.

Messi, 24, scored five goals in Barcelona's 7-1 destruction of Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday, leaving him just seven goals short of the all-time scoring record for the club.

Comparisons with Diego Maradona have been rife throughout Messi's glittering career, but Xavi believes that the three-time Ballon d'Or winner is a one-off.

"He is the best player in the world - maybe the best of all time," said the Spaniard. "Football is moving on, but he stays the same.

"He deserves the admiration of any sportsman. He is incomparable, a one-off. There is no other player who can make such a difference - he'll break all the records."

Messi has scored 48 goals in 42 matches already this season and has scored 228 goals in 311 games for the club overall.