Javier Mascherano hails Lionel Messi, calls "his desire to win as surprising"

The FIFA Club World Cup continues to astonish with surprising results in recent games. With the new format and more difficult qualification rules compared to previous editions, smaller clubs now have the chance to put up a strong fight. One such result came in the match between Inter Miami and FC Porto, where Lionel Messi guided his team to a shocking win over the Portuguese side. 

Speaking about his former teammate and current understudy, Javier Mascherano said that Lionel Messi always helps his team learn new things. The former Barcelona player mentioned that Lionel Messi is one of those players who has guided the team to stay competitive. Appreciating his attributes, Javier Mascherano highlighted that Messi’s hunger, resilience, and desire to continue competing at the highest level inspire the entire team. He said:

Beyond the goal, Leo is the player who guides us in how to compete. His hunger, his resilience, his desire to continue competing at any level guides us and shows us where we need to go

Inter Miami fell behind early in the game after conceding a penalty in the eighth minute. However, at the start of the second half, Telasco Segovia sparked the comeback with a goal. Lionel Messi then scored a stunning free-kick to give his team the lead. Speaking about Messi’s unwavering hunger, Mascherano expressed his amazement at the Argentine's desire to win and support his team, even at this stage of his career. 

Mascherano highlighted how Messi helped the side hold on to the precious lead in the dying moments of the game. He said:

Then, from a [soccer] perspective, we can say he’s the best player to have ever played this game, but his desire to win is surprising, because [against Porto], even in the final minutes, tired and injured, he continued to help the team get the result. We have to hold onto that and know that having him gives us an advantage, and we have to catch his spirit

Who will Inter Miami play next? 

Inter Miami will face Palmeiras in the final game of the group stage. A draw would see both teams qualify for the next round, while a win for either side would open up multiple qualification scenarios.