The Argentina international hit 58 goals in 57 appearances in all competitions last year, as the Blaugrana pulled off a famous treble by winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League.
Consequently, Rakitic believes that the four-time Ballon d'Or winner has already done enough, at 28, to cement his status as the finest talent the game has ever seen.
"Messi? We all know who is he. He's the best football player in the history,” the Croatia international said.
Rakitic was speaking ahead of Tuesday's Uefa Super Cup showdown with Sevilla. With the Blaugrana also set to compete in the Supercopa de Espana and Club World Cup before the year is out, Luis Enrique's men are perfectly placed to match the six-trophy haul Pep Guardiola's Barca side managed in 2009.
Rakitic admits that Barca are not yet firing on all cylinders, with the likes of Messi and Neymar having competed in this summer's Copa America, but is nonetheless confident that they can remain on track by beating his former club.
"I'm very excited," the 27-year-old added. "There’s nothing nicer than starting a season with a title.
“I am a huge Sevilla fan, but not in this game. As always, I’ll give all I have to Barca. We want to continue making history on the way to winning all six titles.
“Leo and Neymar are very important for us, but so too are the other players.
“Maybe we are not 100 per cent ready for the new season, but we can win the first title and there can be no excuses.”
