Mascherano Reflects on Training with Messi at Barcelona

Javier Mascherano Reveals Why Lionel Messi Could Have Been ‘One of the Best Defenders in the World’

Lionel Messi’s incredible accomplishments as an attacker have earned him a reputation as one of the greatest football players of all time. Javier Mascherano, a former teammate of Messi’s from Barcelona and Argentina, thinks Messi might have been a great defender as well.

Messi’s defensive skills were equally impressive, and if he had concentrated on playing at the back throughout his career, he could have been one of the best defenders in the world, Mascherano said in a recent interview.

Mascherano’s Appreciation of Messi’s Defense

Mascherano said:

“If Messi were a defender, he might be among the best defenders in the world. At Barcelona, it was hard to get by him during training.”

Mascherano continued, emphasizing Messi’s quickness and defensive awareness: “We played one-on-one at times, and nobody could get past him. Leo was lightning fast, and he played excellent defense even while he was attacking. You couldn’t dribble past him at all.”