Former Barcelona defender makes surprise claim about Lionel Messi | OneFootball

In a revealing interview on ‘Shoot for Love’ (h/t SPORT), former Barcelona stalwart Javier Mascherano made a surprising claim about his ex-teammate Lionel Messi, suggesting that the Argentine superstar could have excelled in an entirely different position on the pitch.

Mascherano played with Messi for eight seasons at Barcelona and shared the dressing room with the Argentine national team as well.

As such, the former Barcelona and Liverpool defender would be seen as one of the best sources for secrets about the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner.

Messi could have been a ‘top defender’

And, Mascherano, during the interview, made a shocking claim stating that Messi could have been an excellent defender if he was not playing as a forward.

“If Messi were a defender, he might have been one of the best defenders in the world. It was impossible to dribble past him. Sometimes in Barcelona, we would play one-on-one, and it was impossible to get past him,” he remarked.

Mascherano claims Messi would have excelled as a defender. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

Mascherano highlighted multiple attributes that made Messi an impeccable marker, as he said:

“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.”

Further highlighting the greatness of the Barcelona and Argentina legend, Mascherano revealed a training anecdote from their time together at the club.

“In Barcelona, we had a short tournament during training with three teams: five victories and you were the champion. He decided to end training early, so he scored five goals for his team to win, and training was over,” Mascherano recalled with great amusement.

While Messi’s attacking prowess has earned him numerous accolades and cemented his place among football’s greatest players, Mascherano’s statements reveal an unexplored dimension of the former Barcelona captain’s capabilities.