According to Goal.com, Pique called Messi the greatest player of all time before the World Cup final.
The World Cup final will be held on Sunday at Metropolitan Life Stadium in New Jersey, with Spain facing Argentina.
In an interview with ESPN, Pique said, "If Messi can lift the World Cup twice in a row at this age, without anyone expecting it, it will be an incredible story."
He said, "We in Spain won the title in 2010, which was one of the best experiences of my career. It would be fantastic to win it again."
When asked how to limit the Argentine star, Pique said: "Messi is the best player in history. No matter whether you assign one, two or three defenders to him, he can always find a way to make a difference for the team, whether it's a goal, an assist, or creating one-on-one opportunities for his teammates."
He concluded by saying, "Spain must stick to its own style: high pressing, possession, and dominating the game."
He added, "If we can keep him out of the penalty area, Spain will have a slight advantage."
Despite the strained relationship between the two in recent years, especially after the Argentine star left Barcelona in 2021, with Messi believing the former Spanish defender was one of the factors that led to his departure, Pique has still publicly expressed his respect for him.
The former Barcelona defender also cited England as an example, saying that England once led Argentina 1-0, then retreated to defend, and eventually conceded two goals and was eliminated in the World Cup semi-finals.
Pique explained: "England proved that they were in the lead and in control for the first 55 to 60 minutes, but then they retreated to defend, which I think was a clear mistake."
He concluded by saying, "Spain will not fall into this trap because they have their own clear style of play and must play this game in their own way."
