Ex-Barcelona star claims Lionel Messi could have been ‘one of best defenders in the world’ | OneFootball

Former Barcelona star Javier Mascherano has this week turned heads, with comments regarding fellow countryman and Blaugrana legend Lionel Messi.

This comes amid claims on Mascherano’s part that, had he been afforded the opportunity, Messi could have developed into one of the game’s very best defenders.

Veteran frontman Messi, now of Inter Miami, will of course go down as, in the eyes of many, the standout attacking presence in the storied history of football.

Across his time with Barcelona in particular, the World Cup winner pieced together lightning pace, incredible dribbling and close control, unmatched vision and an eye for goal, to make up the perfect final third player.

And yet, as alluded to above, whilst such traits proved enough for Messi to be named the game’s very best player on no fewer than eight occasions, he could seemingly have shone in an altogether different role on the pitch, too.

Speaking in an interview with Shoot for Love this week, Javier Mascherano, who lined out alongside the Argentine captain at both club and international level, revealed that Messi regularly showcased the abilities of a top-level defender when in training:

“If Messi were a defender, he would perhaps be one of the best defenders in the world. 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.”

Conor Laird – GSFN