A delightfully, incredible video of ‘How to stop Lionel Messi’ has gone viral and it proves that up until now nobody has even the vaguest clue how to stop the maestro dead in his path when he’s playing possessed like a bat from hell.
The Paris Saint-Germain superstar is widely regarded as one of football’s greatest ever, having won almost every conceivable trophy there is to win, including six Ballon d’Ors, and still counting.
Many an esteemed rival – players and managers – have given deep thought as to whether there’s actually an effective way to stop him in his charge towards the goal, and the @Magical_Messi’s video catalogues, with great affection and humor, everyone who has ever tried to achieve the impossible.
The video opens with a younger-looking, tongue-in-cheek Jose Mourinho jesting about a player he supposedly ‘forgot the name of’ before quipping ‘… ah yes, Messi…’.
“When Messi has the ball, one on one, you are dead, with a football he is impossible to stop.”
Rio Ferdinand is up next and when asked how to stop the six-time Ballon d’Or winner international, he replied: “I was in a team that tried it a couple of times and it didn’t come off!
“Other than GBH (Grievous bodily harm) I don’t know at the moment…”
One manager who knows Messi’s brilliance perhaps better than anyone is Pep Guardiola.
The current Manchester City boss managed Barcelona for three years, with Messi as his main gladiator, and they won a cabinet full of trophies, including two Champions League crowns in 2009 and 2011, respectively.
Guardiola has come up against Messi as manager of Bayern Munich and City in recent years.
His grand plan to stop his previous charge? Just keep the ball away from him as much as you can!
While manager of Bayern he said: “There is neither a coach or defense to stop him, he’s too good.
“He’s the best player of all time. We can put him up there with Pele. I never saw a boy like him and I don’t think we will for a long time.
“The only way to deal with him is keeping the ball away as much as possible. I don’t have another way.”