Lionel Messi had to "score all the time" at Barcelona or he "wouldn't be happy", a former teammate of the Argentine star has revealed.
World Cup winner Samuel Umtiti has worked with the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner at Camp Nou and has witnessed first-hand the unstoppable movement that elevates one of the world's best to the pinnacle of global football.
Umtiti moved to Barcelona in 2016 and stayed in Catalonia until the end of Messi's spell at Barça in 2021. He watched the superstar score at least 30 goals in five consecutive seasons - even surpassing the 50-goal mark in some of them.
"As a person, he's brilliant. He understands that even if you've won everything, it's pointless to believe you're superior. There's only one like that, and that's Leo."
"At all levels. Only he is capable of winning a match, 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 mark of the greats."
Umtiti, who won the World Cup in 2018 while still part of Barcelona, added what makes Messi special and magical.
"He's a killer in front of goal. He knew exactly when to speed up and when to slow down the pace of the game. He's 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," declared Umtiti.Telegrafi/
