Argentina legend Javier Mascherano has made a stunning claim about Lionel Messi’s defensive prowess, suggesting he would be “one of the best defenders in the world” if he had opted to play at the back.
Messi, widely regarded as the greatest player of all time, has achieved unparalleled success as an attacker. However, Mascherano, his former Barcelona and Argentina teammate, revealed Messi’s exceptional defensive skills in training.
“If Messi were a defender, he would perhaps be one of the best defenders in the world,” he said in an interview for Shoot for Love. “It is impossible to get past him. Sometimes, at Barcelona we played one on one and it was impossible to get past him.
“We had no chance against him. Sometimes, attackers know how to defend. Leo defended very well. He was very fast and when you tried to dribble past him it was impossible.”
Mascherano and Messi played together for eight years at Barcelona and were in the national team together for 13. Mascherano recalled a particular training session where Messi’s determination shone through. ”In Barcelona we did a short tournament in a training session with three teams: five victories and you were the champion,” he said. “He decided to end the training session early, so he scored five goals for the team to win and the training session ended.”
The 37-year-old Messi continues to impress, scoring 17 goals in 18 MLS matches for Inter Miami this season. Before returning to action in the United States, he will feature in Argentina’s World Cup qualifying match against Venezuela.
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