"I have not seen anyone do what he does" - When Andres Iniesta replied to Pele taking shots at 'one skill' Lionel Messi
Back in 2018, Andres Iniesta had a response for Pele after the legendary Brazilian legend criticized Lionel Messi.
Pele claimed that the Inter Miami superstar was too reliant on his left foot. In a conversation over ranking the best players of all time, he placed Messi below himself and Diego Maradona, implying that Messi's skill set was restricted.
Pele told Folha de Sao Paulo (via GOAL):
"How can you make a comparison between a guy who heads the ball well, shoots with the left, shoots with the right and another who only shoots with one leg, only has one skill and doesn’t head the ball well?"
Andres Iniesta, who spent 14 years playing with Messi at Barcelona, reacted to this in 2018, but refused to directly respond to Pele's comment, telling reporters (via GOAL):
"I do not want to answer what Pele said. But he [Messi] is the best player in history, he's got all the records: headers, skills, right-footed shots, left-footed shots - I have not seen anyone do what he does and every year he exceeds my expectations."
The topic of the 2018 Ballon d'Or, in which Lionel Messi was placed fifth, was also discussed. Iniesta added:
"[Being] fifth [in the Ballon d'Or voting] is not an insult, but for me he is the best. It would be bad to say that it was unfair for [Luka] Modric to win, he had a great season."
Inter Miami manager Tata Martino shares update on Lionel Messi fitness
The CONCACAF Champions Cup continued on Wednesday, with Inter Miami falling short 1-2 at home against CF Monterrey, as they did not have Lionel Messi on the pitch. This is the fourth game he has missed in a row, and fans have raised questions about the potential return date of the Argentine legend.
Tata Martino has responded to questions surrounding Lionel Messi's fitness, telling the press (via GOAL):
"Well, as we mentioned, things are improving day by day. Playing him today was risky, as he is not completely ready, and this will be the case against Colorado and, next Monterrey match.”
Inter Miami have failed to establish a regular winning formula in Messi's absence. This was no different from previous matches, and the legendary playmaker's absence was felt greatly.
Looking ahead, the Herons have two important games on their calendar, making it a challenging week if Lionel Messi does not return.