For most 20-year-olds, marking Lionel Messi would be a daunting prospect. However, Pablo Maffeo took it all in his stride
For much of the last two decades, Lionel Messi has been the stuff of nightmares for defenders across the globe.
Before moving to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2021, the Argentine superstar carved out an unrivalled legacy at Barcelona, winning pretty much every trophy possible at Camp Nou during his 17 years with the first-team.
Very few defenders throughout that time period can claim to have kept Messi quiet.
His sublime ability with the ball at his feet, together with an exceptional footballing brain, meant that most opposition players simply had no answer to Messi’s brilliance.
That wasn’t the case when Messi came up against Pablo Maffeo and Girona in September 2017, though.
Maffeo – a 20-year-old right-back on loan to the Spanish club from Manchester City – refused to be fazed by the reputation of his big-name opponent.
No matter what, Maffeo was determined not to let Messi have a sniff by man-marking him out of the game – and told him as much during their first exchange.
“Messi told me: ‘I’ve got you here for the whole day’ and I said: ’You’re the best in the world, I’m not going to leave you,'” Maffeo explained after the match, per Tribuna.
As frustrated as Messi clearly was by Maffeo’s constant attention, he still took the time to have a brief chat with the youngster as the action was unfolding.
What did Lionel Messi say to Pablo Maffeo
Maffeo revealed: “He asked me how old I was, if I had been assigned by Manchester City and what it was like there. He said the marking was not pleasant.
“Messi and I were together the whole match. He has asked me a couple of things. He is a good person.”
As you’ll see in the clip below, the Maffeo did a textbook job of keeping Messi on a tight leash.
Although Barcelona ultimately won the game 3-0, thanks to two own goals and a strike from Luis Suarez, Messi didn’t get his name on the scoresheet and was withdrawn with 12 minutes of the match remaining.
Video: Pablo Maffeo shut Lionel Messi down with brilliant man-marking job in 2017
Messi was on fire during the 2017/18 campaign, scoring 34 goals in 36 La Liga outings, making the fact that Girona and Maffeo were able to keep him out all the more impressive.
As the Spaniard would later tell members of the media: “When you mark Messi, you have to think that he is a normal person, he has two legs like all of us.”
Although Maffeo appeared plenty laid back about the whole experience, it must be great to look back and have memories of dealing so well with one of the greatest players of all time in his prime.
Credit to Messi for taking the time to engage with the youngster, too.
Lionel Messi later named Maffeo as the toughest opponent of his career
Speaking back in 2020, Messi hailed Maffeo as the toughest opponent of his career.
“Pablo Maffeo of Girona was the toughest, he admitted, per FourFourTwo. I’ve never been one who complains, but that [match] was intense!”
High praise for sure.
Maffeo left Man City in 2018, having never made a Premier League appearance for the club.
While Messi is chasing a fifth career Champions League crown with PSG, Maffeo is back in La Liga, currently eight months into a four-year-deal with Mallorca.
