Lionel Messi is undoubtedly one of the best footballers ever to grace the beautiful game of football and over the years he has not only broken records to sit at the zenith of the game but has influenced the life of an entire generation. The Argentine captain, who is known for his goalscoring prowess, can play in almost every attacking positions along with positions from the midfield, but his former Argentina captain and also an ex Barcelona teammate, Javier Mascherano revealed that had he been a defender, he would've been the best offensive player ever.

Mascherano said that back in the day, it was very difficult to dribble past Messi, who is himself known for his impeccable dribbling.

“If Messi had been a defender, he would possibly have been one of the best in the world. It is impossible to dribble past him. In Barcelona, we sometimes played one-on-one and it was impossible to dribble past him'', he said in an interaction on the YouTube channel, Shoot For Love.

Mascherano, who is an U-20 Argentina coach now said that Messi doesn't come in low and hard with his tackles, but he is very agile in his defensive game.

“There are no options against him. He is a great defender. Leo is a very, very good defender. He doesn’t come in hard and low (tackle), but he is very fast when you try to dribble past him,” he added.

Messi after leaving Barcelona went to PSG in 2021. After a average two years with the Parisan club, he moved to USA to play for Inter Miami CF in the Major League Soccer (MLS). For years, the 37-year was eluded of an international trophy with Argentina but in the last 3 years, he has helped his team win the Copa America on two occasions, 1 FIFA World Cup and 1 Finalissima.

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