Lionel Messi labelled 'best player in the world right now' by England forward

Messi's performance in the recent matches has led to many experts and fans alike giving him this title

England forward Raheem Sterling has praised Lionel Messi, labelling the Argentine as the "best player in the world right now". Sterling made the comments after Messi inspired Barcelona to a 3-0 win over Liverpool in the Champions League semi-final first leg.

Messi's performance against Liverpool

Messi was in scintillating form against Liverpool, scoring one goal and creating two more. He was a constant threat to the Liverpool defence and was at the heart of everything that Barcelona created.

Sterling was particularly impressed by Messi's ability to create chances for his teammates. "He's always finding pockets of space and he's always able to pick out a pass," Sterling said. "He's a nightmare to play against."

Messi's record-breaking season

Messi is having a record-breaking season for Barcelona. He has already scored 43 goals in all competitions and has provided 22 assists. He is on course to break the record for the most goals scored in a single season by a Barcelona player.

Messi is also the favourite to win the Ballon d'Or this year. He would be the first player to win the award six times.