Argentina player turned U21 manager Javier Mascherano and Lionel Messi go back in time. He had spent eight years with Messi in Barcelona. But Mascherano had not seen the former rest during his Blaugrana days as much as he rested last season. The 8x-Ballon d’Or winner owed his long vacation to Inter Miami’s MLS exit before the playoffs. The youth coach seemed a bit relieved that his compatriot was ‘able to rest more‘. Nevertheless, he could not still fathom a ‘super competitive guy‘ like the Herons’ skipper being inactive for such a long period!

Javier Mascherano, much like Lionel Messi fans, hopes the veteran won’t hang his boots soon. Holding that thought, he assured he would cheer the legend and Inter Miami from the stands one day.

Mascherano reveals Lionel Messi thought he rested ‘too much’

Javier Mascherano recalled his storied stints at Barcelona and the Argentina national team. Soon, Lionel Messi became the talking point. “I’m not surprised by anything about him anymore. He will play as long as he still feels the hunger to compete. The other day I was talking to Leo and he was telling me that he had a long vacation”. Then came a witty yet surprising taunt in disbelief for Lionel Messi, which showcased their close connection.

“But what a son of a b**ch. Look, we are talking about a super competitive guy, who had an abnormal vacation compared to the ones he had always had, so he had a long vacation. After 25 years he was able to rest more… and he thought it was too much,” said Javier Mascherano.

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“I want to visit him in Miami to watch a couple of games, I have to take my son Brunito,” he added, as per his interview with Lanacion. Lionel Messi has truly come off a long hiatus. However, he was unable to deliver on his return. On a lighter, he, himself is yet to fathom the ‘abnormality‘ of the long period he’s been inactive for. Anyhow, this long break was good in the sense of considering the super busy schedule of 2024.

‘Abnormally’ long vacation is now followed by a lot of touring!

Now that the hiatus is over, Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami teammates kick-started the pre-season action in a disappointing draw against El Salvador. Both Messi and Luis Suarez got subbed off at halftime. It is unsure if the star strikers were fatigued or not. Anyhow, they badly need to rejuvenate as the Herons’ pre-season is crammed with matches and intense travel.

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Inter Miami has returned to the US to play a friendly against FC Dallas on Monday. Shortly after the Dallas outing, Lionel and Co. will leave for Saudi Arabia, for the Riyadh Season Cup. They will further tour Asia, visiting Japan and Hong Kong, before the MLS 2024 season starts rolling. We should wait and see if Lionel Messi will make the best of his long vacation. However, let us not ignore the chances of such a long break impacting his form as well.

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