The Vissel Kobe midfielder has joined many Barcelona fans to lament the exit of the Argentina superstar from Camp Nou.
Messi finalized his free move to join the Ligue 1 outfit after agreeing a two-year deal with the option to extend to another year on Tuesday.
The 34-year-old brought an end to his two-decade stay at Camp Nou last week when Barcelona officially announced that they are parting ways with the most decorated player in their history.
Barcelona could not renew Messi’s deal due to their financial constraints and La Liga’s Financial Fair Play rules.
Iniesta has admitted it will be painful to see Messi in another club’s shirt but insists Barcelona will continue to be the best team in the world.
“I don’t know what happened internally, nor how things unfolded, but the club will need to recover from this transfer," the 2010 World Cup winner told AFP.
“It will hurt to see him in another team’s shirt. Leo personifies Barcelona. He was everything, he’s a player who transcends the team. I’ve never seen a player like him and I don’t think I ever will.
“[Barcelona] will continue to be one of the best teams, one of those that has to be on the summit.”
