World Champion on Messi: You Know What He'll Do, But You Still Can't Stop Him

At 39 years old, Lionel Messi is preparing to play in his third World Cup final. After the loss to Germany in 2014 and the triumph against France in 2022, the "Albiceleste" will face Spain this Sunday (9:00 PM BST) with the ambition of winning their fourth World Cup title in history.

Samuel Umtiti, a World Cup winner with France eight years ago, shared some of his memories of Lionel Messi. The two played side-by-side at Barcelona between 2016 and 2021.

“Leo is a very good guy. He's introverted and shy, but he knows how to joke around and tease others. At team dinners, he was always with us, laughing. He's a human being like everyone else,” Umtiti commented on the “After Foot” show on RMC radio.

“Of course, he managed to get past me in training,” he continued, speaking about Messi. “It’s difficult. I say he’s crazy, but in a good way. No matter how much you try to predict what he’ll do, I swear, at times it’s impossible. You know what he’s going to do, but he still does it. For example, when he always curls the ball into the far corner, even the goalkeeper knows. He possesses something no one else has. It’s inexplicable.”

In this World Cup, the forward has scored eight goals and provided four assists in seven matches. “The lucky deflections – that’s entirely him. Sometimes I think he sees the game in advance. He sees what you’re going to do, it’s incredible,” Umtiti added about his former teammate. “That’s why for me, there’s no debate when we talk about Cristiano Ronaldo. He’s an incredible athlete and an amazing player, with great statistics, but when it comes to football, there’s no comparison with Messi.”

For Lionel Messi, this final will undoubtedly be symbolic, as it is against Spain – a country he arrived in at just 13 years old.

Meanwhile, the 32-year-old Umtiti has already retired from football due to frequent injuries.