- Verstappen recently praised Messi’s unique ability to read the game well.
- Red Bull driver highlighted Messi’s skill in seizing every scoring opportunity.
- Verstappen cited Messi’s 2022 World Cup performance as proof of his brilliance.
Max Verstappen shared what quality makes Lionel Messi stand out from other brilliant players in a recently released Red Bull video.
He praised his ability to read the game pretty well and to capitalise on opportunities as and when he can to score goals. To give an instance of his brilliance, he recalled Messi’s moment from the last World Cup.
Interestingly, the worlds of football and Formula 1 have collided several times, including Franco Colapinto openly expressing his admiration for Lionel Messi, and Lewis Hamilton sharing the 2020 Laureus World Sports Award for Sportsman of the Year with Messi.
Verstappen has also revealed that he’s a big Barcelona fan before revealing his current favourite footballers.
The F1 GOAT’s admiration for Football legend
In a recent video posted by Red Bull Racing on Instagram, the 4-time World Champion spoke about Messi’s unique ability that makes him different from other good football players. He said, “He [Messi] can read the game. You see a lot of people that, they need to run, they need to get in to score a goal.”
Moreover, he revealed that Messi can conveniently score a goal from whatever position he’s in.
Further appreciating his sportscraft and dominance, he added, “And you think you can defend him, but you cannot, you cannot stop him. So, he will score when you seize the opportunity.”
He provided a great example of why it’s tough to stop Messi, providing the 2022 World Cup moment, where Messi delivered a calculated pass in a match against the Netherlands. He claimed that such a move couldn’t have been defended.
Verstappen is a Barcelona fan, but couldn’t count out rival Real Madrid
Verstappen was previously asked who his current favourite footballers are. He named Dutch footballer Johan Cruyff and, at present, Kylian Mbappe. The Dutchman clearly stated that he is a fan of FC Barcelona, but he couldn’t count out Real Madrid either. He revealed that he likes how Real Madrid manages its squad.
“Its current starting eleven is exceptional, but they make sure that once the older players are nearing the end of their careers, they are immediately replaced by promising young talents capable of filling the void,” he added.
He believes such a formula should be applied to their sport as well, as it would be quite effective and could help a team avoid facing a decline. He thinks that if a certain driver is about to reach their peak, they should then be replaced by a successor, giving new talents a chance to achieve things with the team.
