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RMA
AFCON 2025
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A former Barcelona defender shared some insights into Lionel Messi's competitive mentality.
Former Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti provided some insights into Lionel Messi’s competitive mentality, revealing that the Argentina international fumes after matches in which he failed to score.
The former France international was teammates with Messi at Barcelona from 2016 till Messi left the club in 2021. During their five years together, in which they won two LALIGA and three Copa del Rey titles, Umtiti observed the Argentine’s traits, some of which he shared in a recent interview.
What Umtiti said
In a recent interview with The Elevate House, Umititi revealed that Messi is never satisfied when he has not scored, even when Barcelona win by a sizable margin.
“As a person, he is top. You realise that even if you have won everything, it is useless to believe you are superior," Umititi said about the eight-time Ballon d'Or.
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“There is only one; it’s Leo. At all levels. He alone is capable of winning a game, and very few can do that. If we won 4-0 and he didn’t score, he wasn’t happy. In his head, it was clear: he had to score all the time. That’s the sign of the big ones.
“[He] is a killer in front of the goal. He knew exactly when to accelerate and when to slow down the game. He is always looking left and right, checking everyone’s positioning. He always has a time advantage. There is no recipe to defend Leo; he is unpredictable.”