Lionel Messi Has a Shocking Pick for His Toughest Opponent Ever
You’re probably thinking, "Cristiano Ronaldo? Thomas Müller? Sergio Ramos? No way, it can’t be one of these guys!" But nope, Lionel Messi has some unexpected news for you – and it’s not exactly who you’d expect.
As Messi revealed in a rare interview, the toughest opponent he’s ever faced doesn’t come from the European heavyweights or the Barcelona arch-rivals, Athletic Bilbao. It was none other than Pablo Maffeo, a French defender who was on loan at Girona in 2017.
Back then, Messi’s Barca faced off against their Catalan neighbors in a grueling 3-0 win. Messi was stunned by Maffeo’s tenacious man-marking, which left him virtually nullified for the duration of the match.
Speaking to DAZN (via Four Four Two), Messi recalled the experience with a mix of frustration and admiration: "Man-marking doesn’t bother me – you know that there will be tough matches, and it can be strange to always have someone around you. In truth, it hasn’t happened to me that often. Pablo Maffeo of Girona was the toughest man-marker. That was intense!"
Maffeo, now 27 and plying his trade for Mallorca, even remembered the encounter fondly – and the two reportedly had a chat during the game. Who knew Messi was so sportsmanlike?
But here’s the kicker: Maffeo is eligible to represent Argentina through his mother’s side, and Messi personally invited him to train with the national team last November. Talk about a rare chance for a player to grow and learn from the Best of All Time!
Take it from us, people – this is one under-the-radar encounter we wouldn’t have predicted!
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