Why I Walk During Matches — Messi

Argentine international footballer Lionel Messi has explained the motive behind his walking on the field during matches throughout his illustrious career.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has been arguably held as the greatest player of his generation, if not of all time.

Over the course of his 20-year-long career, Messi has been noted for the peculiar habit of strolling on the field, which has been seen as scanning the field before making the move to get in sync with the rest of the attack.

Speaking in an interview with Clank Media, Messi has now explained why he walks, “When I was at Newell’s, there were two or three times a week we were sent to run around the grounds. I used to hide behind a tree. Running without a ball was never my thing. Heh.

“I have always been very self-critical. I am the first to know what I do right and what I do wrong. When I walk, I analyse the opponent’s positioning, how we stand when we don’t have the ball, get away from the marker and be able to initiate a counterattack.

“I don’t pay much attention to GPS, statistics or data. I never cared how much I ran in a match.”

Messi completed all that football has to offer when he won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar with Argentina as he also won the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball for good measure.

In the summer of 2023, he made the move to Inter Miami and has since admitted that he thinks the MLS side will be his last club before he hangs up his boots.

The World Cup winner is still involved with Argentina and is leading La Albiceleste in the 2024 Copa America in the United States.

Messi will be in action on Tuesday, June 25 against Chile at the MetLife Stadium.