Lionel Messi finally revealed the mystery behind his habit of “stroking his beard while walking” during matches.

Lionel Messi is still considered the greatest player of all time. During his career, Messi often walks on the field and assesses the situation before running in coordination with his teammates on the attack.

Lionel Messi revealed his reason for “walking and stroking his beard” during matches

In an interview with Clank Media, Messi explained why he walked.

“When I was at Newell’s, we were assigned to run around the yard two or three times a week. At that time I often hid behind a tree. Running without the ball has never been something I like.

I am always strict with myself. I am the first person to know whether what I do is right or wrong. When I walk, I analyze the opponent’s position, how we stand without the ball, how to escape our marker and trigger a counter-attack.

I don’t pay much attention to GPS, statistics or data. I never pay attention to my running distance in a match.”

Messi completed his collection of titles in his football career with the 2022 World Cup championship in Qatar with Argentina. He also won the Golden Ball in that tournament thanks to his good performances. In the summer of 2023, Messi moved to Inter Miami and admitted this could be his last club before retiring.

Currently, Messi is still fighting in the Copa America with the Argentina team. Messi and his teammates won against Canada in the opening match and will face Chile in the next match.