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Former Barcelona star Javier Mascherano lavished praise on Lionel Messi's ability to defend despite being a top attacker. He also spoke about the Argentina captain's influence on short tournaments that took place during training sessions.
The pair have known each other for a fairly long time now, having shared the pitch for the Bluagrana and their national team and also won the Olympic gold medal for Argentina. In all, the duo have played 414 matches together across competitions, bagging three joint goal contributions in the process.
Speaking about Messi during an interview with Shoot for Love, Mascherano said (via Forbes):
"If Messi were a defender, maybe he would be one of the best defenders in the world. He is impossible to dribble. Sometimes at Barcelona, we played one against one, and it was impossible to pass him.
"We didn't stand a chance against him. Sometimes, attackers know how to defend. Leo defended very well. He was very fast and when you tried to dibble him, it was impossible."
He added:
"In Barcelona we had a short tournament in a training session with three teams- five goals and you were the champion. He decided to finish training early, so he scored five goals for the team to win and the training ended."
Messi was exceptional during his time with the Catalan club, making 778 appearances across competitions, bagging 672 goals and 303 assists. He managed to win the Champions League trophy on four occasions, along with 10 LaLiga titles, among other honors at Camp Nou.
He departed the club in the summer of 2021 for Paris Saint-Germain after his contract at Barcelona expired. Messi currently represents MLS club Inter Miami.
Lionel Messi to reunite with Barcelona on special occasion - Reports
Lionel Messi is reportedly set to reunite with his former club, Barcelona, on the occasion of the team's 125th anniversary this year. This news comes from Relevo, who say that the Catalan outfit will also be looking to invite other legends, including Ronaldinho and Xavi Hernandez (via Bola VIP).
However, it is expected that the festivities will be pushed to a later date rather than the date of the anniversary, which falls on November 29. It remains to be seen whether Messi is available for the occasion, with the MLS going on till December 7.
Even in that case, it seems as though the Blaugrana have an alternative plan. The report claims that the LaLiga giants will ask Messi to record a video message in case he is unavailable for sporting reasons.
