Lionel Messi is still hailed as the GOAT (Greatest of All Time – the most outstanding player in history). However, in English, “Goat” also means a goat. And Messi, the “little goat,” has been swallowed whole by the “old wolf” Marcelo Bielsa.
Masterfully handling the GOAT
After Messi brought the World Cup 2022 title to the Argentina national team, most football fans believed he had truly become the GOAT, ending comparisons with other legends like Cristiano Ronaldo, Pele, or Maradona.
The Argentine superstar displays impressive form with Inter Miami and the national team. He helped Miami secure their first-ever title and led Argentina to a perfect start in the World Cup 2026 qualifiers with a flawless record (Messi himself scoring three goals). La Pulga is also in high spirits after winning his eighth Ballon d’Or, extending his own record.
Facing a shining Messi, opponents naturally feel apprehensive. Midfielder Federico Valverde admitted he didn’t know how to neutralize Messi before facing Argentina in the fifth round of the World Cup 2026 qualifiers with Uruguay.
“I don’t know how to do that. I may never stop Messi. We have faced each other many times in El Clasico. Casemiro was always a good weapon to neutralize Messi, but it doesn’t always work. You have to respect Messi because he is one of the best players in the world,” Valverde shared with Marca.
Meanwhile, Coach Bielsa admitted, “This is an emotionally rich match for me. Just like stopping Messi, I don’t know which method or process is effective for dealing with such a world-class player. Perhaps the most effective way is to ask Messi how to stop him.”
But perhaps this is just Bielsa’s hidden strategy. In the match between Argentina vs Uruguay, Messi was completely neutralized by Bielsa’s team.
The 36-year-old superstar played the entire match but only had three shots (1 on target, 1 off target, and 1 blocked). He had 63 ball touches, lost possession 15 times, and was fouled 5 times. La Pulga’s most notable moment was a free-kick that hit the crossbar in the 57th minute.
Almost every time Messi had the ball, several Uruguay players swarmed him, using any means to stop him, including rough fouls. Due to excessive frustration, Messi got into a heated exchange with Uruguay players in the first half, luckily avoiding a card.
Messi lost possession in the 87th minute, allowing Uruguay to launch a quick counter-attack. From this play, Darwin Nunez scored the second goal, securing a 2-0 victory for the away team.
Not a mentor but an opponent
Located about 300 km from Buenos Aires, Rosario, the capital of the Santa Fe province, is the birthplace of many Argentine football legends. It is also the hometown of both Messi and Bielsa.
Ironically, football never placed them in the same position, even though both love Newell’s Old Boys club. Bielsa left his position as the coach of this team in 1992, and Messi joined the club’s youth team in 1994.
Bielsa lived in Barcelona for a short time in 1998, and Messi took his first steps in the city in 2000. Bielsa coached the Argentina national team from 1998 to 2004, while Messi only wore the Albiceleste shirt from 2005.
Bielsa can only be Messi’s opponent. He coached the Chile national team from 2007 to 2011 and led Athletic Bilbao from 2011 to 2013. During these periods, Bielsa faced Messi several times in the Argentina national team and Barcelona jersey. He often suffered defeats (1 win, 2 draws, and 4 losses in 7 encounters). Notably, Messi scored 6 goals in the 7 matches against Bielsa.
However, when Messi is at his peak with Argentina, Bielsa dealt him a cold shower. Albiceleste suffered their first defeat in the World Cup 2026 qualifiers, ending a 14-match winning streak since the 2022 World Cup.
Bielsa is gradually revitalizing Uruguay since becoming their coach in May 2023. In October, the 68-year-old coach made headlines by defeating the Brazil national team 2-0 in Montevideo. And today, he led his team to victory over Messi’s homeland with a similar score.
But regardless of the outcome of this match, the respect Messi and Bielsa have for each other never changes. Messi once shared, “Bielsa breathes football through his skin, he is a great coach. I have never seen any player speak ill of him.”
Messi said after Argentina’s defeat to Uruguay, coached by Bielsa, “You can see Bielsa’s influence on the Uruguay national team. They have a good team and play well. One day we will have to lose, it is unavoidable. We have to stand up and play a good match against Brazil.”
Meanwhile, Bielsa praised the 36-year-old superstar: “Messi is an outstanding and different player. That’s why he has to deal with the pressure to shine in every match and every tournament.”
When Messi won the Copa America 2021 in Brazil, Bielsa expressed, “I feel great joy for everyone, for Messi, who has been patient, fought, endured, waited, and won. We live in a fast-food culture, and for not winning, Messi has had to endure all kinds of pressure.”
And a year after Argentina won the World Cup, he once again praised and supported Messi: “The reward he received is the result of patience, perseverance, and relentless effort. It’s extraordinary.”
In a twist of fate, Messi and Bielsa have never been mentors and disciples; they can only be opponents. But they still respect each other. And today, Messi must tip his hat to the U70 strategist.
Messi almost became Bielsa’s student. In 2020, Messi called on Barcelona’s leadership to invite Bielsa as the head coach to replace the increasingly disappointing Quique Setien. However, the opportunity for the two to work together never materialized. Barcelona chose Ronaldo Koeman, and Bielsa continued to work with Leeds until 2022.
