Argentina Star Reveals What He Still Doesn't Understand About Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi’s on-and-off pitch character still got his Argentina teammate Nicolas Tagliafico wondering.

Apart from Barcelona, Messi has also made his mark on his national side. Over the years, the six-time Ballon d’Or winner has maintained a good and close relationship with his Argentina teammates.

However, Tagliafico admitted that Messi is still a puzzle for him.

"When you see him play you are shocked," Tagliafico told Ajax's official media of Messi via Marca. "Then you meet him in person and say, 'How can he be so normal with how great he is?'.”

Indeed, Messi is still one of the greatest players in the world. But while the Barca superstar has not shown any signs of declining inside the pitch, the Ajax left-back is well aware that he and his friend only have a few years left in the sport.

"It's something I have to enjoy because he's [Messi] also coming towards the end of his career," he stated.

Tagliafico is among the Argentina players who have looked up to Messi. Though the 33-year-old has failed to bring home the silverware to his country in recent years, he still has high regard for his compatriot’s determination to win.

However, the former Independiente star doesn’t rule out the fact that Messi is already nearing the end of his reign as Argentina’s talisman.

"He is the leader and protector of the team,” Tagliafico told Ole earlier this year. “That facet came out that we might not always see."

"He, more than anyone, gets angry when he loses, but Messi became more aware that he has to enjoy the national team,” he further explained. "I don't know until when he will play, but it is not that he will have too many cups with the national team. He is at a stage where he wants to enjoy everything, training, games."

Back in La Liga, Barca manager Ronald Koeman is aware of Messi’s exhaustion and decided to sideline the captain in Monday’s UEFA Champions League match against Dynamo Kyiv.

Besides the fact that Barcelona is already in a “fairly comfortable” spot in the Champions League, Koeman thinks that it is necessary for Messi to take some time off at this point.

"We decided not to (play) Leo [Messi] and Frenkie [de Jong] because our position in our Champions League group is fairly comfortable. We have nine points, and both of them needed a rest,” the manager told AS during a recent press conference.