Lionel Messi has formed special relationships with a number of former teammates over the years, but there is only one player who understands him “perfectly”.
“Jordi Alba knows me perfectly. He knows when I’m going to make a no-look pass. I have a special connection with him,” Messi told Catalunya Radio, via Barca’s website.
Last summer, several of Messi’s close teammates joined him at Inter Miami.
Among them, Jordi Alba is the person with whom Messi has a very close relationship and he became the third Barca legend to join David Beckham’s team – in the same transfer period.
With the duo’s understanding at Barca, the two combined to create a “devastating effect” on any defense. Messi often moved into the middle and immediately discovered Alba’s flexible movement on the left wing, the defender wriggled to receive a pass with perfect weight and timing from El Pulga.
Alba would either control the ball or lay it off for Messi to tap in. In total, Alba has assisted 23 of Messi’s 672 goals at Barca, with only five players ahead of him in the rankings.
This cleverly disguised pass is certainly a Messi favourite and he made it many times during Argentina’s World Cup triumph.
However, on the Argentina team, Marcos Acuna does not have the same “frequency” as Messi when he struggles to make good use of M10’s passes.
Messi and Alba have been quick to score goals at Inter Miami so far, and it’s safe to say their connection is unparalleled.
Alba recently spoke about his move to Inter Miami: “I never get tired of winning. I want to keep beating opponents, keep competing. If I didn’t have that excitement, I wouldn’t have come here. I would have stayed in Barcelona, at home, not playing football. This opportunity is very attractive,” he told CBS Sports.
