Brazil centre-back Thiago Silva believes the Copa America semi-final is not the right time to admire ‘greatest ever’ Lionel Messi.

The defender showered praise on the Barcelona star but maintained the high voltage fixture between Argentina and Brazil will be free of any admiration for the player.

Silva admitted that Messi has always created problems for him when the two have locked horns at club and international level. But he will be studying all possibilities to stop the 32-year-old from asserting his domestic on the game at Belo Horizonte.

“For me, Messi is the greatest player in history, the greatest player I’ve ever seen,” Thiago said.

“But now, it’s Brazil and Argentina. We’ll leave it to admire him in other games ahead.

“Every time we face each other, whether in the national team or in the Champions League, it’s very difficult to face him.

“No matter how much you study, you will never understand the quality he has and the difference he can make.

“At certain times, he pulls something else out of the hat that you cannot imagine. That’s his difference.

“As a centre-back you have to study all the possibilities. We know he always pulls left, but many times he pulls right.”